The age-herald., 1897-10-24
HAS OUTLINED ITS TIME.
The Present Constitution of Ala
 bama a Back Number.
TWENTY-THREE YEARS AGO
Gov Housio Showed the Necessity of Change snl the Growth of the Sac Now
 Demands Convention.

The Age-Herald has not far to go for precept and example in the movement for new constitution for Alabama. Ten years ago The. Ags, from whom 1t is descended, on one side of tha house, published the first editorial demand for a convention. The press in all quarters responded approv.ngly. Tn. city editor sent his reporters out to interview the leading lawyers of Birmingham. There seemed to be the one opinion only, that the state was entitled to an organic law, different from the work of 1875, now oppressing Us with it's mak sShifts and its fabric of prohibitions.
 Let us remember that it was an ef- fort conceived in desperation, the a't- tempt to elect Houston, in 1874. Th+ democrats had failed with the gallant and eloquent Herndon in the election of 1872, and failed badly. It was said Herndon met defeat because he abused the republicans too much, even in that gzntl= manly style that was inseperable from his satirs that Herndon had been a confederate soldier of too good records The question came into every mans mouth, how can a democrat be elected if Herndon falls so far below the mark? :?
 Houston was next thought of. It was said the mountainears knew him in his long service in congress before the war, and were proud of the honors h. had won for the state there. He had been chairman of the committee on ways and means. Houston did not, at first thought, incline towards the race. But finally entered it. Robsrt Mckee them held the Selma Argus up to the top notch of weekly journalism. Probably the pa- per had the widest circulation and in huence ever hsld by any one journal in the two kinds of agricultural popula- ton of Alabama, th= white farmers of the hills and the white planters of the black belt. Since then many planters have abandoned residence on their es- tates in the prairies and moved thsir families to the towns and villages. Not so in 1874. They lived as they had lived before the war. Cotton crops gave an income and nsgro laborers had approxi- mately the old gait and staying quali- us. The Argus came regularly every Friday afternoon fresh from the press and fresh in soul stirring invectiye against the republicans, lead nominaNy by David P. Lewis, the,r candidate for reelection, but really by certain bosses in every district who could accommo- dat+ themselves to dirty work that was Greek to the gentlemanly governor at Montgomery. Mckee took this gang on the forked tongue of satire and vehs ment r.dicule through and through his col umns, ceaselessly and rslentlessly They came to the point of watching for his shadow. He made the Argus wider, then stretched it longer until it was big enough by election day for bed spread No line fell into its columns that was not sharp, hot and apropos. While. the press did its work Gen. John T. Morgan, then good horseman, took a little pony and climbed among all the mountain counties. He spoke for Houston day in and day out, talked for Houston among the farme.s where he staid all night and kept this up for weeks without int=r- mission Riding along alone one day to meet an appointment he observed off the road an hundred yards or so the horses of the farmers tied to tress in larg. num- bers about church. Tying his own pony he walked in, taking a back cat. In a little while one of the leaders of the religious service going on, arose and said h peIceived Gen. Morgan seated in the congregation and would invite him to come up higher! The general meekly accepted After the preacher had fin ished his discourse the general was call ed on for "a talk" He promptly as- cended the pulpit, opened the volume of f1Oly Wrlt, Nlln WnOSe ISXl5 ne HdQ di- ways been singularly familiar, chose his own portion, read it and for two hours expounded it to suit Houston.
 Houston, a week before th* election of 1874. came down in the prairies and made a speech at Marion. I met him on the train going out from Selma and was surprised to hear him say he really believed ha stood good chance for electionr He was almost the only psG- sen alive who did think so.
 These were reflections of the hidden democratic light that Clanton had re- vealed and that Bragg was nursing. The legisla ture made bold half doubt ing strike while the iron was hot. The reso1ve to get rid of the bastard foisted on the state by an act of congress, after the people, by consent of the same con- gress, had voted on 1t and refused to have it, came quick and was rushed through TIha legislature that cane in with Houston was wsll filled with young men of heroic mould. They demanded a constitutional convention. It assem- composed of men different to gree, from the legislature that called it. Tha delegates elected from Marengo was Hon. F. S.. Lyon, then nearly 76 years old; from Mobile went Hon. Charles c. Langd5n, an old and iisfirm man. a native of New Eng land and g. Whig. Messrs. Lyon and JIangdon had been very conspicuous and honorable leaders in the earlier times in Alabama. They held positions of almost decisive inf1uerce in the constitutional convention of 1875 on their ancient fame. They had both been notable as "com- promise" men throughout their distin- guished respective careers of public ser vice. I think I am not mistaken when say MT Lyon is the author of the pro- vision forbidding suit against ths rtate, very important provision, with the end in view. l know he supported It in de- bate on the floor.
 Suffice 1t to be said the present con sti.ut on was never devised for the Ala bama tbat was really not existent, k a spiritual sen:e until in these later wars, ten or a dczcn, after 1S75. If this pres ent constitution, hung togsther in a. storm, under a leaky roof and set upon a foundation not congenial to the land 1t rests on. if 1t suits the Ala bania, that calls for the restoration of Mobile as a dist.butive center of her commerce and nsonsy: the Alabama that is preparing canals and improved water ways: that is multiplying her rail mileage while the other states rest; that is multiplying