The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-07
erefore. that the law referred to was

so, too,' said Mr.. McLaurin, must
the objection fan that the constitution is
repugnant to the fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments of the federal constitution.
The right to vote is not one of the privi-
legeS or immunities of citizens of the
United States within the meaning of the
fourteenth amendment. The fifteenth
amendment does not confer the right of
Suffrage but the state alone can confer
that right. 1t simply invests the citizens
with the right of exemption from dis
elimination as to the elective franchise
and that protection is limited by it's own
express terms to the single discrimna-
ton ON account of race, color or previous
condition of SerVitude. The provisions OF
the constitution of South Carolina clear
ly make no such discrimination, but on
the contrary by their plain meaning apply
to all citizens alike. The specific quail
dcations for suffrage-frst, as to the quail
ification of registrations and second as to
the required registration itself-are valid
and in no wise forbidden. Besides, the
state of South Carolina four other states
have constitutional requirements of an
educational qualification for voting, name
ly, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
and Wyoming"
Mr.. McLaurin said that the members
from his state desired to have it UNDER
stood distinctly that If the congress was
led into making any contest over the vote
of that state the probabilities were that
Mr.. Mckinley would not be inaugurated
President of the United States on the 4th
of March.
"If congress is going into the merits of
the vote of South Carolina" ne continued,
steps will be taken to see that the votes
of northern states, concerning the validity
notably the vote of OHIO, will be lnvesti-
gated before their 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. Mr.. Murray eX-
pressed great doubt of his ability to get it
into shape in time to be effective.
THE memorial he said, upon Which
/ will have to base it, has not yet been re-
ceived here, although when 1 was in
South Carolina last week they promised to
send it to me Wednesday of this week at
the latest. 1 shall consult with friends in
the House and determine upon my course
of action after the memorial has been re-
ceived. My contention is that the result
of the election, as shown in the return
made to the Vice President Is not an hon
est expression of the Will OF the voters OF
South Carolina
Here are the views of other members
of the South Carolina delegation:
Representative Strait said: 81 had eX-
pected that the republicans of South Caro-
lima. might try to bring their protest,
which the state board Of canvassers re-
iected before congress. Its only effect
can be TO delay the election Of McKin-
'if the, Senate cared to carry partisan
ship to that point it might delay the
count beyond the 4th of March and make
Secretary Olney President for four years.
But the whole thing seems ridiculous to
me"
Representative Stokes said REPRE-
sentative Murrays petition has nothing to
rest on. So far as our state constitution
is concerned, it is based on the precedents
of the New England states. We knew
that such questions might arise when we
framed our constitution and had the con-
stitutiOns of the New England states be-
Representative Talbert said: None of
the democrats from the state give the mat
ter any serious thought"
1t is understood that Senator Hoar and
many other of the leading republicans in
congress decline to assist Representative
Murray in his sensational scheme. They
realize that they do need South Carolina's
vote to inaugurate Mr.. Mckinley and they
do not wish to put any obstacle in the
way of declaring the man from Canton
their President.
Senator Hoar said: 1.-THE whole matter
is covered by the act of Feb. 3, 1887, which
prescirbes very clearly the method of pro-
ceeding in case objection is made to the
counting of the vote of any particular
state. The law provides for objections,
but it requires that all objections shall be
in writing, clearly setting forth their OBJ
ject and without argument, and that they
shall be signed by at least one senator,
Each state provides its own tribunal for
determining the result of its election for
Presidential electors and when this tri-
bunal has made its return, the governor
is required to certify the result of this
We could not go into the legality of the
elections in the various states, nor at
tempt to determine the Legality of the re-
turning board of any of them. All that
was settled by the electoral commission
and is now to be found in the statutes
80 The senator expressed the opinion that
be adequate, and that all would work out
right"
He declined to express in more direct
terms his opinion as to the policy Of maxi
ing such objection as Mr.. Murray is said
to contemplate.
Representative Mccall, also a republ-
nounced views on the subject. He is
chairman of elections committee No. 3,
which had charge of the contests from
South Carolina in this congress. He said:
1t hardly seems probably that the re-
pubhcans would care to delay or throw
any complications in the way Of counting
to result in the election Of the
republican candidates it is true, appar-
entity, that the election laws and constitu-
tion of South Carolina disbar large prop
portion of the population from voting, but
il seems to be the iiiterate ones who are
disfranchised. There is a question in the
minds of many intelligent men whether
this Is not a wise plan If constitutlonally
enforced and carried out according to
"A fun generation has passed since the
colored men were enfranchised and 1 do
not know how long they can expect us
to cOddle them and fight to secure their
learn to read and write. doubt whether
the party will sustain Mr.. Murray If his
protest is possible.
SO far as could be learned this after
noon Mr.. Murray has no support from
republican congressman of the south. Mr..
Mccall Of Tennessee said that he never
heard Of the proposition to contest the
vote of South Carolina until he saw the
publication of to-day. He did not be-
iieVe that any of his colleagues from that
section of the country would advise such
step; and he himself dsclaimed any in
tention of doing so.
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