The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-22
ing the people to see and read for
themselves.

the renewal thereof when lost, mutt
lated or destroyed. I am satisfied you
can do no better than to adopt the old
form of registration certificate and the
provisions of the statute now of force
regulating the same, expunging such
provisions as conflict with the new
Constitution, which will readily pre-
sent themselves to you. This, how
ever, is matter for your own good
iudgemnt and wisdom. Any person
denied registration shall have the
right of appeal to the Court of Com
mon Pleas or any Judge thereof, and
thence to the Supreme Court. 1t is
made your duty to provide by law for
such appeal and for the correction of
illegal and fraudulent registration,
voting and all other crimes against
the election laws. I would suggest
that as little red tape as possible be
placed around this right of appeal,
and that you shall amply provide
against defeating it by technicalities.
There should be also as little expense
attached to the right as possible. IN
der the provisions governing this
right of appeal to the Supreme Court
now existing in civil cases, I fear very
few cases of denied registration would
ever reach this stage if the same were
made applicable. The persons COM
planning in such cases must necessari-
" be of the poorer and less intelligent
classes; but this is a sacred right under
our form of government, and they
are entitled to every test allowed un-
der the Constitution, consistent with
rule of intelligence, without unneces-
sary hardship or expense. The sever
est punishment should be prescribed
by your honorable body for frauds in
registration or voting. There was a
time when the ends would seem to JUS
tify the means in this particular, but
the necessity no longer exists, and the
day is past when anything but the
will of the intelligent majority freely
and honestly expressed at the ballot
box can govern in South Carolina.
Certain persons convicted of crime,
the insane, etc., are disqualified from
registering or voting. I would re-
spectfully recommend that you pro
vide for list of all criminals in each
county, to be filed in the Office of the
Supervisor of Registration and also
with the Clerk of the Court, in order
that they may be forever barred OF
the privilege of registering or voting.
It is incumbent upon you to pre-
scribe the manner of holding elections
and of ascertaining the results of the
same. There is no necessity for any
change at this time in our law in this
particular. Our people are accus-
toned to the eight box law, and there
can be no just or valid objection to
the manner of obtaining the results of
elections. We have been served with
notice that this article in our Consti-
tuition would be tested before the Uni
ted States Supreme Court: and while
I have no fears as to the result, and
am fully convinced of its constitution
ality, still should another Golf come
along, whose ''inclinations made it
his duty" to set aside our registration
the day before election, in such an
emergency our eight box law would
be some protection. |, therefore,
would respectfully recommend that
you leave this statute as it stands, and
in future, when our status is thorough
ly settled, such action can be taken as
may be deemed expedient. The poll
ing precincts of the State must be
changed so as to make every incorpo.
rated town a separate polling precinct.
This is necessary for the following
reasons: Section IL of Article IL pro-
vides that electors in municipal elec-
tions shall possess the qualifications
and be subject to the disqualiications
herein prescribed. The production of
q certificate of registration from the
registration officers of the county as
an elector at a precinct included in
the Incorporated city or town in which
the voter desires to vote is declared
condition prerequisite to his obtaining
a certificate of registration for munich
pal elections, etc. There are many in.
corporated towns in the State that do
not include polling precincts, but are
included within such precints. 1t is,
necessary to have such
towns include such a precinct in order
for the electors therein to vote In mu-
nicipal elections. You are also re-
quired 10 provide for the registration
of electors in municipalities; but this
should be done in your general law
for such corporations and as near uni
form with that prescribed for State
electors as practicable.
OTHER ARTICLES.
The Governor then proceeds to pre-
sent, and very briefly expound the
provisions of the new Constitution on
the following subjects: Legislative de-
partment, executive department, judi
cial department, jurisprudence, coun-
ties and county government. munich
pal corporations and police .regula-
tons, corporations, finance and taxa
ton, education, penal and charitable
institutions.
EDUCATION.
On the subject of education, as pro-
vided for in the new Constitution, the
Governor said:
The people are to be congratulated
upon the liberal manner in which the
Constitution has provided for the COM
mon schools of the State. It is incum-
bent upon you to provide the machine.
ry for carrying out the provisions OF
the Constitution, and to this end you
are given absolute power in the cleo
ton or appointment and control of all
school officers. The School Commis-
sioner is no longer a constitutional Of
fee, and you may abolish the Office or
continue it as you see fit. Great dis
satisfaction exists as to the competen-