The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-07

Washington, Feb. 6.-The publication
of the fact that Hon. c.. w. Murray
! the colored representative from the
First district of South Carolina, in
tended to protest against the count
ing of the electoral vote of that state
at the joint meeting of the congress on
Wednesday next, engaged the inter
ested attention of Mr.. Murray's col
leagues, all Democrats, today, and sew
eral informal conferences were held
at which Senator Tillman was present.
After one of these Mr.. Tillman said:
If Mr.. Mckinley is going to be in
augurated on the fourth of March, the
joint convention has got to count the
vote of South Carolina. If the Repub
lican party wants to make an attack
on the constitution of the state, it must
make it on some other ground or in
some other manner than by endeavOr-
ing to prevent the counting of her
vote
Il wish to go further he said, "and
express my preference for seeing MIR.
Mckinley president than to see the
presidential function 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 a long time
past"
Mr. Murray was said to base his
proposed protest upon memorial nu-
merously signed by cOlored residents of
South Carolina, reciting that the con-
stitution of the state violated the 18th
and 18th amendments to the constitu-
tion of the United States and the law
of 1867, providing 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 attorney general of the state, tra>
verSed these objections this afternoon
to a reporter of the United Associated
Presses. He said: THE constitution
of South Carolina is a valid constitu-
ton, although not submitted to the
people for ratification. 1t has never
been the custom in the state of South
Carolina to submit its new cOnstitu-
tions to the people for 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 Caro-
lira calling the constitutional conven-
ton of 1869 did not require the ratifi
cation of it's work by the people. Be
sides, this constitution was at once,
and ever since has been recognized by
all the departments of the state gov
ernment as the organic law of the
state"
Mr. McLaurin said the members from
his state desired TO have it understood
distinctly that if congress was led into
making any contest over the vote Of
that state. the probabilities were that
Mr.. Mckinley would not be inaugu-
rated president of the United States on
the 4th of March.
If congress is going into the merits
of the vote OF South Carolina" he. con-
tinued, steps will be taken to see that
the votes of northern states concerning
the validity of which much doubt has
been expressed, notably the vote of
Ohio, will be investigated before those
electoral votes are counted. We have
fair elections fn South Carolina.
The probabilities seem to be, upon in
quiry this afternoon that the adver- |
tised protest will not be made. Mr.. |
Murray expressed great doubt of his |
ability to get it into shape in time to
be effective.
So far as could be learned this after
noon Mr. Murray has no support from
congressman of the south.
never heard of the proposition to con-
test the vote of South Carolina until |
he saw the publication today. He did |
not believe that any of his colleagues !
from that section of the country would |
advise such a step; and he himself |
any intention of doing so.