Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE REGISTRATION LAW. Enjoined by the Federal Court. .1 ml u:?? < lull Ol (l<l s I In- (,)|||M ions I II volvetl to be Heard N?<xt Mouth In Columbia. Judge GotT, of the United States Cir cuit Court, has .vriuitiMi a restraining order on W. Briggs Croon, Super visor of Registration -of Riehland County, whioh will have a far-reaching effect upon tbo constitutional convention and upon our election laws in the future as well as the past If tho order should be in ado permanent. Obear & Douglass, formerly of this Stato, but now of Washington, have had in oourso of preparation a case testing tho validity of tiio State regis tration laws, aud last week they ap peared before Judge GotT, at Clarks burg, West Virginia, and secured tho rostrainlng order. Tho following is Judge (lull's order, it being a verified copy of tb- proceed ings : United States of America, South Caro lina District?lu the Circuit Court, Fourth Circuit?in Hqulty. Lawrence P, Mills vs. W. liriggsGroon ?Hill for Injunction. On hoorlng tbo bill in the abovo on titled cause, and on motion of Messrs. Obear & Douglass, complainant's solic itors : It Is ordered, That tbo defendant, W. Briggs Green, both individually, and as Supervisor of Registration for Riohland County in tbo Stato of South Carolina, bo enjoined and restrained until the further order of this court, from tho commission of any of the acts complained of in tbo above entitled bill?a copy of which mint bo sorved upon him with this order. It is further ordered, That the said W. Briggs Green do show cause before mo, at Columbiu, Soutb Carolina, on Thursday, tbo 2d day of May noxt, why this order should not bo continued or some ordor of like purport and off out be then granted, enjoining and re straining lit in, both individually and as such Supervisor of Registration, from the commission of any of the acts eoin Elaincd of In said bill until the final oaring and determination of this eauso. This hoii?*vng sluM Y> > \u Vbe United States Circuit. Court room, Columbia, South Carolina Tins Kith day ot ' April, 181)5. (Signed) Nathan GOFF, U. 8. Circuit Judge, Fourth Circuit. < QKOUND8 KOK THE INJUNCTION. The bill for injunction is n long one, full of legal phrases ami liberal quota tions from tho registration lawn of tho State, but for a proper understanding j of tbo situation and upon what grounds tho injunction is asked the bill must I be road carefully. The following is the bill In full : "To tho Judges of tbo Circuit Court of tho United States ft r t ic District of South Carolina; Lttwronno P. Mills, a citizen of the State of Soutb Carolina and of tin United States, br'ngs this bis bill against W. Briggs Green, a citizen of said Stato aud United Status. And thereupon your Orator complains, and says : I. That this bill is exhibited on be half of your orator, ami of uli others, citizens of the County of Kichlnnd in tho Stato of Soutb Carolina, und United States aforesaid, circumstanced like your orator in this behalf and who are too numerous to be mado parties here to. II. That your orator wi s twenty-six years of ago on the 4th day of February, 1?'.?;.; that bo Is a resident, of the pre cinct of the County Kichlnnd in the State cf South Curolinu; that he is a male citizen of tbo United Stat-s, that he has resided in the State of South Carolina for more than one year pre ceding tho last election ; and he lias resided in tho said County of Kichlatui for more than sixty days prior to said general election. HI. That your orator is au elector of . .the said State of South Carolina, pos sosslng all of tbo qualifications of an elector of the most numerous branched tho State Legislature, provided by the Constitution of the said 'otato ; antl that he is subject to none of tho disqualifica tions set forth in tbo said Constitution; and he is, under tbo Constitution and laws of tho United States, duly quali fied to veto at all Federal and State elections hold in the said precinct of Richland County In tho Stato of Soutb Carolina. IV. Tnal\t*a section known as sec tion QOof the Genoral Statute? of South Carolina of 1882 is sot forth tho tnllow ng ; '"All electors of tho Stato shall be registered as hereinafter provided; and no person shall bo allowed to vote at any election hereafter to bo hold un less registered as horoinaftor requir ed"; and that section ono hundred and thirty-two (1H2)of the Itovised Statutes of Soutb Curolina of 181M is to the same effect and in tho following wi i'ds: "All k. electors of this State shall bo register ed Tand no person shall bo allowed to voto at any olection tberealtor to be held, unless bo shall have bcreforo registered in conformity with the re quirements of Chaptor VII of tho Ccn eral Statutes of 1882, and acts amend atory thereof, ov shall bo registered as herein required." V. That by a suction known as sec tion Ninety-four (itl)of the said General Statutes of 1882 Is provided : "When tho said registration (in certain books to bo provided him aud made in tho manner provided for in section shall have been completed, tho books shall . be closed, and not re-opened for regis tration, except for tho purposes and as hereinafter mentioned until alter tbo nest general election tor Statei Ulcers. After tho said noxt general election, the books shall be opened, for registra tion of snob persons as shall thereafter become entitled to register, on the first Monday in each month, to und until the first Monday iu July, inelus.ve.jiiftcod ing the following general eieothn, upon which last named day the same sball be closed ant not reopened for registration until after, tho said gener al ofcctiou and over after, the said books shall bo opened for the registra tion of such electors, on tbo day above mentioned, until tbo lie. i day of July preceding agenoral election, when tho same ahall be closed as aforesaid until the said general election .shall have taken place;" aud in section one hun dred au thii ty-sovt n (1117) of the said I lev i . ii Statutes of r '?.'