The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-22
III GOVERNORS MESSAGE,
, VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS TO
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Exhaustive Presentation of the Condi-
h and the Needs of the State Govern

Exhaustive Presentatioh VI tho So"uA
= and the Needs of the State Govern
int.
he annual message of Governor
a Gary Evans was read to the
hate and the House of Representa-
Fes, at the opening of the present
096ssion, as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE GENERAL AS
sEMBLY: The rast year has been mo-
mentous one in the history of South
Carolina. Much has been done to the
glory and renown of the State, and
much has been done that might well
have been left undone.
For the first time since 1868 your
deliberations will be governed by an
organic law framed by our own peo-
ple. Under the Act passed by your
Z honorable body calling and providing
for Constitutional Convention, dele
gates were duly elected by the people,
{ and the Convention assembled on the
10th day of September, and adjourned
lon the 4th day of December A: u.
1896, having framed the present Con-
stitution, which went into effect on
January 1, 1896.
I deem it unnecessary to give you
more than cursory review OF the Ell;
forts made. by few white men and
the negroes to defeat the holding OF
this Convention, and but tor the sake
of history should not do so at all.
After the primary elections for State
and county officers last summer an
action was brought by Matthew G.
Butler, ex:United States Senator,
against w. 7. G. Bates and w. d.
Ellerbee, State Treasurer and Compt-
roller-General respectively, to enJoln
the payment of the salaries due to the
Supervisors of Registration of the
State upon the ground that our elec.
ton laws were unconstitutional, null
and void. The result was victory
for the State, but the decision not
coming in time to suit the ,plain1tt's s
new tack was taken, and case made
against the Supervisor of Richland
county.
A ready tool was found in United
States Circuit Judge Goff, Republl-
can from West Virginia, and one, to
use his own words, who felt that duty
mingled with inclination" compelled
him to declare our registration laws
unconstitutional, and to enjoin the
officers from executing them: While
this crisis confronted us l felt impeN..
ed to issue an address to the people OF
/ the State preparing them for the issues
that might confront us, and had no
fears of their ability to meet them. .
In this address / gave pen portraits OF
the iudes and their co consplrators
and It is unnecessary to portray them
here. i,..
Fortunately, we are enabled to ap-
peal to the United State Circuit Court
of.Appeals in time to reverse Judge
Golf and conduct our election for del
egates under the registration law now
of force. In this connection desire
to express my high appreciation of the
ability displayed by the Attorney
General and his assistant and the val
uable services of Messrs. McCrady,
Barnwell and Mower. These gentle
men voluntarily offered their services
TO the State in over throwing the tyr
any of Judge Golf, but I was unwill-
ing to accept them gratis, and upon the
request ofsthe Attorney General re-
tanned Messrs. McCrady and Mower to
assist in the management of the cases:
I trust that your honorable body will
grant them such remuneration as you
NAV think lust aud equitable.
In spite of all efforts to defeatit, our
Convention has met and adjourned
and given us good Constitution, and
we can well afford to let bygones be
bygones and deal with the present as
we find it.
Many changes have been made in
our system of government, and l feel
it my duty to point out to you the most
important, as deem them, for your
immediate consideration and suggest
the legislation required of you to make
/. them effective.
RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.
The most inn portant Article COM
manding your attention is that of the
''Right of Suffrage" This matter
should be given the right of way, and
letit be the first law enacted by your
/n6nofabfe body. There are many
reasons for this. FIRST, the people are
anxious to know how and when the
right to register is to be had; second it
is of vital Importance that full regis
tration of electors should be had be-
fore the next general election. The
requirements of the Constitution are
residence in the State two years in
the County one year and in the poll.
ing precincts in which the elector Of
| fers to vote four months, and the pay
ment six months before any election
of any poll tax due and payable.
Ministers of the Gospel and school
teachers are entitled to vote after six
months residence in the state.
(b) Registration which shall provide
for the enrolment of every elector
once in ten years and also and enroll
ment during each and every year of
every elector not previously register
ed.
(c) ALI male persons of voting age
applying for registration who can
read any Section of the Constitution
Submitted to them by the registration
officers, or understand and explain it
when read to them.
These are the requirements up to
january, 1898. After this time per-
= son applying for Registration, if other
wise qualified, must be able to both
read and write any Section of the Con-
stitution submitted to him by the reg
= istration officer, or can show that he
nmne a,nd hos naid oil taYes callacti-