The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, November 08, 1895, Image 1
CONVENTION
PROCEEDINGS.
. % ? .?? ~
WOMAN'S SIFFUAUK VOTKD
POWNf
The Great Suffrage Scheme. Mr. Pat
ton Replies With Great Severity
to the Negro Members.
?, After a light lasting all of Monday
evening a, u J through Tuesday's (th#
85th days) session, the constitu
tional oonvenUmi. at 3:15, took an aye
and noo vote on the proposition to allow
woman's suffrage, with property and
educational qualifications. The cause
of woman died by a vote of - 121 to 20.
"Unole George" Tillman mnde a mag .
nlficenl argument of about an hour or
moro, favoring <voman's suffrage. The
debate wa3 Intensely interesting all
through. Mr. fcligh inttoduoed an
amendment to lea^e the woman suf
frage matter to the General Assembly.
This will, no doubt, be voted down
promptly. .
Mr. Patton in the course of his re
marks to-night said: "Now these dela
gAtei admit that their race was unfit
for {ho ballot. If those wall3 could toll
tales, they could tell of wild scenes of
j debauohery and negro misrule. I say
* they were mainly responslblo for this.
They had it in their power to put a stop
to these scenes and acts They refused
>to go to tho white people of this State.
The white peoplo of this State were
hounded from their homes, and driven
Into courts, tried without jury. They
had to fight for their lives with bayon
ets ov?* them. They wero seduced In
deed by the worst gien, buU was not
that the fatal defect in the argument,
.admitting that thev were such a race
that they could not bo misled?"
Mr. Patton said further: "What bet
ter proof do we need yot to shc^v that
ttrfe negro is unlit, to cast the ballot,
than his action in the last eleotion? I
'regret to have to refer to it, Mr. Presi
dent, but who have they chosen as their
representatives, the type of their man
hood, the llowcr of their civilization?
I regret to mention it, I repeat, but
since this matter has beon forced upon
us, ,rtS we have been subjected to strin?
gent criticism and relle.yU.on,.. I say de
liberately that when" -llu?' negro race
this summer clepted' as their represen
tatives, as the type of their civil
a man whom the public records of
Richland county' show to have been
convloted of receiving a bribe in lli)
official capacity ay Slate Senator, and
another man whom the . Logislaturo of
the spring of 187fi elected to the Cir
cuit b$nch of this State, whom tho
Governor, of his own. parly, refused to
commission upon tho ground that he
was steeped in every shrfmc ? I say
when the colored race como before the
peoplo of this State and present them
as the representatives of their civiliza
tion they have demonstrated they are
uu worthy to cast the ballot," '
Wrhen the convention re-assembled at
7;30 p. m., Mr. Sligh offered an amend
ment to section 3 of th6 suffrage article
designed to accomplish what had been
voted down in a milder form. It was
to allow tho General Assembly at any
time it saw fit to *pass a woman's suf
frage act. He made a strong speeoh, ;
bui It was of no avail. The convention
'voted it down by a heavy vote, oniy 42
- vows being cast in favor of it. Thus
died every possible chauce of the cause
of woman's suffrage ever prevailing in
this State until another constitution has
been formed.
' Then (ho all-important section con
taining the aulTrage plan itsolf was call
ed up and the war beirttn. Mr. Patton
offered a substitute plan, the leading
provisions of which were:
4,1~-Every male citizen of the 8tate
of South Carolina, of the ago of 21
year*, no*, laboring under disabilities
named in this constitution, who shall
t have resided in the State two years,
'and In the county lu which he oilers to
voterone year next preceding any elec
tion,' and who shall have paid all poll
other taxes due by him to tho State
forN^ho fiscal year preceding that in
whjcji he shall offer to vote,. and who,
in addition thereto, (a) shall be able to
rvrfitd the constitution in English print
?ml sign his nnme; or, (b) shall have
?bo.'n engaged tn tho active military or
naval service of the late Confederate
State? of Amorica.or of the United States
of Amerifoa, during the late war be
tween the States, or (c) shall bo the
lawful lineal descendant of a person
who was engaged in such service, and
fihatt be alive a? the time of the adop
tion of this constitution, shall be a
qualified elector of this State, a&l,
when dulv registered, shall be entitled
to vote for all officers that are now or
may hereafter be elected by the people,
and upon all questions submitted to
the elector* at any- election."
Mr. Patton said he could see very
little In the speeches made by the ne
groes before the conventions Ho grant
ed a great deal of what the negroes had
nairf, particularly in the conduct of the
negroes to their ex-masters' families.
'It was a complete vindication of the
treatment given to the negroes by their
masters. He reserved th^"~feight to
doubt some of the things said about
the negroes as soldiers and sailors.
There n*ver was a race, which, coming
from real cannibalism, has reached the
state of civilization that tho negro has
gained in this State. Rut when the
nrgro member proclaims that South
Carolinians were not brave and cour
ageous In the Revolutionary War, ius*
tlce demands that this statement shall
Not go unchallenged. He must not at
tacWhlstory wUh.. untrue statements.