! it is provided: "After overy general olection, the reg istration books shall lie opened for reg istration of such pei'bons as shall there after become entitled to register, on tho first Monday In each month until the first day of July preceding a general election, when tbo same shall be closed until such eluolion ihnll have taken place." VI. That, the ..eel ion known hS B6C lion Ninety-seven (J?7) of the said Gon eral Statines of 18*2 Is in t he. following words: "Any poison coming of age, und becoming quulilieii tut an elector, tuny appear before the siipervisor of registration, on any day on which tho books are opened as aforesaid, and take oath as to his ago and qualifications as horelnbeforo provided,nand If the su porviitor find him qualified he shall en tei* his name upon tho registration book of the precinct wherein ho ro sides." Vlf. And your orator further allege* that in and by the requirements of f-ald registration enactments of th* pnv eminent of the Statu of Booth Citio Hnu, it is^provlded thatJt'?o re-pre tive supervisors of reiristrat''?u |q the several counties shall issue to the voter, when registered, aeertllleate of rogls tralion, and that said voter sha'l pre sent, the same at t he polls to the mana gers of election and thut no ono shall bo allowed to votout auy election to bo bold in the State unless his cortillcate of registration as aforesaid is exhibited at tho time and in the manner afore said. And it is further required in and ,by the said ulleged enactments that in ease u voter or elector shall romove from ono county to another in said State, or from ono precinct to another in tho same county, or from one resi dence to .another In the samo precinct, thut Im ?Viall obtain a transfer and a rouowulttartificate.l ( I And it Is further provided in said enactments that in thuovontan elector shall lose his said certitlcato of regis tration he must obtain a renewal there of, upon furnishing evidonco satisfac tory to tho Uegistrarof tho said county wherein he resides that his said certi ficate has been mislaid or lost, and that tho samo has not been wilfully or Inten tionally disposed of. Your orator further alleges that by the provisions und requiromentof said enactments tho elector falling for any reason to comply with any of tho provisions aforesaid, is denied a right of sutl'rago both In Fed eral and State elections. And your orator further alleges that tho provis ions of tho said enactment fixing tho time for registration and tho closing of tho hooks for that purpo3o on tho first day of July preceding overy elec tion, and tho many divers provisions, requirements and conditions set out in the various and sundry sections of said alleged Act, were intended, and that thoy in effect do, abridgo, impede and destory tho suffrage of tho citizen both of the State and of tho United Stetes. VIII. And your orator further avers that on tho 2itb day of Llecem bor, 185)4, and alleged Act was pasosd ? by the government of Xho State of South Carolina entitled: "An Act to proyMe^tor-^*3flTlhg a constitutional convention, to provldo tho numbors and qualifications of members of the convention, thoir compensation, etc, and to provide for tho election of tho same, uud lo delino and proscribe tho i| mil ideations of tho electors, and the manner of tho election and of declar ing the result." That by section Four (4) of the said act it is declared who shall tie entitled to voto for dele gates to said constitutional convent ion', and in addition to qualification pre scribe d for doctors by tho Constitu t nt ion of ttie State of South Carolina Is provided a further qualification, to wit: that tho elector Do "duly re gistered as now required by law or who having been (entitled to register as a voter at tho'time of the general registration of electors in tho State, which ti.ok place in tho year of pur l.onl ono thousand eight hundred and eighty-two, or at any time subsequent th into, failed to register at such I mo required by law, or who has become a citizen of this State and who shall register as hereinafter provided in such eases," And your orator further avers that by section Six ((?) of tho lart mentioned Act it is pro vided : " That on the first Monday of March, in the year of our Lord one. thousand eight hundred and ninety five, too supervisor of registration of each county shall, at tbo county seat thereof, open his books of registration, ami shall hold tbo same open for ton consecutive canlendar days thereafter except Sundays, between the hoars of ten o'clock in tbo forenoon and four o'clock In tho afternoon except Charleston, Beaufort and Rlohland Counties, where tho said books shall be kept opon from ten o'clock In tho forenoon to six o'clock In tho after noon, during which time any elector then or therotoforo at any time en titled to register as a qualified voter, or who ha.-* become a citizen of this State, shall be, during tho time herein lixed by law, for registration, entitled to register as such as hereinafter provided ; and any elector having been heretofore duly registered or having lost his certificate, shall he entitled to have tho same transferred or renewed as now provided by law." And your orator fuither avers that by section seven (7) of last named Act it is pro vided : ''Any eleetor who shall have been entitled to register at the gene1 ral registration in the year of our iiOi'd ono thousand eight hundred and oighty-tWo, or at any timo subsequent thereto, and who failed lo register at suoh timo iu required by law and who shall inako application under oath, in accordance with a printed form to bo prepared by tho Attorney General, sotting forth in each cusu tiie fuct, to wit: tho full name, ;v/-.\ occupation and residence of the applicant at tho time of the said registration, or at any timo thereafter, when the said appli cant liecamo entitled to register, und tho place or places of his residence sit.ee th 3 timo he bocamo entitled to register, which affidavit shall ho sup ported by the affidavits of two reputablo citizens who wort eaeh of tho ago of twenty-one years on tho thirteenth day of .lune, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and oighty-t<vo, or at tho timo tho said applicant became entitlod thereafter to rogl?ter, or any oleetor who has heeomo a citizen of this State, by moving into tho same and his place of residence since liviug in the State, and who shall inako ap plication under oath stating tho time of his moving into the State and his place of residence since living in tho State, which application shall he supported by the alildavit of two reputablo citi zens who woro twonty-ono years of ago at tho timo tho applicant, became a resident of this State, such applicant shall oj allowed to registor as a voter and to havo issued to him a certitlcato as a duly qualilied elector in tho man ner and form now provided by law and bo en! ; I .led to vole ut Said election for delegates to said convention." And your orator avers and he so charges that tho time allowed in sec tion six Mil of the Act last named is unreasonably short for tho purpose for which it purports to bo intended ?and that the provisions of section eight (8), are hurdonsomo and barns sing to tho electors, and are unrea sonable, and unnocessaty?and tho same so limit, abridgo and qualify the privilege of registration that thoy re sult In a practical denial of tho right Ui voto to those electors who by the operation of thn unconstitutional pro visions of the Coneral Statutes of 18H2, and l{."vised Statutes of IHhli are now unregistered. And- your orator further avorn that tho sect,ions above quoted from and referred to as contained In said Gen eral Statutes of 1882, and I tovisod Statutes of IHM. and Act of 1HPI an so Interwoven with, and such Integra parts of the whole