Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-07
HERE'S A HOW DE-DO
r,Rl<Y CONGRESSMAN TO PROTEST
AGAINST SOUTH cARoLrNA's VOTE.
NAY STOP TIE INAUGURATION.
- southern Votes Arc Called I'm
oucsficn. Those OF Northern
states-ohio, for Example, VIII
also Have to he Investigated.

WASHINGTON. February 6.-The publ
....,a OF the fact that G. w. Murray. the
r,,ored representative from the First Dis
,-.,t OF south Carolina, intended to pro
east against the counting Of the electoral
vote Of that State at the joint meeting OF
CONGRESS on Wednesday next. engaged the
Interested attention OF Murray's col
i..rues. all Democrats. to-day, and seve-
-.l informal conferences We're held, at
which Senator Tillman was present. Al
Coy one Of these. Mr.. Tnlman said: III
,fr Mckinley is going to be inaugurated
o, The 4th OF March, the Joint convention
fas got to count the vote Of South Caro-
linn. II the Republican party wants TO
make an attack on the Constitution OF
,rs state. IT must make it on some other
.--inds or in some other manner than
in endeavoring to prevent the counting OF
Der vote.
III wish 10 90 further" he said. "and
exrrsss my preference for seeing Mr.. Mc-
kn.ey President than to see the presi-
f.rtal function exercised by Mr.. Olney.
as 10 viii be after the 4th of March. if the
effort IS made TO deny South Carolina the
rteht 10 vote. This has been my feeling
for a long time past"
Murray was said TO base his proposed
protest upon a memorial numerOusly
signed 10y colored residents Of South Caro-
lima. reciting that the Constitution of the
state violated the fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments TO the Constitution of the
United states and the law OF 1867, pro-
yiding for the admission of South Caro-
lima into the Union. and that it was in
valid. because IL had not been submitted
TO the voters Of the State for their ap-
prevail
OBJECTIONS TRAVERSED.
Representative J. l.. McLaurin. of South
Carolina. who has held the office of At
torney- General of the State, traversed
these objections this afternoon to a re-
u0rter of the Southern Associated Press.
lie said. "The Constitution Of South Caro-
lima is q valid Constitution. although IL
was not submitted TO the people for ratifi-
cation. Ii has never been the custom in
the State Of South Carolina TO submit its
Constitution 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
vet 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 since has been, recognized
hy all the departments of the State Gov
eminent as the organic law Of the state
Discussing the objection, that it VIC
lated the act OF 1867, readmitting the
State into the Union, by depriving GER
tain citizens Of the right Of suffrage
Mr. McLaurin called attention to the
Fact that the United States Supreme
Court had decided I'm more than one case
that the States which were parties TO
the civil war never lost their statehood.
and stand to-day in their original atti-
tude as States Of the Union, with undk
minished right Of autonomy, and with
acknowledged republican forms Of gov
eminent; and, therefore. that the law re-
ferred 10 was not binding
THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
$50 too" said Mr.. McLaurin, must
the objection fall that the Constitution
Is repugnant 10 the fourteenth and hf-
teenth amendments of the Federal Con-
sitution. The right TO vote is not one
of the privileges or immunities Of ciu-
zens Of the United States within the
meaning of the fourteenth amendment.
The fifteenth amendment does not con-
fer the right OF suhrage-the State alone
can confer that right. II simply invests
the citizens with the right Of exemption
from discrimination as 10 the elective
franchise and that protection is limit
Cd bv its own express terms 10 the single
discrimination ION account of race, color
or previous condition Of servitude.'
The provisions Of the Constitution of
South Carolina clearly make no such
discrimination; but. on the contrary by
their plain meaning. apply to all citizens
suTrage-frst. as to the qualification Of
registration. and, second. as TO the re-
CURED registration itself-are valid, and
in n0wise forbidden. Besides the state
of south Carolina. fouE other States have
constitutional requirements OF an euuca-
uonal qualification for voting-namely,
Colorado. Connecticut, Massachusetts,
and Wyoming"
so INAUGURATION MARCH 4TH.
Dir McLaurin said that the members
from hts state desired 10 have it under
stood distinctly that, if the Congress
were led into making any contest over
the vote OF that state, the probabilities
were that Mr.. Mckinley would not be
inaupurated President Of the United
States on the 4th of March.
eff Congress IS going into the merits
Of the vote Of South Carolina" he con-
tuued. steps will be taken to see that
the votes Of Northern States, concern
ing the validity Of which much doubt has
been xpressed-notably, the vote OF
Ohlo-are investigated before those cleo
toral votes are counted. We have fair
elections I'm South Carolina"
The probabilities seem TO be. upon in
quiry. this afternoon. that the advertised
protest will not be made.
TELLERS FOR WEDNESDAY.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., February -
Senators blackburn DemocraO. Of Ken
lucky. and Lodge Republicam, Of Mas
sachusetts. have been appointed by the
Vice-President as tellers TO oficiate next
Wednesday in the counting Of the cleo