The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-12-02

Der Ol clLlZenS OF LQlS Stalc, cnLltieu I'd
vote at said election, of November 3,
1897, in said district for said Rsprcsen-
tative in the 55th Congress, were de-
MED the right Of registration and suf-
frage, who, if they had been allowed
to vote, would have voted for your
protestant and thereby have given
him majority OF the votes cast at
said election.
Respectfully : submitted,
j F.. M. +. JONES, Protestant.
Dated at Columbia, S. c., Novem
ber %, 1896.
Mr. Moss, in the matter Of the con
test between Mr.. Johnston and Dir.
Stokes, said that he supposed the
board would consider the resolution
passed in the matter Of the special
election from this district as applica-
BILE to the general election. By this
resolution the protest against the tab
ulation of the vote was overruled.
The board took that position and the
protest against the tabulation OF the
vote Was overruled.
The Board when it went into eXecu-
tive session oyerruled all Of the pro
tests and contests, and declared the
result acc )rding to the tabuiated
report
There were present during the
meeting Of the board as members OF
the board Chairman Bates, Secretary
of State Tompkins, Gen. Watts and
Attorney General Barber, Lee Brook,
er; as interested parties, State Chair
man Webster, Secretary Screven, Col.
Johnston, Col. Jones, W. j. Talbert,
Col. William Elliott, J. +. Cochran,
<. NJ. Brayton, B. Hart Moss.
The board adjourned about3 o'clock
until to morrow at 10 O'Clock.
The following protest was fled by
Mr.. B. 0. Duncan, one OF the electors
on the Reorganized Republican tick
ct:
To the Stale Board OF Canvassers s.
Gentlemen: The undersigned, one Of
the candidates at large for Presidential
elec!or of the Reorsanized Republican
party Of South Carolina, begs leave
very sspectfully, bat in all serious.
ness, to enter solemn protest against
the declaration and promulgation Of
the result Of the recent election in
this State fer Presidential and Vice
Presidential electors, and to state brief
ly his reasons therefor as follows:
1. Because the call for the late
Constitutional Convention of 1895 is
currently believed to have been fraud
ulently counted in," and that, too,
by popular vote OF only about 81, 600
out Of a voting population in the
State, according to the census of 1899,
ofover 235, 900.
3. Because the openly avowed
purpose for calling such Convention
was to devise some means for dlsfran.
chising the mass of the colored voters,
without disfranchising single white
man, and because this purpose was
carried out to the letter by the Con-
ven ten. ------~7~--- .-.-
;. Because such discrimination
against an entire race IS not only IN
clear and palpable violation Of both
the letter and the spirit of the four.
teenth and fifteenth amendments of
the Constitution OF the United States,
but is also directly in face Of the Act
of Congress read hitting South Caroli-
ma and other States Of the Union,
which expressly prohibits the Consti,
tuition OF either Of these States from
ever being SO amended or changed
as to deprive any citizen or class OF
citizens OF the United States OF the
right to vote in said State who are en-
titled to vote by the Constitution
herein recognized" except for crime.
4. Because this new Constitution
was put in force without having first
been submitted to the voters Of the
State for ratification, which is not
only. contrary to almost universal
usage, but If is also directly contrary
to the fundamental principle OF popu
lar government, that is, the consent Of
the governed.
5. Because, acting under this new
Constitution, the Legis ature has en-
acted partisan and factional regis
tration law, that grossly discriminates
against the colored race, and under
which only about 12, 000 to ,OC0 ne,
groes have been enable to register out
of voting population, according to
census of 1890, OF 132,6 Thus in
the face of the Constitution and laws
of the United States, expressly declar-
ed to be the supreme law of the land,
nearly 10000 citizens of the United
States are deprived OF their right TO
vote by this new Constitution ofSouth
Carolina and the laws enacted there
under.
For these and other reasons that
mightbe mentioned l do most solemnly
and emphaticaIly protest against your
honorable body declaring the result OF
the recent Presidential election held
under such Constitution and regis
tratlon law.
p. O'DEL. DUNCAN.
The protest was overru!ed without