ThesWjement that South Carolina fur^
nlshed not more than 6,000 men In the
whole Revolutionary War was abso
lutely false. \
Miller asked MrJ Patton if he had
anything to give /in the way of evl
denoe, tn God's name pteaso to present
it. pftr. Patton then recounted "the
' glorious histonref tho South Carolina
fltg;" the baUles in which it figured
He we ton to dotall the particularly
brllllint and during acts of South Caro
Jlnlans in the begiqfUng of the war.
He quoted from Mr/ureeley's "Ameri
can Conflict." If South Qarolina had
no troope !? the war, teardp these pic
turee of Saaiter and Mfcrion. .They
were humbug* Oen. Htttry Knox, of
Ueseaclrasetta, was quoted and other
high authorities to prove that South
Carolina famished 81,000 men and
the
to-morrow during the da/ he would call
for the previous question on soction 4,
aud Asked all who had amendments 01
substitutes to send them up to night so
as to nave them printed. Four worn
up, one providing for the Australian bal
lot system. Senator Tillman speaks to
morrow morning
>!H TI LILIAN ON THE FLOOR.
Speaks on the SuU'ra^e Scheme. Why
the Plan Must No^be
Perpetual. " '
In the convention Wednesday, the
86th cession, there was a battle
royal . all day on the all impor
tant auffrag* problem. The questiou
under discussion was tho Pattou
substitute which would make all Con
federate aud Union soldiers and their
descendants qualified. The article re
ported by tho committeo \\Tith its
"understanding" clause hao been at
tacked with groat force on all sides,
and denounced as a mero subterfuge,
strong speeches having boou made by
Messrs. MeGowan, Bryan, Farrow,
Governor Sboppard and others.
Whon the hour for recess arrived
Mr. Bryan, of Charleston, wa9 attack
ing the constitutionality of tho Patton
scheme and sustaineil^tliat of tho oom*
mlttee.
An effort was made to force a vote on
the substitute, but it failed.
At tho night session thero was quite
a lively time. Mr. Pulton's scheme
was killed by a vote of 11? to 20 The
committee then made several amend
ments to its article as reported and left
the important clauses reading thus:
"C? Upon to January 1st, 1808, all
male persons of voting age who can
read a clause in this constitution, or
understand and explain' it when read to
them by tho registration officer, shall
bo entitled to register and bccomo
olectors. A separate record of all per
sons registered before January 1st,
1898, sworn to by tho registration offi
cer, shall bo filed, one copy with ihc
clerk of court and ono in the office of
the Secretary of State, on or beforo
February' 1st, 1808, and such porsops,
shall remain during life qualified olec'
tors, unless disqualified by tho otluer
provisions of this articlo. Tho certifi
cate of the clerk of court or Secretary
. of State shall bo sufficient evidence to
establish the right of said citizens to
any futuro registration and the fran
chise under the imitations herein im
I t^AWA/l : j; .
rvwiru'
"Any person who shall apply for reg
istration after January 1st, 181)8, If other
wise qualified, shall bo registered: pro
vided, I, hat ho oan both rea^dnd write
any section of this constitution or can
show that be owns and has paid all
taxes collectable during the previous
year on property in this State valued at
!'3^0or more."
Congressman Wilson uttered a substi
tute for sub-division "C ' which was to
make Ihc "geiiern! understanding" pro
vision perpetual, and thconly qualifica
tion.' He spoke to this at great length.
He wanted to make tho report of the
committee doubly secure against tho
fourteenth amendment. There were
thines in the report whloh .should not
bb there. Had it not been for those two
amendments? the fourteenth and fif
teenth?there would bo no need for this
convention. They might ransack all
tho ages of vandalism and nowhere
could they find a parallel' to the crimo
committed by the Union when the
war was ended. The negroes. had
only lust emerged at .Jliat time from a
state of savagery. It was a crime to
put them In oharge of the Southland.
Prom 1881 to the present time there had
been no fraud whatever. He wished to
denvjhat South Carolina had ever been
controlled by fraud. But thety were now
at a road oroaaing. Tho idea of thia
clauae was all right/ but it goea too far.
Three yeara from now, what will be the
condition of the negro raoe? They are
being cduoated rapidly. Why restrict
tho qualification to eduoation, whon
the broader distinction is possible to bo
made? Refinement and civilization
could aoon change.* the matter. He
wanted to keep the distinction there not
only up to 1898, but on for every year.
TILLMAN '8 SPBECD.
Senator Tillman then roso and the
crowded hall waa instantly ao quiet that
one could hear a pin drop; Tillman
made a remarkable apeeoh. He said:
"It haa been my purpose-from tho
beginning of this day/to have some
thing to say on thts'artiolo as a whole,
but that time has not yet arrived. I
am siok, and nothing but will powor
has kept me on this floor since yester
day morning. I shall oontine myself to
a very brief answer to the gentleman
from Spartanburg, more of a statement
than argument. The trouble here, sir,
seems to be in the mind of\aome men
that the poor white men n^ust be pro
tected at any and every cost, (with
scornful emphasis.) If tlmre isonoman
on thia floor who has tried to do moro
to elevate the poor white men of this
State; to help them, to givo them
a chanoe to educate themselves and
their aona that they might havo equal
protection of the law In tho govern
ment than myself, I do not know him.
