The age-herald., 1899-05-02
is the real focal point of political power in

Is the real focal point of political power in the United States, and the south should guard 1t with the greatest care.
 Fifth--I believe this method is the only one that is entirely safe in securing the perfect peace that ought to attend the workings of our splendid American sys- tenn of government; but it does not seem that we are yet prepared to adopt it.
 Sixth--We must therefore adopt some basis of voting in which the negro is a qualified voter and deal honestly and fairly with him for conscience sake if not for his sake.
 Seventh-Every voter is a representative of five persons, four of whom are excluded from voting by age sex. He Is made representative by an arbitrary law that selects him only because of his age and sex. He has an office and constituency, but Is not responsible to anybody for the vote he shall cast. He is an appointed rep resentative Such a representative ought to have some authorized tribunal to judge of his qualifications as to intelligence and moral character, and his neighborS are best qualified to pass on these questions
 Eighth-This is the long established town government of New England, which has worked so well and of which MT. Jefferson was so enamored With proper modiflca- tions, I would be glad to see it introduced into our state constitution. To prevent op- pression personal or political, an appeal from the board of election precinct super visors to court of superior jurisdiction, should be allowed, under proper conditions, to the excluded voter. This is very indis- tinct outline of the plan, but it gives the principle, which may be thus stated; that it is the nearest approach of the repre- sentative system to a pure democracy in this, that those who are entitled to vote in a precinct are the best judges and the fairest, as to the intelligence and moral standing of one who seeks admission to the voting register. These questions should be left to their final Judgment, subject to the right of appeal, but the positive dis qualification imposed on all by the consti- tution should be binding on all alike. Those who are admitted to the voting list by the board to control elections in such precinct are qualified voters in all elections How the precincts are to be organized and other matters of detail should be simple enough, and have programme of that sort, but for the present l wish only to suggest that the principle of this plan will, if carefully put into operation, clear the voting list of the state from ignorance and crime, and low and useless characters, tramps and floaters and will materially lessen the income of such as make their living by tampering with the ballots under the ilusory pretext of rendering party service.
 Ninth-I advocate a constitutional pro- vision for the payment annually, and by the first day of April each year, of one dollar to the state and one dollar to the county as a condition precedent to the right to vote in any election. There are several other amendments of the constf- tuition that would greatly improve it, but l forbear to comment on them as they are not in issue in the unnecessary controversy that is now apparently rending the demo- af 1a11 in txxpoif I ha- lieve that negro suffrage is harmful to both races and to the state, but I freely admit that there are negroes to whom the suffrage could be given without disadvan- tage to the state.
 This burning question, that is forever present in all of the affairs of the people of Alabama, is here from no fault of ours or of our fathers, and we must control it. or sink the dignity of our race to a level where the people of other states and coun- tries will justly despise us. This has been the task of the democracy of the south for a generation, and at the moment when final success was about to crown our ef- forts, party jealousies, more personal than patriotic, seized upon the powers of the state to prevent the success of some, or to promote that of others, and employ that which is sacred to all the people for party purposes. This is not the true mission of the democratic party, and Is not in keep ing with its grand traditions If we will, we can meet tremendously in great con- vention, the decrees of which are to ef- feet the destinies of generations to follow us. In that atmosphere we shall be able to forget our heart burnings and disappoint- ments, and recurring to the settled princi- ples of the great creed of the democratic party, we shall enjoy the satisfaction and reap the reward of great duties well per- formed towards great people. With sin cere regards
 (Signed) JOHN T. MORGAN.