The San Francisco call., 1897-02-07
Do NOT FAVOR
MURRAY'S PLAN
Congressman Not Ready to
Contest the Vote of
South Carolina.
So the Colored Representative
May Not Present the
Petition.
Many Complications and Postpone
ment of McKinley's Inaugur alton
Might Follow Contest.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 6.-The
publication of the fact that Hon. G. w.
Murray, the colored representative from
the First District of South Carolina, in
tended to protest against the counting oi
the electoral vote of that State engaged
the interested attention of Murray's COL
leagues. all Democrats, to-day, and sew
eral informal conferences were held at
which Senator Tillman was present After
one of these Mr.. Tillman said:
'Ii MI. Mckinley is going to be inau-
gurated on the 4th of March, the joint
convention has got 10 count the vote of
South Carolina. If the Republican party
wants to make an attack on the constitu-
ton of the State, it must make 1t on some
other ground or in some other manner
than by endeavoring 10 prevent the count
ing of her vote.
II wish TO go further and express my
preference for seeing Mr.. Mckinley Presi-
dent than to see the Presidential junction
exercised by Mr.. Olney, as it will be after
the 4th of March if the effort is made to
deny South Carolina the right to vote.
This has been my feeling for long time
past"
Murray was said TO base his proposed
protest upon a memorial numerously
signed by coIored residents of South Caro-
lima. reciting that the constitution of the
State violated the four teenth and fifteenth b
amendments to the constitution of the
United States and the law of 1887 provid-
ing for the admission of South Carolina
into the Union; and that it was invalid
because it had not been submitted to the
voters of the State for their approval.
Representative J. L. McLaurin of South
Carolina, who has held the office of Attor-
neyG General of the State, traversed these
objections this afternoon to a reporter of
the United Associated Presses. H. said {:
"The constitution of South Carolina is a
valid constitution, although not submitted
to the people of South Carolina for ratifi-
cation. 1t has never been the custom in
the State to submit its new constitutions
to the people Tor ratification.
''The only instance in which this rule
was varied from was in 1868. In many of
the other States their constitutions have
not yet been so submitted. The act of
the Legislature of South Carolina calling
the constitutional convention of 1895 did
not require the ratification of its work by
the people. Besides, this constitution
was at once and ever sinca has been recog-
nized by all the departments of the State
Government as the organic law of the
State"
McLaurin said the mem bers from his
State desired TO have it distinctly under
stood that it Congress was led into max
ing any contest over the vote of that State,
the probabilities were that Mr.. Mckinley
will not be inaugurated President of the
United States on the 4th OF March.
"lt Congress is going into the merits of
the vote OF South Carolina" he continued,
steps will be taken to see that the votes
of Northern States, concerning the valid
1ty of which much doubt has been ex-
pressed, notably the vote OF Ohio, will be
investigated before those electoral votes
are counted. We have fair elections in
South Carolina"
The probabilities seem to be, upon in
quiry this afternoon, that the advertised
protest will not be made. Murray ex-
pressed great doubt of his ability to get it
into shape in time 10 be effective So far
as could be learned this afternoon Muir
ray has no support from Republican Con-
gressmen of the South.
Mccall of Tennessee said that he never
heard of the proposition to contest the
vote of South Carolina until he saw the
publication to-day. He did not believe
that any of his colleagues from that sec
tion of the country would advise such a
step, and he himself disclaimed any in
teution of doing so.