The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-10
NEW CONSTITUTION.
CHANGES MADE BY THE STATE DEM
OcRATlc CONVENTION.


The Election OF County Chairman--Filing
Of tbs Pledge, of Candidates--,Time
of the Meeting Of the Clubs and Holding
the Primaries.
AT the State Convention several i'm
portant changes were made in the Con-
stitution of the party, and as this is to
be a campaign year of intense interest
the changes are given in full, the addi.
tions to the old Constitution appearing
enclosed IN parenthesis:
Article I. There shall be one or more
Democratic clubs organized in each
township or ward, each of which clubs
shall have distinct title, ''The -
Democratic Club" and shall elect a
president, one or more vice presidents,
recording and a corresponding secre-
tary and treasurer, and shall have
the following working committees, of
not less than three members each, viz:
A committee on registration, an exec
utive committee, and such other com.
mittees as to each club may see"" ex-
pedient.
Article II. The meeti neis OF the club
should be frequent afte- the opening
of the canvass, aEi some member of
the club or invited speaker deliver an
address at esch meeting, if practicable.
lThe clubs shall meet on the fourth
Saturday in April and the county con-
Iyention on the first Monday in May,
respectively, of each election year
Provided, That the county executive
committe may name any other day,
within the same week for such club
meeting by giving at least two weeks
notice by advertisement in county pa.
pers. Each county shall be entitled
to double the number of delegates in
the State convention as it has members
in the General Assembly,
Article III. The president or five
members shall have power to call an
extra meeting of the club (and at such
extra meetings. and one.fourth of the
members shall constitute quorum for
the transaction of business.
Article Nv. The clubs in each coun-
ty shall be held together and operate
under the control of county execu-
tive committee, which shall consist of
one member from each club, to be
elected by the respective clubs. The
executive committee when elected shall
appoint its own officers Except the
chairman, who shall be elected by the
county convention, who shall not nec-
essarily be members of said committee;
but a vacancy in the membership of
the committee shall be filed by the
club, through the loss of whose mem
ber by death, resignation or otherwise
the vacancy occurs provided that
any officer so elected who is not a
member of the committee shall not be
entitled to vote on any question, ex-
cept the chairman, and then only in
case of a tie.vote. The tenure of office
of the executive committee shall be
until the first Monday in May of each
election year, at which time the coun-
ty conventions shall be called together
to reorganize the party. Every Presi.
dental election year conventions shall
be called by the county executive COM
mittee to meet on the first Monday in
May, which shall elect delegates to
State convention called for the purpose
of electing delegates to the National
Democratic Convention and to elect
the member of the National Demo
cratic executive committee from this
State. The State convention shall be
called by the State executive commit
tee to meet every Presidential election
year on the third Wednesday in May,
and every State election year county
and State conventions shall meet on
the first Monday in May and the (third
Wednesday, in May respectively.
Article V. County Democratic con-
yentions shall be composed of dele
gates elected by the several local clubs,
one delegate for every twenty-five
voters, as shown by the poll list made
at the preceding first primary election
Gn an election year and one delegate
for a majority fraction thereof, with
the right to each county convention to
enlarge or diminish the representation
according to circumstances. The coun-
ty conventions shall be called together
by the chairman of the respective ex-
ecutive committees under such rule,
not inconsistent with the Constitution
nor with the rules adopted by the State
Democratic executive committee, as
each county may adopt, and when as
sembled shall be called to order by the
chairman of the executive committee,
and the convention shall proceed to
nominate and elect from among its
members q president, one or more vice
presidents, a secretary and a treasurer.
Any county convention may permit
or recognize) may permit the formation
of a new clnb or clubs by majority of
its members. In all cities with pop
ulatiou OF 5000 and over there may be
two clubs in each ward; they shall be
organized in obedience to this Consti
tuition, as are the clubs elsewhere in
this State, and in organizing said clubs
they shall have representation in the
county conventions respectively as
said conventions shall declare in &C.
cordancs with the provisions of this
Constitution.
Article vi. For the purpose of NOM
mating candidates for Governor, Lieu
tenant Governor and all other State
officers, including solicitors in their
respective circuits and Congressmen
in their respective districts (and United
States Senators and all county officers
except magistrates), and masters, sup.
ervisors of registration, q district
primary election shall be held on the