alleged rogistratior laws of tho SUtte of South Carolina that if tho same be declared unoou - stitutional and void, as herein prayed, the whole enactments in regard to reg i istration are likewise void. That your orator is advised and he so charges that all of tho sections , hereinbefore quoted from and referred [ to as contained in the General Statutes of 1882 and Revised Statutes of 1893, and the Aofof 1894, are In violation of Section thirty-one (31), of Article Ono (1), Section Two (2) of Article Eight (8) and Section Eight (8) of Articlo bight (8) and divers other section of the Constitution of the State of South Carolina, In this, that they add to the ?I miliMentions of electors provided for in the said Constitution, a further qualification not therein provided, to wit: Registration as required by the several seotions'of Chapter Seven (7), Titlo Two (2) of Part Ouo (1) of said General Statutes of 1882, also, known as Chapters Eight (8) of Tltlo Two (2) of Part(l) of tho Revised Statutes of South Carolina of 1803, and as also re quired by Seotions 4, 5, 0. 7 and 8 of the aforesaid Act of 1894 ; and in this, that they add to the causes authoriz ing tho Legislature of said Stato to de prive tho oiti/.ons thoroof of the right of suffrage, a clause not contained in said Constitution, to-wit: a failure to be possessed at the time of election of a certificate of registration although when duly registered upon tho books of registration ; and in this, that the sov oral supervisor! of registration of said State are directed to open their regis tration books after oaeh general elec tion for tho registration only of those citizens coming of !ago and becoming qualltlod as electors sineo such general election; and to cloeo said books and to keep them closed as to all other elasses of unregistered bleetors ; with no pro vision in said unconstitutional regis tration lawB, oxeept tho ten tlays pro vided for In the Act of 1894 after the registration of those who coming of ago and becoming qualilled to vote for the geueral oleotlon of 1882; or tho gonenvl election of 1884, or tho general election of 1886; or tho general oleo tlon of 1888 ; or the general election of 1 18i)0: or tho general election of 1892, : failed to registor at tho timo provided in said laws for tho registration of i such voters; that Insomuch us no pur son shall bo allowed to vote unless re gistered as provided by tho aforesaid laws, and insomuch as none of tho said < laws" pvoYufc "?W-tbe registration uer- i lod noxt suocoedlng their coming of age and becoming qualified as electors, expecting within the aforesaid ten days said registration laws do deprlvo all such voters of their right of suffrage and all such voters aro per- i raanontly disfranchised in plain vio lation of their constitutional rights. 1X. That by Section Two (2) of Ar ticlo One (1) of tho Constitution of tho United States it is provided that the Federal "electors in each Stato shall have tho qualillcations requisite tor oleetors of tho most numerous branch of tho Stato Legislature." That the effect of the abovo quoted clause is that the Constitution of the United States has provided that the qualifica tion of tho Federal electors in tho Stato of South Carolina shall bo tho samo as thoso provided in tho Consti tution of the said last named Stato. for oleetors of the most numerous branch of tho Stato Legislature, as completely and clearly as though each and every one of said qualillcations were in exaet. 1 words incorporated, In the Constitu tion of the United States?and your or ator avers that the said registration laws are in violation of said Section 1 Two (2) of Article Ono (I) of tho said 1 Constitution In this, that they under take to add to tho qualifications of tho 1 Federal electors of the State of South Carolina qualillcations not pro scribed by the Constitution of tho United States, and your orator further avers that tbo said reg istration laws of tbo Stato of South Carolina are in violation of Section Ono (I) Articlo Fourteen (14) of tho Constitution of tho United States und, also, aro in violation of Section Ouo (1) of Articlo Fifteen (15) and of divers other Sections and Articles of said in strument. And your 'orator further avers and charges that said registration laws aro not reasonable, uinform, or impartial regulations of tho elective fianehise? but, on tho contrary, their purpose and effect is directly and iudirectly to abridge the constitutional right of "tho citizens to voto?to embarrass, render burdensome, tho exercise of tho elec tive franchise and under pretense of regulating, to utterly destroy tho suf frage of your orator and a large num ber of other citizens of said State in like circumstances with him. X. By Section Two (2) of the afore said Act of 1804 it is provided that tho election of delegates to the said con stitutional convention shall be held on tho third Tuesday in August, 1895, that tho said convention shall'assem ble on the second Tuosda/ in Septem ber, 1805, that such convention is eall od for the purpoie of revising, amend ing or changing the constitution of tho said State, and when assombled, will have full power to revise, alter, abridge, curtail and qualify the right y\t. your orator and of all citizens of tho said Slate, .of South Carolina to voto for tho members- V>r the .jnost-U'JUUCa'^-. oils branch of tho State Legislature, and thereby to roviso, alter, abridgo and curtail tho qualillcations now re quisite to enable your orator to voto at all Federal elections, as now imposed by the Constitution of tho United States. Xt. That W. Biggs Green has been appointed to the ollico of Supervisor of Registration for Riehland County aforesaid under and In pursuance of said unconstitutional registrati. n laws - that ho is now exercising the duties prescribed by tho samo, and your ora tor haH been informed and believes thut he intends to continue so to do, and furthermore ho specifically intends to furnish and dolivor to the several bourds of managurs for tho several precincts In Rlchland' County, afore said, to bo hereafter appointed, to hold tho election of dulegutes to the said Constitutional Convention, cortaln paper writings purporting to bo ttio registration books jaforosaid of tho several precincts to be used by said Managers at said approaching election. XII. Your orator further shows that under and by virtue of tho said unconstitutional registration laws the supervisors appointed thereunder, are. required to continue said partial, void and illegal registration on tho first Monday in May and .Inno, 1895.5 and that after tho lirst day of .Inly, |896, they are directed by section Might (8) of tho Act of 1891 to " furnish the man i agers at each precinct with one of the i registration hooks for such precinct, and no elector shall bj entitled to vote t who c name is not registered as i herelnhoforo or already provided by ? law and who docs not produce his reg istration certificate at the polls whore 1 ho offers to vote.