The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-12-04
BOARD HEARS PROTESTS.
They Meet and Declare the Result
of the Election.
COL. WIN. ELLIOTT SEATED.
Murray's Protest and the Liberal
Proposition OF Col. Elliott--Pres-
fdential Electors Contest.

IobulI VI tuo CouBIcsoiouhA oASS'Aono'
Their action was in strict accord with
what had been previously expected.
The only matter that took up any
time, and it but very little, was the
protest of George Washington Murray
from the First congressional district.
Messrs. Bates, Barber, Watts and
Tompkins of The board were present,
the only absent member being Comp
interested in the boards actions were
present. noteworthy among them be-
ing Congressman Talbert and Elliott,
Messrs. B. II. Moss, Of Orangburg,
representing Congressman Stokes, L.
A. Webster, B. w. Screven, Z. M.
Brayton, Il. B. Johnson, John +. Jones,
John Il. Cochran, G. w. Murray, E.
J. Dickinson, S. E. Smith and John B.
Edwards.
The protests from the different con-
grcssional districts were taken up one
by one and quickly disposed of by the
board. B. p. Chatfeld of the Second
district, A. G. Merrick of the Third,
p. s. Suber OF the Fourth and John +.
Jones of the Fifth, protested against
the board tabulating and declaring the
result on grounds that called into qnes-
tion the constitutionality of the new
Constitution, or SO much of it as re-
lated to the suffrage, and the election
law framed under the provision of that
Constitution; both being in contraven-
tion of the Constitution and laws of the
United States and that the election
held on November Sd was, because OF
these violations, null and void. The
board overruled these objections.
=. Col. Il. Is. johnson of the Seventh
district, protested, on the grounds that
the Constitution was illegal and in con-
hict with the Constitution of the United
States; and, secondly, that the managers
had refused to allow number of quail
flied voters to cast their ballots. The
board overruled the objections and de-
clared DR.. Stokes elected; the same
ruling holding good as in the special
election.
It was somewhat of O asurpriso when a
protest was received from MIR. B. O'Dell
~iuncan in behalf of the presidential
election of his ticket. 1t had been un-
derstood that only protests would be
made against the result of the congress
sional election and that the vote for
electors and State officers would be let
to pass uncontested. The board in
this instance, as the others, overruled
the protest. Mr.. Duncan's protest is
as follows:
To tic state Board of CanuaSserS.
GENTLEMEN: The undersigned, one
of the candidates at large for presi-
dental elector of the Reorganized Re
publican party of South Carolina, begs
leave. very respectfully, but in MI
seriousness, to enter q solemn protest
against the declaration and promulga-
tion of the result of the recent election
in this State for presidential and vice
presidential electors, and to state
briefly his reasons therefor, as follows:
l. Because the call for the late Con-
stitutional convention of 1895 is cur
rently believed to have been fraud
ulently counted in" and that, too, by
popular vote OF only about 81, 900
out of voting population in the State
according to the census of 1890 of over
235.OOO.
2. Because the openly avowed pur-
pose for calling such convention was to
devise some means for disfranchising
the mass of tho colored voters, without
disfranchising single white man. and
because this purpose was carried out
to the letter by the convention.
3. Because such discrimination
against an entire race is not only in
clear and palpable violation of both
the letter and the spirit of the 14th and
18th amendments of the Constitution
OF the United States, bat is also direct
ly in face of the act of congress read
mitting South Carolina and other States
to the Union, which expressly prohibits
the Constitutions of either of these
States from ever being $50 amended
or changed as to deprive any citizen
or class of citizens of the United
States tho right to vote in said State.
who are entitled to vote by the Con-
stitutioh herein recognized" except
for crime.
4. Because the new Constitution was
put in force without having been first
submitted to the voters of the State for
ratification, which is not only con-
trary to almost universal usage, but it
is also directly contrary to the funda.
mental principle of popular govern
ment, that is the consent of the GOV
erned.
s. Because, acting under this new
Constitution the legislature has enact.
ed a partisan and factional registration
law that grossly Disseminated against
the colorcd race, and under which
only about $4,000 to $4,000 negroes
have been enabled to register out Of "A
voting population according to the cen
sus of 1890, 1872, $40. Thus in the face
of the Constitution and laws of the