The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-09
MURRAY GIVES IT UP.
x0UTU CAgOLTNA'S yOTE WILL BE
COUNTED WiTHOUT OBJECTION.
~.u,a M, Get the Backing which He
Expected Strong fress"r" "r""s"'
Ia Bsar-Thc Memorial.

ARLINGTON. ID. c., Feb. S-There
,,tlI be no objection 10 the cOuh,ihS OF
tha electoral vote OF South Carolina AT
the FONT convention Of Congress on wed
nesday. Murray. the colored representa-
tive from that state VINO oiis,"a.'u '''o
nroposi,iop. and who proposed the me
mortal upon which the objection was 10
hc based. to-day stated that he would
NOT make the proposed objection.
mo GOOD would be accomplished by II,
ne said. briefly. in explanation OF ms
changed purpose. 'and much harm might
result nj.
The memorial reached Murray tn'S
morning. and to-day he presented II 10 'hc
Uouse through the petition box. and IL
was referred 10 the Committee on lne
Election of President and Nice-Presideht
end Representatives on Congress.
THE MEMORIAL
The memorial reads as follows
1--WE. the undersigned, citizens OF t nc
United States. and Of the state OF Sou'n
carolina. O hereby memorabilia ana
petition yor honorable bodies asains.
The counting Of what purporis TO be, Dut
fs neither I'm law nor In fact, the electoral
vote OF South Carolina, and ask Tor an
Investigation OF the political AFFAIRS OF inc
State which is truly without 'hat Ioiih
of Government guaranteed by the Gu
eral Constitution. for the reasons WHO"
follow: r-
"Tirst A vast majority Of the legally
ousttned voters Of this State was pre-
vented from expressing their cholce ior
Presidential electors by the enforcement
en- the part Of the managers OF eleclloHS'
of Illegal and unconstitutional barriers
Second. the sO-called constitution oi
1895. under which the election was con-
Quoted. is Illegal. both In its conception
s4n.
the vast majority of electors 10y law
twice declared unconstitutional by Con-
gress itself and by every court which had
passed upon its merits. were prevented
either from participating in the election
for calling said sO-calcd constitutional
convention or that of clccting delegates
therefor: second the so-callec consutu-
tion of 1895. which has been inVolun'ai-
fly forced upon tho people OF thlS "'"'o
nv the military despotism in control OF
the government, is Illegal, because lhe
delegates of which 1t was constituted tt
fused to take the oath 10 support &c
Constitution and laws of the United stairs
REQUIRED by the Federal Constit1''p' L.
fore entering upon their alleged uu' -
I'm said so-called convention. and further.
refused TO submit the oo-cai ed consul
tuition of 1895 to the electors of tho state
for ratification prior TO its enforcement
as the organic law az the state. thereby
overturning the precedents ana form OF
making. adopting and enforcing consul
tutions in order TO establish Kepub-
lican form of government IN vogue from
the very foundation of our government
Third. The section OF the suffrage clause.
which discriminates in favor OF the eN-
Confederate soldier IN the matter or pay
ing pol-tax as a prerequisite TO vote. vio-
Iates both the fourteenth and nfteenth
amendments to the Constitution of the
United States.
Fourth. Because said so-called Constitu-
tionai Convention of 1896 in so changing
the qualifications TO vote as 10 disfran-
chise a large majority OF the electors
of the State. violated the Federal sta
,ttes nj large 1857 TO 1869. first second
and third sessions Fortieth Congress.
which declare that the Constitution OF
1865 Of this State by which IL resumed
its status in the Union, should never be
which declares that the Contitution OF
so changed or amended as TO disfran-
chisc any one who was enfranchsed 10y IL,
except for crime of which he shall have
been duly and lawfully tried and con-
victed.
FRAUD CHARGED.
Third Your memorialists further de-
clare that a Republican form of Govern
and that the people of South Carolina
that the will OF the people has been
overthrOwn: that a military despotism
is I'm control OF the State Government.
and that the people Of South America
appeal to Congress for the fulhllment 10
the state of South Carolina. Of the
United States constitutional guarantee of
"A Republican form of Government Your
petitioners aver that the late election. in
which more than 100000 electors were de-
MED their right to express their choice
at the ballot box, while in all less than
$1,000 votes were counted. was illegally
and fraudulently conducted.
we, therefore. petition that your hon
orable bodies will take such action as
may he necessary TO restore n constitu-
tionai government TO this State, and re-
pair the breaches in the Constitution Of
our country"
The memorials are four in number
and signed by r.. =. Scott and thirty six
Others of Florence S. c.; s. II. Nix and
forty-nine others OF Columbia. S. c.. II.
Stokier and one hundred and fifty others
OF Charleston. S. c., and Martin Fluid
and hfty-three others Of Charleston.
Murray said to-day that he had accom-
plished what he wanted that he desired
10 get the matter before the country and
had succeeded. A good deal of pressure
has been brought on Murray since Satur-
day. by Republican leaders TO drop the
proposed contest. 1t has been pointed out
10 him that the law was against him. and
that he might bring on bigger inter
ruption 10 the electoral count than he
had figured on. Murray also found that
he could not secure the backing he eX-
pcctcd.