*'/ XIIf. That your orator failed to ro : glster at tho registration inado after [ the general election of 1888 or to be ? registered during the ton days in I March, 1805, provided for in said Act ? of 1894, because although he made I repeated and persistent efforts to he i come registered, he found himself un , able to comply with tho unreasonable, - unnecessary and burdensome rules, re gulations and restrictions proseribe< by said unconstitutional registration laws, as conditions precedent to hli right to register and your orator bat never beeu allowed to voto at anj Federal or State oleetion of the Bait State of South Carolina. XIV. That your orutor is dosirout of voting for delegates to the aforesaid constitutional convention, at the elec tion prescribed by the Act of 1804, for that purpose: that the pa per writings purporting to bo books of registration now in the hands of the said dofendant do not aud will not contain the name of your orator as a registered votor for the reason here inbefore stated ; that your orator aud others like circumstanced with him will not bo permited to vote at said special elect ion by the managers there of, Unless their names he found Upon the books of registration and thoy oan I produce tho registration certificates hereinbefore mentioned; that if the said defenda nt he permit ted to con tinue the aforesaid illegal, partial and void registration and be allowed to turn over to the managers of oleetion for the aforesaid County of Hicbland (when iappointed ) said paper writings purporting to bo the books of regis tration for tho several precincts in said county, your orator will bo de prived of bis right to voto at said eloctlon and griovous and irreparable wrong and damugo will be done to your orator aud a large class of citi zens like circumstanced with him, which can bo prevented only by the Interposition of this court by way of restraining tbo said defendant from tho Kerformanco of any of tho Act hereiu eforo roferred to. To the end, therefore that your orator may have full, perfect and suf ficient relief in the premises, may it pleaso your honors to grant unto your orator a writ of injunction rostralning and onjoioing tho said defendant in dividually und as Supervisor of Reg istration from tho performance of any of the Acts hereinbefore complained of, and that your orator may have such othor and further reliof iu the promises as may bo just and reason able. May it please your honors to grant into your orator a writ of subpoena to be directed to tho said defendant commanding him. at a certain time, *nd under a certain penalty therein to bo limited personally, to be and ap pttw Vofnro your honors In this honor nblo court, tFi"en""?-.r.^Mrboro JtjO-???we\" until this bill of complaint'and to do und receive what to your honors shall loom meet in the promises. OntsARtft Douglass, Complainant's Solicitors. GOV. EVANS FLIES THE TRAOK. PHAQR ANI> UNITY AN*ILLUSION. The Forty Convention Destroyed tho ChnuceH for u,t Agreement?Tho Kef'cmcrs Will Control i In- Con stitutional Convention. The Piedmont Headlight prints an interview with Governor John G. ICvans, from which womako tbo follow ing extract: "How about, peace and unity V" wo iisked tbo Governor. "Well, it seems as if the Forty has Jestroytd that illusion," was tbo reply. " The caucus that Senator Tllltnun and myself held w ith Messrs. Harnwell and llompbill has beon misunderstood by ?tome of our frionds. Wo never lesigned to diotato to the people, or Jemand of them an equal division of iloloL-atos to tho constutional conven tion. We woro asked to counsol with l&rtain prominent Conservatives, simply as individuals, and did not ulairu to spoak olllcially. We desired, above all things, to preserve white Supremacy, and clinch in our con stitution in tbo most important work ilone by tho Reform movement since 181)0. Wo agreed to au equal division of delegates, whore such a thing was practical, provided tbo peoplo ac uuioseed. But in order to insure our demands, wo requii od certain pledges from the Conservatives, and they must bind themselves not only iu writing to carry out their part of tho agreement, but must crmo before tho people and let the voters pass upon wbother or not they were willing to trust thorn. Till man did not protend to bind Reformers. Tlllman and myself of course recognized tho fact that the people are pur BOVeroigns, but, as in dividuals, wo simply suggested what wo thought was tbo best for tho R j forin movement and to restore political peace and unity in our Stato. If the. Cousorvatlves wore willing to join us in forming a constitution which would insure white supremacy, aud leave intact tho great work done by our party sinc> I81K), wo saw nothing wrong in accepting tho olive branch that they voluntarily extondod us. Tbo story that wo wont into that caucus with tho design of dolayiug registration of tbo blacks is false, of course. We meant just what we said?that if tho Con servatives would agree to certain pro positions laid down, wo would use our individual efforts to prevail upon the voters to ratify the agreement. But wo did not guarantee..atvy -t--\urh' ?c coptarico'-Ivy- tVi'O "Reformers, for wo could notspeak for thorn.'' " What olToot, Governor, will tbo Forty convention have upon that con ference agreement V" wo asked. " Why, their convention has re pudiated it in toto, and demanded that an equal division bo made without any restrictions whatever being thrown around delegates. In other words, should tho Conservatives secure any thing like half tbo members in tho convention, with the assistance of mugwump Reformers, they would dis franchise 20,000 farmers in .our Stato, and tho minority faction b'o restored to power. Of course, neither would Sonator Tlllman or myself consent to anyisucb unconditional surrender by our dormers to tho Forty and will oppose that proposition to tho bitter end. 1 believed all the time that there was an irreconcilable faction in tho Conservative party that would refuse to accept our terms; and of course no rational man can expect Re formers to divido representation so' long as any considerable ntunber of tbo minority are demanding a straight tight against our movement." "Then you do not think thero Is an\ likelihood (dan equal division of doTogatcs V" I " That Is for tbo peoplo to decide among themselves. Tilhr.au and I have done our part, and shall demand I tbo full and free acceptance of the i terms wo named. I do not propose to I go into any more caucusses or con ferences. I have done what I believed j was best to maintain tbo supremacy of tho white race in South Carolina politics, and for the pence and unity of my Stato. As Governor, this was i my duty. I oan do nothing more than I have done. Tho people know the only terms upon which Senator Tlll man and myself would consent fot a division