It I) a chpafrlffuL demagogic argument
whioh-^ome gentlemen delight in. I
have been myself charged with dema
gogiam becauso I have championed the
riirhta of this class of oitizena.' The
gentleman from Spartanburg present
to us a aohpmc which simply perpetu
ates the existing evil. We are held tip
to the scorn of this natfon by reason of
our political registration and eight-box
laws and when thia convention was
called for the purpose of relicv
ing ua of the neceasitv of continu
ing that ayatem I had hoped that
we would not be brought face to face
with the champio^a of that ayatem to
be porpetuatfed, and if posaible made
worae. [
"Mr. President, \this convention dare
not adopt the amendment proposed by
the gentleman from Spartanburg. The
committee dfasldered the Mlaaiaalppl
plan, which is based upon this Idea,
and we universally agreed that to make
it prominent was to jeopardise the en
tire fabric whieh we are oonatructing
here, and at the same time to continue
the evils which now exist. Some one
has said: 'why do you bring It in tem
porarily ?' 81 an ply because we desire
to have a scheme thai will take ear* of
the poor white man and of sueh negroes
as art qualified by reasoa of good clti
xeaship and high character aad intellt
I mm who antarht be able to understand
Iks etaane of the eoastitatioa when
rend to tbnes and not draw tb* nolor
Unn.
--- "Tfcn Jngnl nxpinwnte pmeentnd at
? . -
ed of in the mind of every nun on this
floor. You cannot mako this under
standing clause permanent The idea '
was presented and withdrawn in that 1
c inference, and it is brought back here
to day, for what ?
??I don't want to impugn anybody 's j
motives, but the gentleman from Spar
tanburg cannot, como hero and form
laws for Spartunburg county alone lie
has a two thirds white majority in '
Spartanburg whereas the general thing 1
in tho State is a two-thirds negro n\*
jority. If we aro to let men Into j
rights of registration and the ballot un
a question of understanding merely, a*
we ha ye Tic ftlr d today ad nauseam about
entrusting the rights of the citizen to
the discretion of auy man, that provis
Ion is nauseous and I ouly swallow i
enough of it to preserve tho rights of
the poor man. After that has been ac
complished I am willing to givo It up;
that wo may lift ourselves out of the
bog and mlro that wo havo been wal
lowing in for tho last twenty years. I
think no one can say that you will
stoop to any fraud to accomplish this
or that you intend any fraud in the
operation of this clause.
"Let me point out tho miserable sit
uation that will exist if you make this
provision lasting and permanent. Tho
ono idea that predominates In the mind
of every patriot of this body is that the
Anglo Saxon civilization whloh Ave
have inherited Khali bo preservod and
that tho white men shall govern tho
State. We havo had ft tasto of what
negro domination.'or tho domination of
tho white men through tho negro, can
accomplish, and I say that danger is
ever presont until we have gotten such
restrictions on tho suffrago as will
largely roduce tho number of theso pep>
plo that can vote, and thereby put ft so
that if wo divide? and divldo we muBt
? wo can still havo a, white government
and a decent government in this Stato
evon if tho negro should hold the bal
ance of power.
"Lot us suppose that you leave it to
the discretion of the registration oftioor
to say . who can understand ? mind, in
perpetuity we limit to two years. Let
us conceive that this convention, ear
ned away by tho pleas for tho poor
white men and boys who cannot read
and write and never expect to try to
learn, and in the future when theso
white men have divided and wo have
two whito parties and one negro parly
and the registration law glvos the power
to reach out and increase the suffrage
through the understanding clause, Isn't
it clear enough that ihe temptation to
make more and more ot tho ne
groes understand will not be re
sisted? When tho party in power
make enough of them understand to
perpetuate its grip upon the offices
and deprive the white majority, then
wo would feel the consequences of it.
It too plain, too easy; therefore, it is
preposterous to Adopt it. Wo want to
have done with it. Thocommltteepro
poses to have done with it In two years.
Andswe then propose to put In force
such laws in regard to our schools as
will give every poor white boy ftn op
portunity to qualify himself to become
a white voter. Lot the gentleman vote
thus when tho time comes and not oomo
here and give their lip servioe, but such
actual servioe in increasing and improv
ing the freo schools as will do away
with white illiteracy in South Carolina.
He will thon bo called blessed by the
poor white men of Sdtoth Carolina."
He continued in the same earnest
manner. The Wilson measure was then
voted down by ft vole of 129 to 16. Sev
eral other measures(were voted down in
like manner.
Other amendments are pending. At
ii lato hour tho convention adjourned
nmid much confusion, a batofy.of prop
ositions being rushed in to be printed
-
TILiIjMAN'S IjONCS-KXPKOTKD
- ? NPKKCH
. b
On If Is SuflViiRO Soliemc. His Defense
of Ills Plan. Irby's Plea for (lie
I Poor. While Man.
