These methods, he contended, were corrupting the morals of the people of the State and should be discontinued; but the ascendency of the Democratic party must be maintained at any cost.

The George plan, he urged, would accomplish this result, because if the negroes were disfranchised according to the forms of law, there would be no occasion to suppress his vote by violence because he would have no vote to suppress; and there would be no occasion to commit fraud in the count or perjury in the returns.
Notwithstanding this frank speech, which was intended to arouse the fears of the members of the Convention from a party standpoint, the defeat of the Christman substitute was by no means an assured fact.

But the advocates of the George plan,--the "understanding clause,"-- were both desperate and determined.

Contrary to public expectation two Republicans, Geo.

B.Melchoir and I.T.Montgomery, had been elected to the Convention from Bolivar County.