Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-12
POpn1ists, Republicans and Sixteen
Democrats Voted Nay.
BUT FEW CHANGES in THE BILL
AS Originally Presented Sent to the Senate With
ont Engrossment-Wi1 Pass There Without
Troub1e-Leaders In the Vic
toriOus Fight.

mercial bodies, without exception, clam
badly needed a new organic law that the
judiciary system must be reformed that
there were entirely too many courts and
too many elections were forced to be
held in Alabama. With reference to the
matter of probable increased taxation
he reminded the house that under the
present constitution special taxes may
be levied for the building of bridges, but
the right of a community to tax itself
for the benefit of its public schools or for
the building of good roadways was de-
MED.
Answering the charge that the pur-
pose of the convention was to disfran-
chise many- of the citizens of Alabama,
Mr. Kyle said the contrary was done
that under the present constitution per-
fectly fair vote cannot be secured, be-
cause no distinguishing ensign or mark
can be placed upon the ballot. He urg-
ed the house to pass the bill in the in
terests of all the people of the state.
COL. ALTMAN ADVOCATES IT.
Col Altman reminded the house that
the sole question was; Will the house
pass bill submitting to the people the
question of their ordering constitutional
convention? He thought the house, in
this matter, should soar above partisan
politics. He insisted that the bill pro-
vded for a maximum cost to the people
of $4,000, and the question was, should
the people be allowed TO choose whether
they would spend this much of their own
money on a constitutional convention.
Col. Altman said that, speaking for him
self, he was opposed to an educational
qualification for the voter The ballot.
he thought, was the only protection some
men had left and that no man, black or
white, should be deprived of it, He be-
lieved new constitution would give Ala
bama a permanent enduring system of
election laws, which would do justice to
all men, He believed that the constitu-
ton should permit localities to tax them
selves for educational purposes.
The dinner hour arrived while Col. Alt
man was still on the floor, which entitled
him to the recognition of the speaker
upon the reassembling this afternoon.
At the afternoon session Col. Altman
resumed his argument. He claimed that
fifty days was too short time for the
general assembly to complete its work.
70 oil ba
legislature to cost the state any more
money than it does now, but the constitu-
ton should permit the assembly to sit
exceeding fifty days, provided the excess
minded the house, however, that If new
constitution should be adopted the set
tlement of the multitudinous local mat
ters that now burden the calendars would
be disposed of by other tribunals, and
fifty days every four years would be
ample time to dispose of all that would
legitmately come before the assembly.
Col. Altman dwelt at length on the bur-
dens which the present constitution
places on the educational interests of the
state. s
DIR. Huddleston said he thought the peo-
ple should be allowed to pass Judgment
in the matter, and he therefore favored
the bill.
Mr.. Cast, republican, addressed the
house in opposition to the bill, devoting
most of his remarks to the disfranchise-
ment proposed.
MR.. HEARNs HARANGUE.
Mr.. Hearn,s populist, insisted that the
principle of holding constitutional con-
syention was wrong. He said clean
thing could not come out of dirty one,
that the democratic party was fathering
the convention and he could not con-
ceive how 1t could be respectable con-
Germ. AS was the gentleman's custom
= he shouted and ranted until everybody's
head ached. He incidentally coquetted
with the negroes on the question of dis
franchsement.
The previous question was then de-
manded, and Mr.. Jenkins, as was his
privilege. closed the debate for the pass
age of his pet measure in a brief, but