Thursday morning, (the ')7fh day)
after wasting an hour, tho convention
ouco more took up the suffrage prob
lem and wiih on it the eutiro morning.
Heutttorjrby got tho floor and made a
long spoech, attacking tho report of
tho commit tee ? Ho lined vigorous
languogo and was listened to attentive
]y. No one interrupted him. He was
protty heavy on Senator Tillman and
others. His speech wns somewhat
sensational. Amendment after amend
ment to the .plau was voted down, and
early in the night session all theso
amendments wero disposed of and
then Tillman took tho floor and made
his long-lookfcd for suffrage speech.
iftBY'fl HKNHATION'AIj wohdh.
Tn his speech Senator Irby snid
among other things:
"I bay now, notwithstanding soma
slurs cast on me in my absciiclv Hint I
am not an ingrate that would accept the I
highest ollico in South Carolina from j
tho poor and illiterate white men and
Ihou trample them beneath my feet.
Thqy have been my friends, and so
help mo God ! I intend to ho their
friend, and endeavor to protect them
from what I believe to bo an iniquity
politically. I sat by tho way of pro
face, fearing t<J trust myself, iudis
poscd as I havfl lately boon, that I
have writtou what I conceivo to be a
protest against this outrage. I bavo
to pay, sir, that I am not governed by
what other mcu do. Thank (iod, I "
think and act for myself, and I stand
hero to-day to tell the mombers of this
convention that I shall .vote with the
negroes whou they propose to indefl*
nitcly postpone this bill, if wo bavo to
leavo tho conditions of this. section 4
as they aro. T shall rote against tho
whole report if am the only white
man on the floor who doee no.
/ "Mr. Proaident* I dare to car not
ono-tenth of the Reformer* of this
convention could have been elected if
they had had this plan and advocated
it before the peoplo ou the stamp.
This may be ? guide to yoa. Ask
yon reel ve? as honest men: Could yon
have been elccte&tf yon bad fraaklj
and boldly told the people this was
your tokens of toff/age ?
"Mr. Patton in bVirfanent the
6ther aifbt and it woeto be honestly
or disbonsstly administered. He
rrphK That is the' only way Jem ?0|i
Wratit If it is honestly adminia
- teced. iini iialhi nf lhi imlwnli if?
"Tho provision of being ?blo to read
and writo is iutended for the protec
tion of thnt elfish who are eduoated.
It in unconstitutional boyond a doubt.
If you disqualify tho 1.5,000 or 20,000 J
people in this St:ito who cannot rood j
and writo under your understanding
clause, honestly or dishonestly, your
supervisor may bo enjoined. Thin 1
question may bo em tied before the Su- j
premo Court of tho United States, and
the Supreme Court may strike it out ;
ns unconstitutional. Then where, sir, ih !
tho promise that not o singlo white j
man should bo disqualified? It will bo
too late, bocauno this convcntioti will j
liavo adjourned. I don't think tho !
people of this State will over have ;
tuityjlior one in the next 100 years.
"I am no coat-tail swinger, thnnk I
(Jod, I never haug on to any man's j
coat-tails nnd sneeze every time he
takes muff. ? would rather bo a man
1 1 1 a 1 1 an oflicc-holdcr. 'l he pooplo of
1, aureus county thought enough of mo j
to bind mo to tho Legislature in 18St>,
when jMi\ Tillmau's highest ambition '
was only to be a trustee of Clemsou i
College, until the people of Sou*h Caro* j
linn sent mo to tho United States Sen- |
ate. I liavo always tried to be houost j
and sincere. 1 would not swing to the '
coat-tail of any man to bo rrosidont of
tho United States. When those people ,
at homo t<>i>k mo from tho plantation i
and elected me, against my will (tho ;
newspaper men can report that if thoy
wish), I ndinittcj&Uipou the stump that
I di<l not think that 1 could be elected,
luii I haf I would make tho fight . Ther 6
are delegates hero who know that that
is the truth. I went to the Legislature
and my record wub consistent through
out, ami I will not now. though I am a
Reformer -anil I .beliovo that my roo
ord as a Iwfafmcr will size up with
that. of any other man in South Caro
lina?but as a Reformer and a truo
man ^ho wauts to represent tho people
wJioAp votiyj-put him in oftlce, I prefer
r-politifcal death, oven a natural death,
before I would strike tho poor man
this cruel blow."
IHpV AND TILLMAN LOOK HORNS ? -Tllili
man's HOUND.
When tho convention re-assombled
'tho grand battle-royal which Iias boon
oxpocted for months was precipitatod
at tho very outset and South Carolina's
two United Statos Senators lookod
horns, Tillman coming out tba^winner
mo far as the vote was concerned. It
was a pretty bout, and berth Senators
displayed groat /(^rnostacss in what
thoy said. An<v^tj|cn followed the
long-lookod for spoechof Senator- Till
man on tho 8ufTrag"e problem. He
spoko for over two hours and a half,
and presented the situation iix. South
Carolina in tho greatest detail, lie
never spoko in his lifo witfy^lmoro de
liberation and vigor. ~ ^
The hall was .tilled with spectators.