of delogates with the minority, and even then the voter* must pass upon the agreument ami judge for thomselves who are worthy of their confldenco and suffrage Thero are mon among tho Censorva tlvos who aro siok of continued strife 1 and agitation, and are anxious to join i forces with the Reformers in working ? for the glory and upbuilding of their 3 State. It would bo wrong and un r patriotic to refuse their overtures for I peace. These aro men with where we woro willing to bury the hatchet, and i not envenomed irreconcilables. Every I good citizen would bo glad to have ? peace and unity betweou the factions, but even these blessings must not be purchased by a sacrifice of the princi ples for which our farmers banded together in 1890. But if we can pro tect those principles, aud put a stop to discord uud strife, of course it would be for tho best. And the Con servatives who were in that conference with Tlllman and I was honest in their desires to bring about reconciliation, and proved this by doing all and every thing in their power to iuduce their faction to accept our terms, well know ing that nothing less would contont our Reformers." "Do you havo any doubt, Governor, about tho Reformers controling tho constitutional convention ?" " Not the slightest. It now looks as if thero would be a straight fight. That Forty convention refused to ac cept our terms, and the people havo no idea of giving the Conservatives any stronger representation than thoy can win at tho ballot box, unless that j agreeinont is carried out in good faith and to the letter. From what f can gather, from every section of the Stato, the Reform movement is Stronger today than ever before. Our ' people aro determinod to control the ' constitutional convention, and not 1 permit it to bo- used to disfranchise a j single white voter, excopt for crime. ' I do not know how this can bo boBt I secured, but you may rest assured that 1 some safe plan will bo designed to 1 Insure whlto supremacy for our Stato, 1 and place every Anglo-Saxon voter on 1 an equal footiug. And to this end, I ' desire to urgo up Roformors to send J their best and ablest men as dologatos to Columbia." 1 ^" It is reported that yourself aud 1 Sonator Tlllman will be candidates ?M " Yes ; my county desires mo to run, v and I will servo them if thTjy ask mo. ' Tlllman will also represent Rdgotiold. Irby will go from Laurens. Wilson should roprosent Spartan burg. Now, . with tho men whom the peoplo have entrusted with their highest positions In that convention, tho farmers of our . Stato need uot fear that their rights or MtoBitVes-vnuAd V? lmjKutted. Wo " shall be upon tho floor to engraft the I Reform principles into tho organic law , of tho Stato, and will see thut it is done. tOO." " You can assure your people," con- J tinned Gov. IS vans, "that neither 1 Sonator Tillmun nor myself had tho 1 slightest design of betraying them. . Wo aro just as true to thorn and to their interests as when wo appeared J upon the rostrum last summer und asked their support. We were re- 1 quested to confer with certain prom inent representatives in tho Censor- * vntivo party, and mot thorn. Those gentlemen expressed thomselvus* as anxious to rostoro peace in South Carolina, aud asked thut wo assist them in bringing about this happy ' result. You would not havo us spurn their ovortures, uud confess thut our 1 Reform party depended on atrifo und J discord for existence*. We respect fully listened to what they proposed. Wo then named the only terms that ( we bolioved tbo Reformers would J accept. Thoy aecopted those terras, ; and we then agreed to use our personal ' efforts to give them as near equal re presentation in tho constitutional con- . ventlon as tho peoplo would consent to. Now, does it not scorn fair, that if they were willing to accept our terms, and support the very measures that the convention was called together to J frame, that we should have made the , slight concession that they asked ? We were getting more than wo eon- 1 ceded, and had no fear of the farmers sending to Columbia any Consorva- 1 tlve whose Bacred word and honor they could not trust. Thoro aro of course plenty of fair and honorable , men in tho minority faction, and theso were tho representatives whom tho , voters would soloet. But 1 don't want the public to think for an instant that tho Senator or myself went into that caucus with treacherous intent. Wo believed that tbo overtures made to us wore sincere, and our compact witli tho Conservatives in that caucus was equally sincere" " Bow about thut cull Messrs. l lomp hill and Barnwoll made upon you since tho Forty convention, and published in tiio Columbia papers'. " 1 had no Idea that these geatlemen were even in tho city, and had retired for tho night, when a telephone mes sage reached the mansion that Messrs. Ileraphill and Barnwell would call upon mo at oneo. I dressed and re ceived t hem. They simply asked mo I what it was now necessary to do, since the Forty had refused to accept our agreement? I told them that 1 would consider tho matter and answer thoin.( This I did, and tho next djys wrote that thero was nothing JViV'ther to be done that I oon.l.ij[ ' I would decline to .-?0 into any more caucusses, but was ready to carry out my part of the agreement whenever tho Conser vatives aecopted it." "Then, Governor, you anticipate no danger to tho Reform movement from tho culling of tho constitutional con vention ?" " Not tho sligh jrft, I assure you. It was necessary to hold this convention, I think . Now thut it has been called, rest assured the Reformers will con trol it, and our movement will bo more fully anchored than over boforo." " Do you think tho Forty will be able to do our cause any harm ?" " I do not. In their March conven tion they had no now recruits, but tho same old leadors'wero on hand. They aro weakening every day, and will play no part In polities. Tho minority faction controlled their convention, aud waved tho Hag of doliance in the face of our Reformers. Thoy demand ed, and would only accept, an equal division of delegates, and not tho slightost restrictions woro to bo placed , upon them. For Reformers to accept such terms would bo an unconditional und disgraceful surrender, and wo had as well doclinu to put out any candi dates of our own, audlot'tho minority have free roln to do just as they pleas ed. As I stated, more than 20,000 white voters would be disfranchised, and every law passed since 1890 re pealed. " ? .?. ? . .?Husband?"Do you know that every time a woman gots angry she adds a now wrinkle to her face." . Wifo " No, I did not; but If it is so, I presume It is a wise provision of na ) iure, to lot tho world know what sort | of a husband tho woman has." ? The best way to dispose of coal , ashes is to use tliein on the walkways . aud paths. They soon inako n hard . surface. For tilling up of Indes on , the road thoy aro excellent, and