The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-08-22
s PASSED IN GEORGIA
LOWER HOUSE.
BY OVERWHELMING VOTE
Aims to Disfranchise Negroes
of the State--Must &C.
to the People for
Ratification.

By an overwhelming vote of 159 te
I6, lacking one vote of being ten tt
one, the Felder-Williams disfranchise
ment bill was passed by the Georgia
house of representatives. Wednesday
afternoon, shortly before o'clock, and
the second general bill of the session
lacked only the signature of the gov
ernor to become operative.
In this case the constitution of the
state is affected and before it can
become a law it must be passed upon
by the voters of Georgia at the next
general election.
With two amendments only the bill
was passed as it came from the sen
ate.
The first Of these was a minor
amendment by Mr.. Dunbar Of Rich
mond, which cut out the provision that
only registered voters be allowed to
participate in mass meetings.
The second, so the opponents of the
bill declare, does more to nullify its
operation than, any amendment offer
ed. It is that by Mr.. Wise of Fayette,
which removes from the bill all time
limit as to the clause permitting reg
istration to be made under what is
commonly called the good conduct
clause"
The senate restricted this clause to
be effective until 1910, but the house
cut the date off and it stands for al!
time.
Mr.. Hall of Bibb, in explaining hi'
vote in opposition, declared that Ihe
bill thus amended, put the registrar
in complete power, and any one coul.'
be registered under it, be he black c.:
white, if the registrar thought he VIZ
Of good moral character"
The principal purpose of the bill is
to disqualify the ignorant and venal
negro voters of Georgia, preserving to
the white man the right to vote. 1t
will eliminate at least 90 per cent Of
the negroes of Georgia as voters, and
will not disoualify a single whits
man.
The house, as the vote indicates,
was strongly in favor Of the bill, with
out any amendments, and its immedi-
ate passage. To insure quick count
all explanations, with few exceptions
were cut cut or cut short and the
aye and nay vote recorded and an
ncunced in thirty minutes after the
call began.
Ali of the Wednesday mornings ses-
sion was taken up with the discussion
Of this measure in its manifold phases.
Mr.. Fullbright of Burke led the day
for the opponents of the measure, and
MI. Wright of Richmond, in its sup
port. After speeches, very short and
to the point, were made, the previous
question was called upon the bill and
its pending amendments.
From the first vote it was evident
that when the bill was reached, ''as
amended" it would go through with
sweep.
AS the amendments were read the
chorus Of noes" grow stronger until
the amendment by the representative
from Mcintosh, the only negro mem
Der in the house, was reached, it re-
ceiveds a single AYE" his own, and
an avalanche of noes.
This amendment sought to exempt
with the old soldier class "all per.
sons il Involuntary servitude prior to
January l, 1863, and their children, u
which would have nullifed the pur.
pose Of the bill.
AS all explanations of votes on
amendments were prohibited the au.
thor did not get a chance to explain
his amendment.
The result was never in doubt from
the time Mr.. Adams Of Chatham, the
arst name on the roll call, arose to
explain his vote until Mr.. Young OF
Troup availed himself Of the same
privilege.
There were a few who opposed the
passage Of the bill to the last and a
few absentees, but the largest vote
yet polled was recorded on this meas
ure. AS amended the bill was sent
to the senate for concurrence.