Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-03

Huntsville; Mr.. S. Steiner, banker, of
Birmingham.
Since its appointment the above COM
mittee has devoted itself assiduously to
the duty imposed upon it, and to it's la
bors is largely due the capitalization of
public sentiment of the state in favor of
a new constitution, although 1t must be
said the strong stand taken by Gov. John
ston in his first message in favor of the
movement has been a powerful factor,
and has contributed much to aid the
work. The message of Gov. Oates also
called attention to some of the defects
and inadequacies of our present organic
law and furnished food for reflection to
the people of the state.
The committee of the above named as
sociation prepared a pamphlet contain
ing the report it adopted, the papers read
and addresses delivered upon the sub
ject and the proceedings of the teachers
of the state, wherein they declared in ia
vor of new constitution; and this PAM
phlet has been widely circulated In ad-
dition to this, the executive committee
has conducted an extensive correspond
ence with individuals throughout the
state, and letters received by it indicate
wonderful unanimity in favor of new
constitution upon the part of those who
mould and influence public sentiment.
The State Herald has been permitted to
examine these letters and to give it's read
ers excerpts from them, as indicating the
trend of opinion at this time. Our space
Is not available to publish all of the let
ters nor all the writers had to say. The
extracts given below are a fair index to
the hundreds of replies the executive
committee has received in response to
its invitation for an expression of opin-
ION upon the advisability of now submit
ting to- the people the question of con-
vention or no convention. BY the cour-
tesy of the chairman of the executive
committee, we today present to our read
ers- the sentiments of many well-known
citizens of the state, as follows:
]. j. W4LLETT, OF ADMISSION.
"a new constitution is absolutely neces-
sary to the growth and prosperity of the
state of Alabama I can conceive of no
good reasons against it. I admit there
are some specious reasons, but these,
when calmly considered, are without
merit. 1t is absurd for the people of Ala
bama to continue to live under the con-
stitution of 1876 adopted when we had
about one-half the population we now
4 fw.xl.r
trial development whatever in Alabama,
and, too, when we firmly expected the
carpet-bag and scalawag element of the
state to regain possession of the state the
very next year, and with that fear we
attempted to throw around the state as
many restrictions and retrenchments as
possible and hamper this disreputable
element in the administration of the
states affairs. AS we lawyers would say,
the reason of the rule having failed, the
rule should fall and the fear of carpet
bag domination having passed away, the
constitution of 1875 should pass away,
because 1t was framed with that fear.
If / can serve you in this matter, COM
mand me. I am with you heart and
soul'
J.W. ToMLINSON, BIRMINGHAM.
"I favor the calling of a constitutional
convention at this time"
J.sW. BUSH, BIRMINGHAM.
Il am heartl1y IN IaVOr OF q coHstitu-
tional convention. There are a number
of good reasons why there should be
changes in cur organic law, quite
number Of which were pointed out in an
address before the Commercial club of
this city by the chairman of your ex-
ecutive committee"
]. E. RICHARDSON AND G. E. HAM
ILTON, GREENvILLE.
"In our Judgment, the present consti-
tuition is not suited to the needs of the
people of Alabama, and its tendency is to
retard our civilization, and to prevent
Alabama having that prosperity which
she would have under different consu-
tuition. It Is our Judgment that our peo-