Irby precipitatod the fight by mov -
ing to( take up tho report of tho odu
cationul committee out of its order,
postponing tho sufTrago matter.
Tillman in a hot speech annouuoed
this an a flank movement to koop him
from speaking tonight. Irby told him
he had not devoted that much thought
to him. Tillman moved f<5 table his
motion and Irby denounced it as gag
law which ho would not submit to. A
roll call was demanded ou Irby's mo
tiou, and it was killed by a vote of 52
to 8'5.
Then Tillman spoke. Ho made tho
spoech of his life. Tho first hour and
a half of it was a review of tho gro
tcsquo 'saturnalia of orimo and rob
bery in this Stato under tho Republi
can rule. Ho gave a muss of facts and
figures which lie said IHrinteudcd to
go to the world as justification of
what this convention, wa4 about to do.
That government, wlule largely corn
posod of native and carpet-bag whites,
was based on the black vote and sus
tained by it. and tho purpose of this
body was tov eliminate that voto ns far
as tiie fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments would allow.
When he began t?)Mepl v .to-the sen
sational speech his fellow-T'iuted'Statcs
Senator, Irby, of Laurens, delivered
this morning, tire-iorks began. Till -
man was saying that Irby had charged
that Governor Evans had fled tho State
in a political emergency, and that on
an occasion of moment whon tho very
existenco of this convention was
threatened by fierce opposition, Irby
had failed to appear.
* Trby started tip from his seat and
oxplained that on tho occasion refected'
to ho was detained at home by family
reasons and then went on to oharge
that at tho crisis of tho last campaign,
llaliroari Wreck at Seneca.
Saturday morning at 4 o'fclock north
bound freight traiu No. 44 jumped the
4 rack just as it reached Carnerose
creek trestle, five miles sonth of
Heneca. Eighteen freight cars went
down. The engine and caboose re
mained ou tho track. Flagman Dan
Parker, colored, was caught under a
car and kdled. Conductor Minor
Holeombo aud the rest of the erew
?scaped unhurt.
? -Y -t ./
A milk famine <* threatened arotnl Oat
bondale, P*ni?. Tb? *me?kopf>?ra hare ?Sm
io Ike gram, and farmers ays feeding grata
to their cattle. ^
Tbo trniy great man ia as. apt U
fejrj* t as lm v^wer is |We to fgpaf*
in tins Btate Mill full behiud tho doad
Jiue and bo disfranchised, find thore is
no iifio for any intelligent man to deny
it. It, puts it in the power of the super
\ ising oftloor, appointed by tho Gov
ernor <>f tho State, to disfranchise any
man, white or black, who is not ablfe t v>
interpret every section of tb* ?M>nstitu
tion. Whon tlio report bays 'any,' it
only means, sir, any that the supervisor
may see lit to propound. If the man
who presents himself belongs to tho
mono political faction that tho super
visor dues, wliou party lines are tight
ly drawn ami partisan spirit runs
high, it will matter Jntlo whether ho
explains it or not, he will got hi# cer
tificate.
TILLMAN HAS
HIS OWN WAY.
Sl'FKItAdK 8111 1 ?H< Alx>riKI>
?
A Copy of l( as |t I'tnnlly I'mmwIIm*
the (Constitutional Convention.
The VlTn<!er?t uuitlug' VI mm*
Prevail* t'p to IHIIK.
... .. ^
The whole of Friday, tho 38th nc?
i sion, who devoted to tho rehashing of
tho history of tho Reconstruction pe
[ riod. Tho charges that Senator Till
man made in his spoeeh in regard to
th#>?teals and frauds of tho ltocon
struotiou poriod, attacking negro del
egates on the tloor, wero taken up l\v
tho negroes, and Miller, Smalls and
Whippet" mnde vigorous and determin
ed speeches defending themselves and
their rare. All tho speeches were
purely of a historical character.
At tho night session (ho convention '
adopted the essential section of the
HUlVrage plan, putting on tho parlia
mentary olinohor, thereby accomplish ,
ing tho sole object of tho convention.
The section was adopted in tho fol
lowing shape:
Section I Tho qualifications for suf- ;
frago shall bo as follows: (a) Hesi- j
douce in (l?? State for two years, in I
tho county one year, in tho election '
district in which tho elector o flora to ,
vote, four mouths, aud the payment j
six months before auy election of any I
1 poll tax then dun and payable: Pro
vided, however, that ministers in j
charge of an organized church and
teachers of public schools shall bo en
titled to vote after six mouthy' roni !
donco iu tho State if otherwise quali- I
! Tied. j
(b) Registration, which shall pro l
vide for the enrollment of overy i
! elector onco in ten years, and also an i
i enrollment during each and every year i
j of every elector not previously regM- !
crcd under tho provisions of this
article.
(?0/ U|> tu I'niliilirr 1st, irvjM, MI |
j male persons of voting ngo applying j
! for registration who can read any see- j
} tion in thin constitution, or understand
i and explain it when read to them by
; the registration olliccr, shall bo 011
I titled to register and become electors.
