The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-02
plan TOGO THROUGH
With LITTLE change
Compromise Clause Will Not. q
Be Materially al Altered. u
CLASS FORCES CONTROL
Present Solid PhaIanx Which Is
Unshaken by Amendment
UNDERSTANDING FEAT u.R|E /. ]:
UNDERSTANDING FEATURE
Mr.. Thorn Leads Futile Effort to Strike
it out-Three Year Poll Tax Pre-
requisite Also Stands the Test.
Talk of Final Vote Being
Taken on Friday Con-
vention Gossip.


Yesterday was another day OF debate IN
the convention, but in spite Of the urt-
ceasing flood OF oratory, substantial prog
ress was made. Votes taken on amend
ments offered to tho conference suffrage
plan demonstrated beyond Doubt that
the majority had formed a solid phalanx.
and would be able to conclude the con-
test for good whenever they saw fit
All the fighting ground was passed
over, and sections one, two and three,
containing the gist of the temporary and
permanent. features of the plan. were
adopted without any material amend
ueuts and by overwhelming majorft1eS.
Amendments offered by Messrs. horn
and Flood to strike out the cumuntivs
poll tax feature and tho understandings
clause received small support, while Mr..
CfOrdonS property qualification amend
ment, which played havoc with the Glass
plan two weeks ago yesteday. was url-s
! mercifully beaten, Republicans and South
westerners seeming to be afraid OF 1t ;tS
if it were q rattlesnake. And that about
ended the fight. The other sections OF
the plan will probably be passed upon
to-day without serious opposition, and
plan as whole there will be another
sEcll of oratory.
The Republicans who have not already
Sc oxen, will unlimber then, and Mr. Class
and several others are preparing Die
speeches as a final round up -of one oe
the most remarkably debated and oelated
public instruments that has ever ap-s
peared in the history OF parliamentary
annals from the days OF Adam TO tna
lawn Of the twentieth century.
Morning Session of Convention.
There is nothing now between the COM
plction of the suffrage article OF the new
| Constitution but these speeches, atfd-al
soon as they can be made the convention
will be- ready to take a. recess 1ors a
month or more, for members to recuper-
ate and give the COMMITTEES On Final Re-s
vision an opportunity to finish its for-5
midabse task.
Several members last night were dis
cussins plan to require a, final vote to
be taken on Friday at IL o'clock If such
a resolution is offered to-day it will cer-
tainly be adopted. and some arrangement
can then be made for leave to print most
of tho speeches yet to be delivered. SO
that all can have fair show.
Rev. c. D. Walker. OF Marion. Va
opened the convention with prayer,
| sixty-four members being present.
{
sonal privilege and read n prepared
speech on his belief that evil Spirits" or
scme form of deyilish enchantment had
| been at work on members of the cor
ference in their secret sessions. and de-
| tailed how he had heard sepulchral and
t.ngodly noises outside while the con-
| ference was in session. and declared that
| the faces OF members when they emerged
from the secret conclave looked like they
| had been bewitched or coniured by SONS
| curious demon. He then described how
| 4 ''land tarrapin was made to poke out hia
head and tail by putting hot Goals on his
hack. and promised to bring about the
| same result on the Democratic majority
| by his own hot words before. the session
OF the convention ended. fIe then de-
| clared that the Republican minority
| could not be "snet OUT by the gag law
sought to be forced on them by re-
fusal to go into Committee of the Whole.
Mr.. Pedgo's speech did not receive
ouch attention, and when he sat down
| Mr. Glass secured the adoption OF a
! resolution fixing the sessions Of the con-.
| vention each day from 10 until Il o.c1oak
/ md from 4 until s o'clock.
SENATOR DANIEL CONTINUES.
| Senator Daniel chairman OF the Com.
Gittee on Suffrage) continued his expiana-
| ticn of the conference suffrage plan,
which was begun Monday.
He proceeded to discuss the constitll.5
;ionality of the understanding clause
she basis of his argument was that tbs
law might take cognizance Of fraudtt-
lent administration of an otherwise con-
stitutional act. when it became clear that
| it operated as an absolute denial Of equal
protection to all citizens coming under
! the same class. He then read the de-s
'sions in the CfississippD Williams case
and the decisions in the California laun-e
tiry cases. to dtrerentiate between the
1 II - - l.
| the understanding clause was constitu-
'ional and fair on it's face and would be-
made imperative only in those cases
where community or precinct so adj
Tinistered the law as to arbitrarily orr
| fraudulently deny a citizen the rights
| Guaranteed to him under its provisions.
His attention having been called hva
vfr. Wise to the argument OF Senator
George on the constitrtionality OF the
| ,.ause. Senator Daniel showed that a. ths.
sime the argument was made there Bs.s
no provision for appeal OF a voter wtso.s
f1had been denied the right 70 -ete uwdee
the urderst anding4 clause. SUBSEQUENT tes
this, the esislature Of Mississippi had given
| this right Of appeal He then proceeded Il
argue that this right OF appsal WIS stS.#
ed in the plan under considers ton. ard
was part OF It. firmly embedded In the
Constitution itself.
| He explained that educa tion In a doublsS
form was the basis OF the perynarenes
portion Of the plan proposed, with the adj
tEtson OF full tax prerequisite. age.
residence &C He thought this would
prove all sufficient to meet the conditiona
that would exist after the expiration OF.
t.he understanding feature. ~
| Senator Daniel concluded the discus
sion OF the legal aspect OF the plan by
saying that in the opinion of himself
----- 11,ont tinnnnaa "a ThinA paee