The age-herald., 1899-04-11
Governor Asks Advice of Leg
 isIatOTs ON CALL OF EXTRA SESSION To Repeal Act Calling ConStitu-
 tional Convention. THE PARTY ACT IS BINDING Say Democratic Nominees for Dele-
 gates from Jefferson.
TO UNDO IT WOULD BE TREASON
Chief Executive Sends Circular Letter to All Members of the Zen ral As sembly Saying There is Di-
 vision in the Party.

Governor Johnston has just thrown upon the table his second card In the political game he is playing to defeat the demo- cratic party's call for constitutional con- vention.
 The first card was revealed at the state convention in Montgomery when his close personal and political friends made a fight against making democratic legislatures call for the constitutional convention party issue.
 The second card was revealed yesterday when several copies of a cleverly worded circular letter reached The Age-Herald. 9he letter has been sent to every member of the legislature and d fac simile copy is .-4nted in another column.
 ;. is in effect a request for the views of ale representatives on the advisability of calling an extra session of the legislature to undo a party act. He sets forth that the argument has been made to him that 1t would be more economical to submit constitutional amendment to the people than it would be to hold the constitutional convention.
 Governor Johnston has sprung the second political sensation of his career and all in few months time. Today the circular let ter will be on the tongue of every politician in Alabama. It was the sensation of the hour in Birmingham yesterday.
 Various reasons were assigned for the act. One was that the governor was determined to defeat the constitutional convention and that he calculated that if he could get the legislative body in session he could influ- ence enough votes to make the repeal of the call certain.
 Everybody had something to say on the matter, but those most interested are the gentlemen nominated in the democratic pri- maries as delegates to the convention. An cular called upon each of the nominees, with the exception of Captain R. F. Kolb, who was not in the city.
 Supreme Party Issue
 When shown the circular, Hon. Frank s. White said:
 'I am unqualifiedly in favor of a consti- tutional convention. l regard it not only as necessary measure, but a party meas ure well. Necessary, because the ques- tion of suffrage must be regulated in this state by organic law. First to prevent ignorance from controlling the state, and seconuy to put stop to the dishonest methods of holding elections growing out of the nrpEQnt conditions and tana nca only by these conditions, for I am sure these methods will continue as long as present conditions remain. I regard it as a party measure because a democratic legislature after due deliberation by and with the consent of democratic executive called the convention, and, second, because democratic convention has unequivocally endorsed the measure. I consider the con yening of the legislature in extraordinary session as purely experimental. In fact, we might assume that the same body that call ed the convention few months ago would not reverse it's action without some cause, which does not now appear. From stand point of economy I think 1t would cost practically as much to reconvene the legis- lature as 1t would to have the constitution islature would draw their mileage and per diem, which would amount to the same thing as the mileage and per diem to the. members of the constitutional convention. and If the legislature Shouid reIuse 10 re- peal the act calling the constitutional con- ventior then the people would have the ex- peDscs of both to bear.
 .arne constitutional convention would ec- complsh a great deal more and would be better qualified to deal with the intricate and diHcult question of regulating suffrage than the legislature could by Submitting amendments. The constitutional conven- tion would have more latitude than the leg islative body, besides the constitutional conventio'- = ',-AfA'