The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-21
UFFRAG.El=. BEING
STILL. DEBATED E:
Nj. Brazton' 5 Speech IN
Conference
JOINT BELIEVE 1T WILL STAND
says TEon's Plan viii Transfer Fraud
from Ore Place TO Anotier The
Hot Speech OF Judge e;ea-
uoad-toaYent.on Notes
and Political
Gossip.
JOINT BELIEVE 1T WILL STAND

It is the opinion of some members OF
che Constitutional Convention that the
suffrage question is still tar from set
Element. There are those indeed who be-
.ieve that the question will nnally mar
row down to the adoption of plan pro-
tidnS Il Iool-taN and a slight property
qualification. The understanding cause
IS under heavy fire on all hands, and even
some of the signers of the majority and
.nlnOr.ty pans 90 not take kindly to t.
On the other hand, those who are lead
ing the fight Tor the majocry plan are
utterly opposed to anything IKE the
grandfather clause; SO the light of day
Is not yet apparent. There was a con-
ference of the s.gners of the majority
report yesterday afternoon, but beyond
changing the phraseology Of several un-
important sentences in the plan nothing
was DONE.
The Democratic conference last night
heard Mr. Braxton's opening argument
in favor Of the plan submitted by him
self. He Will continue his argument to-
night The burden of the able effort of
the Augusta leader last night was against
the understanding clause in the majority
report. and he handled it in most in
teresting manner, dealing with the legal
side of the proposition. and contendtng
that a great risk was about to be run on
account of doubt az to it's constitution
aity. The speaker said the effect of the
adoption of the majority report would
be to transfer fraud from the ballot-boN.
to the registration book, and he could
himself never consent to that. He de-
clared that it would erect the most pow
erful political machine the country ever
knew, and such 81 thing he thought the
convention should seek to escape
THE UNDERSTANDING CLAUSE
Mr. Braxton first discussed the under
standing clause. which, he said, was sui
i into two heads;
first, its constitutionaity; second, its d
....4,y. 20 - .Iu ,l.at II 1t was OPP
Grated on racial lines. when it came UP in
court, the State would be precluded
from contending otherwise, for the con-
struction which the election officers put
upon the law would be held to be the one
the State put upon it. He read from a
great many decisions Of the Supreme
Court, and applying them to what was
expected to be the effect of the under
standing clause, he showed that its con-
stitutionality could be and would be
successfully attacked in the Supreme
Court. To depend upon the constitutions
atty of an understanding clause. he de-
clared. was to lean upon broken stick.
FREQUENT INT,ERRUPTIONs,
buTilS MS ItcniilcdI plCSetlttLicli VI
the legal aspect of the case Mr.. BraSton
was frequently interroea ted by such dis
tinguished lawyers as NIessrs, Cameron,
Green. Brooke Kendall. Carter. and An
derson, who evidently did not agree with
him., and by Messrs, Meredith. Wysor.
Dunnaway and Glass. who evidently did.
He then discussed the question of the de-
STABILITY of the understanding clause.
even granting its legality. In this con-
nection he said the negroes were the I'M
developed children of all the races and it
would be cruel for the greatest of all
races to cut loose from them and the
childrcn's meat be given to dogs. The
object OF the convention was not merely
10 deprive the negro OF suffrage There
was 10 danger of negroes ruling white
| men Of Virginia then. there was none
now. and there never would be any. He
said he would disfranchise every negro
| he could under the law. Delegates were
sent here to clanse the Augean stables.
| not to plunge them deeper in the lllire.
! He said the convention had been great
| " hanlpered in its work ny pledges made
| at the Norfolk convention, and by pledges
| made by the candidate for Governor and
| members OF tho Constitutional Convex
| ton just before the recent election.
| The speaker portrayed the evils that
| might flow from an improper administra-
| ton of the understanding clause. He
SlloWcu nov II "OUtO D; pOSSlDlc Tor par
| tisan or corrupt election officers to let
in any quantity of negroes and exclude
| any quantity of white men. He said it
was conceived for the purpose OF trans
| ferring fraud from the ballot-hox to the
| registration books, but the authors haG
| lost sight of the fact that there was no
way to confine fraud when once it was
| given the stamp of constitutional ap-
| prevail. The weapon would be turned
| upon its designers.
Mr. Thorn stated that no such thing
was the design of the committee Mr.
| Braxton replied that he had not intend
| ed to reflect at all upon the committee,
| but whether that was the design or not
the effect would be as he had stated.
DELIBERATE PERJURY.
! He further stated that if the law was
! administered one way among the negroes
| and another among the whites it would.
| be deliberate perjury. lie said the I'M
| Outstanding clause would chain people
down to the Democratic party and make
| wilte men slaves out OF fear: that the
| administration of the understanding clause
| would fall in the control Of the opposite
! political faction or party. He concluded
| his criticism of the understanding clause
| by saving it was less obnoxious in the MI
| noritv than IL the majority plan. be-
cause the poison Was given in smaller
| dose He said it was difficult to get men
to carry out the Walton law. and it
you'd be much more difficult to get de-
| cent men to form nc tribunal to admin
| lister the understan ling principle. and ne
said he hoped God would forbid the vol
luton from entering into The sacred halls
of justice and wrapping the judiciary OF
| the State within its coils.
a motion was maze III III CLOCK 10
adjourn and let Mr.. Braxtan concude To-
night. He asked to g allowed TO COM
plete the first section If his sieech be-
for adjournment, and continued in q most
eloquent Grain lnlil 11:20. Wren tie con-
ference adjourned anil to.lisht at s
o'clock.