I A se])arato record of all persons rcg
istered before January lsl, 18!l8, sworn
to by the registration olliccr, shall be
filed,' one copy with the clerk of court
and ouo iu the office of tho Secretary
of State, on or before February 1st, j
1898, and such persous shall remain i
during life qualified electors, uulcss
disqualified by tho other provisions of
this arficlc. Tho certificate of Iho
clerk of court or Secretary of Stale
shall bo eulllciont evidence to establish <}
tho right of said citizens to auyXuturo
registration and the franchise under
the limitations herein imposed. /
At the morn i ug session, the ccybven ?
lion had what may ho termed ' -histor
ieal day. " It resolved itself into, -an
historical society, and historieaf^re*
cords had tho<dji*t< shaken from ithoni
and wero cnrefnlly examiued. The
side show that was in progress on the
Houth sido of the hall during tho hit* -
torical society meeting may be appro.'
propriately entitled "The i ^ lack
Crook. " And it wan all, no to spouk,
an attempt to provo that " black was
Governor Evans had disappeared be
yond reach of telograph or mail and
had roappoarod when the fight was
over with tho story ihut ho had boon
to pec his girl and that ho was afraid
ho would be called on to^nako pledges
which ho could not perform
TffiLM AN AND I' ATT ON IIAVR A HOU1\
- There was another sensational hccuo
w-Jh-ii Tillman turned to Mr. Patton,
One of tho leading Conservative dele
gates from Columbia, and accused him j
of I'harisocism and of having drawn j
his cloak hypocritically around him j
in attacking the suiTarago plan sugges
ted by tho committee of which Tillman ;
in chairman.
| Houth Ca olina IcgiMlative bodies fol- j
? low tho prcrdnnt of thr* British I'arlia- <
| nieiit, by allowing members to sit j
j hatted. Mr. patton was just behind j
Tillman with his hut on his head. Ho j
sprang to his feet, baring his head as j
he did so, and challenged tho Senator j
i to inuko good or retract his word*?, j
| Advancing to within arm's reach of i
j t he Senator, Patton, leveling his finger i
I straight, at his antagonist's face, de
clared that whatever might bo said ;
against him, no man could chargo him ;
with hypocrisy, ami that no man should j
do it. Whatever sins had been com- |
mittcd by tho white people of tho J
Strtfe, be \?ns willing to bear his share
of.
Tillman said that lust fall Patton j
ha?l kept tfrtr wtres hot telegraphing i
Governor Rvans to lomovo Republi
can supervisors of eloetion in his
cowVity for fear ho could not get to the
convention if they wero allowod to
hold office.
There was another sensation when
McGowan, Conservative delegate
from Abbeville, a participant in what
is known as the Tillmau- Jhirnwell con
ference of last spring,, rose and in ef
fect charged Tillman jrith a breach of
faith in huvii.g repudiated tho action
of that conference. Yet another fol
lowed when ex-Congressman Smalls,
the eoloted delegate from Beaufort, on
a quest ion of personal priviliges, made
n sweet ing denial of ' cbargea
against him, mado by Tillman
and urged the Senator, while ha
was applying tyic lash to own white
colleagues, "for God's sake" to spare
the six )K>or ncgrfecftwho eat therein,
a miserable minority, lind had tried to
refrain from offending anybody.
white," thongh there were an?
.whites who were endeavoring lojlon
that black waa black, and * few it
atanoea very, very black. Th?M*
their, effort! f
. ? - . .**? ..
KAM KATAHfH.S HRJKOTKI). -
Failed to Como up to the Required
Speed of 17 Knots.
Tho odlolul speed of tho Amnion ram
Katalidin Is 10.13 knots iw reported to He<>
rHary Herbert at Washington by tliO trial
J ?<?/i r? I itrtd itie vwwl stands reJcoUd undor
her ''omrai'l, bearing the distinction of being
k tho first vessel of tin* now nnvy failing to
reach contract r<"|iiiromotit;t?x Unless niioelal
provision is made by the he*? session of
congress, th^ltith Iron works of Maine,
which built the bull and machinery, must
rely on selling ber to some foreign govern*
nient to reooup -tholr expenditures. In
that oaso a complication would arlHO, as
#100,000 worth of armor belonging to the
Unltod Htates i t fastened In place on ths.
vessel and is valueless for other purposed
Naval officers adhere to the belief that
under favorahlo conditions in tho smooth
water for which the Katahdin was designed,
sho could easily make tho required 17 knot*.
Hor contractor*,' however, prefer not to run
the risk of forcing her higher than U?ey did
on Thursday and prefer to leawturfio whols
matter to President Cleveland, relying on
his fairness to suggest a Just settlement.
RECORDS OF THK LATH WAR.
Volume on Campaign In Virginia tad
tt.e Carollnas Completed.