it will i pay to collect thom for such use. I " As bliud as a mole" Is not a sonsi f bio comparison, as tho molo is poasoss . ed of good eyoslght, although its eyes * aro very small?about tho size of a ? mustard seed. CHAUNCKY M. I)K1?KW. A Complete Kx|KMltlou of His Igno rauce as to Mouth Carolina Poll tic*. The full toxt or Mr. Chauacey M. Depew's recent remarkable iuterviow. as it appeared iu thov New York Tribuno is given below. It shows even more plainly than the brief synopsis that he kuows nothing about South Carolina's polities : Chaunoey M. Depew is much inter ested in ballot reform in tho South. When seen yesterday he had just Huished reading an editorial in The Tribune in rotation to the election sys-1 terns of tho cotton States. Mr. Depew recently made a trip through the South. He said : " 1 heartily agreo with The Tribune in saying that the best business investment that could be made by the Southorn States would boa radical reform in election methods aud a restoration of free suffrage and an honest ballot. Tbat is what the South needs to-duy more than any thing elso. Thoso States in which tho ballot systom is abused stund isolated, and uro viewod with mistrust by men who otherwise would bring with them money, energy, intelligence and brawn, all of which these States stand iu need of very badly. But so long as oxisting conditions prevail they will keep a way. " Lot mo tuke Soutb Carolina as an illustration. In the ante-bellum days tills Stato was controlled by the plant ers, laud-owners aud aristocrats gen erally. After tbo war tho control of Lho Stato full into tbo bands of a , clique of monof whom Wado Hatnp- . Am and M. C. Butler aro fair exam ples* Thoso mon succeodod to powor > ifter tbo days of tho carpet-baggers, | in (I took upon themselves the manage- ; nont of tbo State. Thoy found tbo i legro vote was largoly In excess of the | rote of the intellectual element, and, | is a result, they shut out the negro, i Phis was said to be nocossary because i he negro was ignorant, vicious and ( inabio intelligently to realize tbo \ [utie8 of a voter. Their system t>uo- t loodod very well, and for the timo | louth Carolina wus in tho solid ranks -* if the Democracy. i " All wont well until tbo rising star l if Til I man shot athwart tbo political t torizon. Tlllman organized the farm- i ir and the corner grocery man. Ho r ct up a Socialist Democratic machine. ) Iis following grow strong enough to *?cvt llsoH, aud ho begun to lay plans j o dominate tho State. In order to do < bis ho bad lrby olectod to tbo Sonate. . le ehangud the whole complexion of | bo State Legislature and llllod ovory \ illlce with Iiis men. He had himself , dectod Governor and thon began to | ixperimont with his paternal schemes, i if which the most startling was tbo i Visponsury law. His last act of ag rrossiou was turning M. C. Butler out i ? f tho Senat.' and having himself , sbosen to tho place. Bo now has en- ^ ire control of the Stato and tbo old \ tristoeratic regime has passed away. , Ar ade llainntnu and M. C. Butler, . born of their power, are casting , ?round fo.- sonio means of rollef. , "Tlllman, having attained bis end, , low desires to perpetuate his powor. | With this idea in view be has brought j ip this idea of a constitutional eon- , 'ontion. Tho convention will bo con- , rolled by his followers and his wisbos , vill be followod to tho letter. Tho i :onventlon will carry out tbo idea of j tompletely disfranchising tho blucks. . The same plan that is followed in ; Mississippi will be carried out hero , iud tbo result will be that capitalists, , nanufaoturorfl and investors will bo | rlghtened away from the stato. I seo ibat negro teachers and ministers , .brough tho South aro asking for con- , >ributtons to a fund to bo used in , currying tho ease to the United States . Supreme Court, where tho actions of . rill man and hi.i followers will bo intugonized. " Now, what is to bo the outcome of ill this? With Wado Hampton and \1. C. Butler and the artisocratic ele ment that they represent deposed ; with the negro disfranchised, and with rilltnan securely seated in power, what method will be taken to secure justieo? There is only one place and tbat is the National Convention. What is more natural than that the hotter element -Inmid .appeal to tho place that prom ises rolief. What is more likely than tbat Wado Hamilton, M. C. Butler, "TheCharleston Courier-Jour nal'and other leaders of this class in South Carolina, should come knocking at tho door of the noxt Republican National Convention V I predict it! Tho only way to secure reliof Is through tho Republican party. Tho solid South is being broken up and Mr. Tlllman will bo disposed of upon this line of reconstruction." ? ? SI MR. CLEVELAND ON flJJK&ENOY. HIS Ol?POSIT40^TO SILVIO It COIN. ??? He D,rUWH tho Lino liotwcen "Soilnil" Money anil Silver?An Advocute ol' t lie Single Hlaixlut'd. ?'resident Cleveland has written a letter in which ho declines tho invita tion of business men in Chicago to at tend a public reception in that city. Tho invitation stated that thoy wore anxious to express their deep sense of appreciation of his statemanlike and courageous action in maintaining the tinancial credit of the nut i m, ami his attitude in favor of tho preservation of sound national curroncy. Tho follow ing is tho toxt of President Cleveland's reply: WASHINGTON, April 13, lH'.l?. Gentlemen: 1 am much gratillcd by tho exceedingly kind and coinjdi montary invitation you have tendered me on behalf of many citizens id Chi cago to be their guest at a gathering in tho interest of sound money ami whole line- financial doctrine. My at tachment to this cause is groat, and as I know so well tho hospitality and kindness of the peoplo of Chicago, that my pursonal inclination is strongly in favor of accepting your llatturing in vitation, but my judgment and my es timate of tho proprieties of my ollicial place oblige mo to forget tho enjoy ment of participating in tho occasion you contemplate. I hope, however, tbo event will mark ttio beginning of an aggressivo ?dieri. to disseminate among tho ueoplo sufo and prudent tinancial ideas. Nothing more important can ungage tho attention of patriotic citi zens, because nothing is so vital to the welfare of our follow countrymen and to i he. strength, prosperity and honor of our nation. The situation we are confronting demands that those who appreciate the Importance of this sub ject aud those who ought to be the lirst to see Impending danger, should no I longer remain indifferent Or over-con lldent. If the sound money sentiment abroad iu the land Is to savo us from mischief and disaster it must be crystalize.d and combined and made immediately i active, it Is dangerous to overlook the j fact that a vast number of our people j with scant opportunity thus fur to ox ' uinine the question in all its aspects have nevertheless been