Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-09-24


tions upon the old and broad latitude
of ''civil liberty To all" they. on the
other hand, gave such wholesome con-
fine to ignorance and vice as To produce
a truly heathful system of political in
vigOratioL.
The enforcement of these laws, they
declare, has given greater impetus
been known before. One of the re-
suits has been the founding of two in
situations of learning such rs few states
have, without money and without
price" The one is normal and agri-
cultural college for boys and the other
a normal and industrial institute for
girls. Zach provides literally for those
unable to OBTAIN an education elsewhere.
The attendants of each of these two
schools are principally the sons aud
daughters of small farmers and labor
ing men.
Ia order to enjoy the liberty of the
ballot in South Carolina man must
measure up to the following require
ment He must be prepared to explain
any part IF the constitution when read
To him by the registration officer. He
must have paid all taxes for the year.
including poll tax. Moreover, should
he fail to register by the time limit
at present it stands fixed for January
/, lS9S-he must show, in addition to
his ability To read and write and un-
derstand the constitution, his owner
ship of property assessed at not less
than $500. The object of this property
clause is to enforce prompt registration.
All elections are by ballot. There is
no voting or counting of votes IN secret.
Everything must come under the eye
of the registration officers selected by
law. Every candidate, from trial JUS
tice to governor is voted for at one
time. Even when the governor has the
appointiye power the people speak
through the ballot designating their
choice Elections are held IN alternate
years. This gives breathing spell
between runs.
Any qualihed voter is eligible to of
flee, but no person can hold two offices
of honor and trust at the same time.
rhe only exceptions are notaries public
and oil :ers of the states troops. , As
can readily be surmised, the restrictions
diSqualiiy considerable percentage of
the voting population, especially the
colored element. But this is chiefly
among the older members, those who
were born slaves. Or the younger gen
Grafton of this race the number of those
able to vote even under the restrictions
would astonish persons not familiar
with the status of the case.
1t is fact worthy of note, and one,
too, calling FOR reflection, that the ne
gro of the state, as of the south, Is fast
pushing to the front in this matter Of
education and its cOrrelatiye blessings.
In many counties they have their own
churches and common schools. ;.In the
time to come the educational clause of
the registration laws of the state of
South Carolina viii affect far less vital
ly the voting ability of the negro than
that of his equally ignorant and far less
ambitious neighbor, the uneducated
white. 1t was indeed from this latter
faction that the laws received at their
Introduction the most violent Opposi-
ton; from them came the deeper NUT
tering of disccn ent and of revenge
mutterings that presaged storm that
afterward burst forth in more than one
section of the state, bringing scenes of
riot and even bloodshed But the polit-
zeal atmosphere, superheated then, is
cooler now, and the ruling faction Is
fast proving its qualifications to direct,
and therefore, as it claims, its right
One happy result has been the falling
of of many ignorant official heads--a
satisfactory termination of quite too
much "blind leading of the blind II
is the beginning of the reign of that
knowledge which in the end will prove
the efficacy of enlightened power.
Any person denied the right of regis
trauon i'm South Carolina has the right
to appeal. and the law guarantees him
a full impartial investigation. He can
appeal first To the court of CONN on
pleas, which is the same as the supreme
court of New York, or to any Judge
thereof; thence to the supreme court,