A Washington special says: Reports on
the progress of tho rebellion rocoSIs show
the .completion of tho first Volume of the
Morten covering tho final campaign of tho
war (n Virginia awl the Caroilnas and In the
Trow*- Mi>Mia?ippl region. The rqpiatolag
volume* of this seriea will be In type before
tbo eloso of tha our re it calendar year. Vol*
ume 1, ofH?rls2, rolntlnsfto prisoners of
war M ready for printing, and it isoxpected
will bo distributed In July next.
Vfc? Total Vsllbfe S?pply dfG^toa.
cotton for th*
world Is 8,2*1, M9 hales, of which 8,999,9*
to^? are Americas, against 8,3*8,544 btrtw
first proposition thy whiteness of the
blocks. ? y
To oo more explicit, the nUtory of
the Reconstruction period was under
discussion all day, and some interest
ing pagew were added Id (lie reoord,of
that in^Morablo period, which was
steeped 111 fraud and robbery. It was
all brought about by Senator Tillman's
reply to (he speoches which wore made
at tlio beginning of the discussion on
the suffrage matter. The Sonator
brought the careers of Small* and
Whippet up in his speech, andcharged
that t hoy were both members of the
famous " black Crook Compauy, "
which had a continuous ru* In thin
state' from the closo of the war to
1876, Homo interesting matter, new
so far as the general public is con
cerned, was brought out, and Whip
per, tho negro delegate from Beaufort,
made a splendid speech in his own do
fanso .
(d) Auy porson who shnll apply for j
registration after January 1st, 1RD8^
if otherwise qualified, shall bo regist
ered: Provided, that ho can both road
and write any section of this Consti
tution, or can show that he owns and
has paid all taxes collootablo during the
previous year on property in this State
nKsesRed at $100 or more.
(<?) Managers of election shall re
quire of every elector offering to vote
at any election, before allowing him to
\ote, proof of the payment of all taxes,
including poll tax, assessed against
him and collectable for the provious
year.
(/) The General Assembly shall
provide for issuing to each duly reg
istered eleotor a certillcato of registra
lion and shall provide for tho renowal of
such certificate* when lost, mutilated or
destroyed, it the applicant is still u
<piali(lcd ulcct<>r under tho provisions
of this constitution, or 'if ho has boon
registered sh provided in sub-sec
tion ('').
There was much opposition ex
pressed to tho plan, which many mom-*
l>erA declared on the floor could only
moan fraud under tho "understanding"
feature, the nuporvisoru being tho
judges of tho suftioioncy of tho "under
standing." Most of it incited away
when it camo to tho final vote, tvhioh
was 09 to 517. Irby's opposition did
not seem to count for much. Thoro
was no end of spGnkinfr at tho night
session.
Miller, Smalls and Whippor, tho
three leading negro members, made
powerful speeches, the first two de
fending themselves from porsonal at*
tacks on their Reconstruction record.
W^ipper concluded his powerful
speech thus:
"I throw down tho gauntlet now and
challenge tho world to go through at)
tho records and find ono thing against
mo. You would beemoar every negro
who dofeuds his raco in tke.laok of
argument. Suofi argumont c$me very
far from ooming up to what some poo
plo consider tho pigh standardof gen-,
tility. Thoy want to engraft into this
constitution something that will decoivo
tho world and themselves. You may
deceive yourselvos, but you won't tho
world. I was plaintive at first, but
now I am disposed to bocomo defiant.
Put it thero if you will; if vou dire.
You hoo your constitutional lawyers
treading on it like they are treading
on eggs. It won't be three years be
fore you havo another con
stitution to meot tho oxigeney.
You havo s magnificent, inexhausiiblo
water supply in this State. Itisgoingto
waste bocause you aro always trying to
chain tho negro down. You wish him
to continuo to wear tho ohains that
hung around during slavery. Wui
can bind down tho negro, bat you ijill
make tho greatest mistakes of ydur
lives. You can' even now hoar {ho
rumble of tho car of negro develop
ment and progress coming, ladon with
negroes educated and boinjj educated.
Wo aro not scared. The negro will
ere long como and claim his own. I
am standing hero tryiug to make South
Carolina feol that I have lived hor^'ou
her soil." ' X,
The convoution, after adopting thoa
plan, adjourned at 11:40 p. m. until
Tuesday oveuiug.
OUR TAXABLE
PROPERTY;
Til 10 FIGCRK* AS compared
With Those of Last Year. Taxes
Levied. The Number of Polls
In the State.
<JV
The general public is always muoh
concerned in the snuual valuation of
nil the property iu tho State for taxa
tion, for it is a matter of no little im
portauoo to tho people. This year
there had been a falling off. Tho
comptroller general has Hi last re
ceived the figure* from the several
county treasurers and they show that
the total valuation for taxation of ell
tho property in tho State for the flsoal
yoar just ended is $100,440,251,
against $1 7.1k 508, 209 last year.
The folloWjug is tho valuation by
countios : \
\ 180%. 1894, ?