ingenuously 1 pressed with specious suggestions I which In this time of misfortunn and depression find willing listeners pro pared to glvo credonce to any scheme which is plausibly presented as a I remedy for their unfortunate condi tion. What is now more needed than anything else is a plain and simplo presentation of the argumeut in favor of sound mouoy. In othor words it is a time for the American people to reason together as members of a great nation which can promise thorn a con tinuance of proteetion aud safety only so long as its solvenoy is unsuspected, its honor unsullied aud tho soundness of its money unquestioned. These things are ill exchanged for the illus ions of a debased currency and ground less hope of advantages to -bo galued by a disregard of our financial credit and comiuorchd staudlng among the nations of the world. If our peoplo were isolated from all others aud if the question of our currency could be treated without regard to our rela tions to other countries, its oharactcr would be a matter of comparatively little importance. If the American peoplo were only concerned in tho maintenance of tboir p fee ions life among themselves thoy might'return|to tho old days of barter and iu this primitive manner acquire from each other the materials to sup ply the wants of their existence. But if American civilization was satisliod with this It would abjectly fall In its high and noble mission, intheso rest less days tho farmer is tempted by the> assurance that though our curroney may be debased, redundant and un certain, such a situation would Improves tho price of his products. Let us re- '? mind him that he must buy, as well m* sell ; that his dreums Of plenty nr. ? shaded by tho certainty that If the price of tho things ho has to sell is i nominally onhanced, tho cost of thing, bo must buy will not remain station try; that tho host prices which cheap money proclaims are unsubstantial aad leuslve and oven if thoy wore real and i !>alpablo, ho must necessarily bo left { far behind In the raee of their eujoy uout. It ought not to bo dilllcult to jonvinco tho wage earner that if there ' vote benefits arising from a dogonorat jd currency that would reach him east of all and last o( all. In a healthy stimulation of prices an increased cost )f all the needs of his home must be j His portion, while ho is at the same , ilmo vexed with vanishing vis/ons of ?-. ncruased wugoB and an ouster lot. , The pages of history aro full of this losson. An insidious attempt is mado to ero ite a prejudice against tho advocatos yt a safe and sound curroney by tho in sinuation, more or less directly made, : lint they belong to financial and busi uessclassos and aro thoro fore not only nit of sympathy with the com men peo ple of the land, hut for suliish and , wicked purposes aro willing to sacrillco Hie interests of those outside their circle. 1 believe that capital and , wealth through combination und other means, sometimes gain an undue ad vantage; and it must bo conceded that tho maintenance of a sound currency may in u sonse be Invested with u greater or less Importance to Individu als according to their condition und circumstances. It is, however, only a . lifferenco in degree, since it is utterly Impossible that any one in our broad land, rich or poor, whatever be his occupation, and whether dwelling in a center of finance or a remote corner :if our domain, can be i eally benulltted by a financial scheme, not aliko bene ficial to all our people, or that any ono mould he excluded from a common and universal interest iu tho sufo character and stable value of tho cur- ( oney of the country. In our relation to this question, wo arc all iu business, for all buy and sell : so wo all have to do with tinancial operations, for wo all earn money and spend it. Wo cannot escape our independence. Merchants and dealers are in every neighborhood and each has its shops and manufac tories. Wherever tho wants of man exist, business and Ii nance in some degree are found, related in ono direction to , thoso whoso wants they supply and in another to the extensive business and linanco to which thoy aro tributary. A Quotuation in prices at the seaboard is Known tho same hour or day in tho remotest hamlet. Tho liscred it or de preciation in financial centres of any form of money in tho bunds of the people is a signal of immediate loss everywhere. If reckless, discontent and wild experiment should sweep our currency from its safo support, the most defenseless of all who would suf fer in that time of distress and national discredit will bo tho people, as thoy reckon tho loss in their scanty support, and the laborer and the workingman, as ho sees tho money he has received for his toil shrink and shrivel in his hand when ho tenders it for the nec essaries to supply his humble home. .JDjstrjuiso It as we may, tho line of bat- ( tie *ls d rasv fr%VC*8& currency and thoso of snvor monomot aiism. 1 will not believe thut if our people uro otTerud an intelligent op portunity for second thought thoy will sanction schemes that however cloak ed, mean disaster and confusion, nor thut they will consent by undermining tho foundation of a safe currency, to endanger tho beneficienb character and purpose of their government. Yours very truly, Orovbr Clkvki AND. "TUB BBBBL SPY." The Famous Uello lloyd Now a Kesi ?ontof Kouilt Carolina. Tho Yorkvillo F.nquiror make public tho fact that tho celebrated Belle Boyd is now living at Camden, S. C, and recontly lectured in Yorkvillo, on tertalnlng a large audience with a highly realistic and dramatic narra tive of her adventures and achieve ments as scout and spy for "Stone wall" Jackson in the famous Shouau doah Valley campaign. Tho speaker commenced her story with the occupation of Murtinsburg, Va., her native town?now iu West Virginia?by the Federal troops. Sho managed to slip out of tbo town, gave Jackson information us to the numbers and intentions of tho enemy, and got back'without being sitspicionotl. Later, the Federals discovered her indontity as a spy, managed to capture her, and sent her to tho Old Capitol prison at Washington, where :dio remained for nearly seven weeks, and was finally ex changed as a prisoner of war. Twice she was sentenced by the Federals to be- hot, and both times her lifo WAS saved by threats of retaliation on the part of the Confederates, In 18(14she was sent by Jefferson Davis on an im portant mission to I^mdon ; but tho blockade runner on which sho sailed was captured by a Federal cruiser, and she was brought back to Now York. ID the meantime, a Federal l ieutenant name Uardin bad fallen in love with her, and sho agreed to marry him on Condition that lie would contrive the escape of her captain, give her a copy of tho signal bock ol tho Federal navy, and Join tho Confederacy. Tho liou ' tenant accepted the conditions, carried them out and tho two escaped to Lon i dou, where thoy