The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-08
SUPREME PARTY LAW.
FULL TEXT OF THE STATE DEMO-
CRATIC CONSTITUTION.

4
Republished for the Benefit OF Democrat.
Future Referencs-No Primary Has Yet
Been Held Under It.
Below will be found the constitution
of the South Carolina Democracy.
Each Democratic voters should cut il
out and keep it for future reference.
This constitution was adopted in State
convention at Columbia on September
19, 1894, and no primary has yet been
held under it. The constitution is as
follows:
Article 1. There shall be one or
more Democratic clubs organized in
each township or ward, each of which
clubs shall have distinct title, 'Tae
--Democratic Club" and shall elect
president, one or more vice presi-
dents, recording and a correspond
ing secretary and treasurer, and shall
have the following working commit
tees, of not less than three members
each, viz: A committee on registra.
ton, an executive COMMITTEE, and
such other committees as to each club
may seem expedient.
Article II. The meetings of the club
should be frequent after the opening
of the canvass, and some member of
the club or invited speaker deliver an
address at each meeting, if practica.
BILE. The clubs shall meet on the first
Monday in May and the third Wed
nesday in May respectively. Each
county shall be entitled to double the
representatives as it has in the Gener-
al Assembly in the State nominations.
Article III. The president or five
members shall have power to call an
extra meeting of the club and one
fourth of the members shall constitute
quorum for the transaction of busi-
ness.
Article ". The clubs in each county
shall be held together and operate
under the control of county e1ecu-
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, who
shall not necessarily be members of
said committee, and fill all vacancies
which may arise when the convention
is not in session; provided that any
officer so elected who is not member
of the committee shall not be entitled
to vote on any question, except the
chairman, and then only in case of a
tie vote. The tenure OF Office of the
executive committee shall be until the
first Mond4y in May of each election
year, at which time the county con-
ventions shall be called together to re-
organize the party. Every Presiden.
tial election year county conventions
shall be called by the county executive
committee on the first Monday in May,
and 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
second Monday in MAY respectively.
Article '. County Democratic con-
ventions shall be composed of dele
gates elected by the several local clubs,
one delegate for every twenty five
voters, as shown by the club list made
at the preceding first primary election,
and one delegate for majority frac-
ton thereof, with the RIG ght to each
county convention TO enlarge or di
minish the representation according
to circumstances. The county conven.
tions shall be called together by the
chairman of the respective executive
committees under such rule, not in
consistent 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 a president, one or more
vice presidents, a secretary and a
treasurer. Any county may permit
the formation of a new club or clubs by
a majority of its members. In all
cities with a population of 5000 and
over there may be two clubs in each
ward: they shall be organized in obe-
dience to this constitution, as are the
clubs elsewhere in this State, and in
organizing said clubs they shall have
representation in the county conven-
tions respectively as said conventions
shall declare in accordance with the
provisions of this constitution.
Article vi. For the. e.purpose of NOM
mating candidates for Governor,
Lieutenant Governor and all other
State officers, including solicitors in
their respective circuits, and Congress.
men in their respective districts, and
Presidential electors, and United. States
Senators by the popular vote, and all
county officers, except Trial Justices
and masters and supervisors of regis,'
tration, direct primary election shall
be held on the last Tuesday in August
of each election year, and a second
and third primary each two weeks
successively thereafter. At this elec
ton only Democratic white voters
who have been residents of the State
twelve months and the county sixty
days preceding the next general elec
ton, and such negroes as voted the
Democratic ticket in 1876, and as have