Abbeville * 6,920,790 * 7,844,016
Alkon 6,000,541 6,187,890
Amloraon 0.613.611 6,499,187
Barnwell 0,452,655 6,826,084
Beaufort 3,642,639 8,432.682
Ilerkoley 6,205.060 5,309,781
Charleston 20,506,872 20,866.008
Chester 8,700,228 3,971,810
Chesterfield 1,472,840 1,663,870
Clarendon 2.679,460 2,612,040
Colleton 4,368,410 4,667,384
Darlington 3,768,781 3,865,865
Kdgeneld 0,252,090 8,682,426
Fairfield 3,032,825 3,790,828
Florenee 3,860,411 8,397,614
UeorgotoWn 2.012,005 2,060,490
Greenville 0.798,765 7,067.466
Hampton 8f, 289, 497 ? 2,33t,464
Horry 1.550,671 1,608,850
Kershaw 2,803,520 2,889,750
Lancaster 1,908,688 '? <" 2,099,926
Laurens 4,209,778 4,318,864
I -"xiiiK'ton 3,420,120 3,546,678
Marlon 4,328,407 4,586,148
Marlboro 2,620,810 2,690,706
N"wberryv 4,733,035 ?, 4,886,978
Oconee . 2.700,844 2,658,718
Orai>K?l>urg 0,709,485 6,875,502
Vi.-ko'uH 1,932,148 2,005,786
Uiehland 0,3113,752 7,614,408
StwirtunburK 11.170,230 10,734.666
Huinlur 0,220,470 6,686,860
Union 3,144,150 3,0'91,870
Williainsburff UJ W* es-i ?
York ~ 0,220,390 6,401,600
Total ?160,449,251 *173,508,209
On thin property a total State tax of
$807,541.84 was levied last yoar, as
against 9702, 015.00 thin year.
1 hero has been a slight incroase in
the number of polls, as tho following
figures showing tho numbor in eaoh
?Munty' indicate:
wlU not exceed 60,
tor Mow the Ua
Needy theeatlre
trM?at|lWa I
UvtbMB reedNui
1894. 1895.
Volajville 4,791 4,683
A !<??? 4,207 4,440
.\ t Ivrauii . 4,782 5,143
, ; i niw.'ll . . . . 5,751 5,548
; ,r irt 4,158 4,497
ik-li-y 0,207 6,046
irU'.sloii 9, 528 9,969
Ci.Mtor 8.213 3,181
CliiutfrfleM 2,764 2,623
*:'iur<*ndon . . * 3,515 . T 8,651 '
i : ?!l 'ton 6,83(fc 5,456
D.irlfimton 4,844? 4,353
i!.|?cnold 7,374 6,319
Florsnco 8,654 4,021
Fairfield 2,659 2,737
Ucowlowii 2,818 , 2,6"
(l rwnvJIlo . . ..5,878 6,(1
Hampton 2,307 9,?
Horry 2.596J. .-,JM
Korauaw 2,838 3, IT!
ijnnciuitnr J ,...2,450 2,40#
Jiauroiico k 5,160 '5,047
J.-wfiiKton 8,815 8,360
.Marlon 8,106 8,011
Marlboro 8,247 ,3.021
N'.'WlM'rry 8,607 3,718
o'oneo .k 2,223 2,27*
t>. ;iir.c?;hnr^ .. .5,950 : 5.916
IM'.'Uoim ? .2.030 2,103
H'<.>liltirrd 6,656 6,178
Si'iirtrtnbtirK 8,534 8,899
^'imtor 6,910
U lion .2,997
WHIIiiniHljitrg . . ..2,835 8,164
York v 4^858
RTATH TAXEtf 'OF *ACH OOUN**.
Tho following table gives tfia totri'
.State tax e? assessed against each ootm
ty iu tho State:
AMxivlllo. ? 31,148
A i Icon fi?
Anderson
U:truwull
H srknloy
li MUlfoft
Ciitirli'.sloii
W
8164
W
r- V
(JlHWler. . . .
(;iio0tcrll?lil
(I.
C'lun'iiilon .
<.'oll?Uoi? , .
Darlington
K Itf'-llold . .
Fairllcld . . .
. r -
Cloornotown
< >
96,896
99,761
99.096
33.499
15,941
99,280
16,948
6,697
I Ia:n|)toii 10,902
Horry 6,977
li'irriliaw 12,615
l/i-H'ftsti'r .;r. 8,971
f,:uri!? . Iftwt
LexinuTon 7.. ^ 157431
Alarlon 19,466
Marlboro 11,631
Nmvoorry 91,301
Ol-ouco 12,163
OranK'^nirf? 80.462
ri-:k?-'u3 ? 8,694
Hirlilaud 83,971
Hpartauburft 60,256 ,
Kuintor . ... > ""
Union .'.v....
Williamsburg 19,9
York, 27,991
. 00, aae
w
Total#.... - 9762,316
ORANGES SCARCK.
A Short Crop Belif Sold at Hi|h
PrtewtvnwMa
? JfiokeonvllW dUpatofaj^y*: Cap*. J, A.
Eiutlow, Jr., who nakes regular boaiases
toura through tho State has just retura6#r*
from the eitraM southern part of Florida
where there are oraag* ftovas which were
not hurt by the frseea. Re says the evep