wore married in tho presence of the I'rinco of Wales. I Shortly afterward, her husband died, and after the proclamation of a general amnesty, sho roturned to America, set 1 tied in California aud was married loa Major Mamwoud. After the death of Major Hammond, she wan married In Texas to Mr. Nat. R. High, her pres ent husband, with whom she Is now traveling. Mrs. High is now 51 years of age, re markably well preserved for a woman of her years, is still good look big, and tells her story in snob roalju?fiV anjl dramatic stylo, as to ohain the atten tion and arouse the enthusiastic adml ration of hor audience throughout, she appeared before tho audience iu Yorkvllle last Kr id ay night in a plain blnek silk dross ; but it Is her custom sho says, to appear in theorlgiual uni form sue used to wear when a member of Jackson's staff. This, however, is undergoing repairs just now, and she will not have it again for several days yot. Sho called attention to tbo faet that since the war thoro have been a num ber of bogus Belle Boyda who have greatly ombarrassud her by posing be fore tho public as the original. She, however, has certificates as to her iden tity from YV. P. Wood, ox kooper of tho Old Capitol prison at Washington, Senator Chas. James Faulkner, of West Virginia, General Jno. ?. Kennedy, of Cumdon, S. O, whoso knowledge of tho facts in tho case and whoso standing is sulliclont to settle all doubts. Sho has leased, a bouse and taken up her resi dence at Camden, and Is now upon bor lirst tour of tho South. During tbo war hor name was a household word in nearly every Southern homo, and of ten, with prayers for tho safoty of tho armies of Loo and Jack son, wo have no doubt wont up special supplications for tho preservation of Hollo Boyd. Now that she Is agaiu itmong tbo people for whom sho once risked and sacrificed so much, It is to bo hoped that those same Southern people will prove to hor that her heroic lorvloo has not boon in vain. ANSWERING OLBViSLAND. FlioWeak I'olnts ol'H Is Letter Kxpos <<l lie Lett:Out the Debts of the Country. Mr. W. if. Harvey, chairman of tho executive committee of tho Bi-motallic League, whoso hoiuH| unrtoi'S are iu Jhieago, has made tho following ronb> to-.PresidentALjovolnnd's letter to tho Chicago/business men': To His Fxcolloncy, Grover Clovo- ' land, President, Washington, L). C. Doar Sir: In reply to your lottor Addressed to a committee of business men of this city, we wish to say that the committee that waited on you and the. porsous who attached their names to the petition, did not roptescnt a majority of the basinets men and oltizens of this city who take a deep interest in the welfare of this repub lic. They represented the class that )wns money and securities payable iu money-fixed incomes. Wo respect fully submit' that your letter doos not present the true merits of this contro versy. You call tho attention of farmers and wage-earners to tho fact that the rising prices, wbilo enabling them to sell their products and labor it a higher price, will also cause them to pay equally moro for what they may purchase, but you neglect to say i.hat your statement is not applicable to debts. With prices coining down regularly and steadily since the de monetization of stiver our merchants, manufacturers, and people generally have been doing business on a falling market, so that tho intervening between the purchase of their mer chandise or raw material and placing 't months after on tho market has re moved tho margin they would have Otherwise made. This shrinkage in values, added to tbo ordinary risk and sxpense of business, had led to an uver-inoreasing volume of debt, to a money lending period, until it lias in creased ail told, publio and private, to about $40,000,000,000, or about two thirds of the total value of all the property in tho United States. We have constantly pointed tho people to tho over-Increasing interchangeable value of the creditors dollar, and to the reason why it was increasing, but the influence of these creditors hayo dominated your administration and you insist on such a currency as they have established as a sound currency. It means the confiscation of tho prop erty of tho people by the sale of prop erty under mortgages, judgments and executions. It means that lixod in comes will wipe out the interest of hundreds in our railroads and cor porations. If it is an injustice to restore prices so that people can oxchango. V' ..v> property for a sulliclont Jg&x*? dollars'to pay their uV..^-^''?)ber of happiness and proar?STT* a,ld brlnl? it was av^ y toouv llin<l SSstroVthe vatf^r,V"ter Injustice to ox.......'\h". -JWn' of property and en iiiii'..;^" LJjjfvalUO of money by de monetization of silver and the estab lishment of a single gold standard. The gentlemen who invited you and who petitioned you only represent one class of our people. Wo respectfully submit that it was safer that all the people should do the thinking for it, than that any class should do it for thorn. Tho selfish interests predomi nate to promote selfish interest when one class doe.-, the thinking for all. Broad views to justly promote the common welfare of the people can be best secured by a census of the views of all the people. We agree with you that it is time for tho people to rea son together aud to that end wo re spectfully ask that you make it possi ble for them to got printed copies of tho Act of 171)2 on which our fore athcrs based our financial system aud all subsequent Acts, together with tbo Act of 1 M7.'i that reversed the former policy and Acts subsequent thereto, as well as all statistical and other in formation of an official nature at Washington that bears thereon. We but express our own opinion to the President of the people when wo say that all the people should have tin: op portunity to investigate and intelli gently pass upon this question. Re spectfully, w. H. Harvey, Chairman Iti-motallic Committee. Things Every Bible Reader should know.-A day's journey was about 23 I-? miles. A Sabbath day's journey was about an Fnglish mile. Fzokiel's roed was nearly II foet. A cubit was nearly 21 inches. a baud's breadth is equal to 3f inches. A fin ger's breadth is equal to one inch. A sbekol of silver was about 60cents. A shekel (d gold was eight dollars. A talent of silver was $0.18.30. A talent of gold was $13,800. A piece of silver, or a penny, was 13 cents. A farthing was throe cents. A mite was le^s than a quarter of a cent. A gerah was one cent. An ophah, or hath, con tained seven gallons and live pints. A bin was one gallon and two pints. A fh'kin was about gallons. An omni* was six pints. A cab was throe pints. ? ?-. ? ? ? ?"Whom do you consider the great est inventor of the times ?" asked one woman. " My husband," sho replied, proudly. " Why, I didn't know be over invented anything." '? You should hear tbo oxcuses he gives for coining home at 2 o'clock in the morning."