The age-herald., 1899-05-03
LOYAL DEMOCRATS OPEN THE
 CONTEST FOR WHITE SUPREMACY
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 session to repeal the act passed by dem- ocratic legislature and signed by a demo- the party who claim to be democrats who are willing to share the benefits, but who are unwilling to obey party mandates. Whenever I get so large that I cannot obey the dictates of my party I want my certificate of discharge.
 ''Who has created all this discord in the democratic party of Alabama?" vehement ly asked the senator, as he stamped his foot. Governor Johnston has done it." he said, 'by calling a special session of the legislature to repeal measure passed by democratic majority and to repudiate his own official acts.
 But the governor has his excuses" con- tinued Senator Pettus, land he is bold to defend them, however feeble they may be. He says that if the law is not repealed it will precipitate a hard and bitter cam- paign. Who ever heard of a bitter cam paign between democrats when the demo- cratic powers had skopen? Those of you who have been voters only six years have seen two bitter campaigns, but both in defense of democratic principles and pre- cepts.
 '',The governor has other excuses which are ill-timed. His message of two years ago is at variance with his present posi- ton. Does he not know that the general assembly passed law to submit the mat ter to the people, and does he propose to band with the enemies of democracy in de- feating 1t?
 Action Without Precedent
 ''Does he not know that democracy goes by majority large or small? Does he not know this? Some people can forget their early training very easily. His unjust att tack on the convention of his party was unwarranted and has no precedent in the history of Alabama democracy.
 ''He is angry with his enemies. He has a right to get mad with his enemies lie objects to making the convention call a party question because he says It takes away the right to vote as one pleases.
 s'When the governor was nominated me first time a resolution written by myselr de- claring for the free and unlimited coinage of silver met with his approval. He agreed then that it was the duty of every loyal democrat to obey the dictates of the party. The party gave him this might power ana rule which he is now using to destroy It, I have no patience with a democrat who censures one for being a partisan we are all partisans if we do our duty Ihose who turned their backs upon us In the past and went to warning on democrats were no worse than Governor Johnston IS today; he is warning democratic conven- tions and democratic principles.
 "It seems that the controversy mas caused the political papers of this city 10 swap sides," said Senator Pettus, which set the crowd in an uproar.
 The able senator's attack on the governor was unmerciful, and the many salient points that he made were each the signal for outburst of applause.
 Morgan's Burning Sarcasm
 When Senator Morgan arose to follow Senator Pettus the house cheered loudly. q am not quite as old a man as my col league" said he, "but I hope when l die it will be said of me- as of him, He lived and died a brave, honest and true man. It is a happy circumstance in the history of this state that Senator Pettus, in his brief term in the senate, has attracted the at tention of the entire country, and that he should rise up now and tell us what to do. This thing has come upon the democ- raey like bolt from clear sky, taking us by surprise. Some of us have been the subject of serious abuse We senators are published in the governors message as interrupters of the peace and members of the miserable lobby which has come into the state to instruct the legislature what to do. We are upheld to the people as lob- bysts who have come to overawe and ter rify the legislature. How unwise; how odi- ous; oh, my God, how terrible. 1 have spent my life in your midst. I have never bolted the party nor scratched ticket It has been my pride to be democrat not because I was cast in the midst of the best people of the land but because the demo- cratic creed embodied the truth and ex- pressed the will of the people. Not varia- be; not evanescent; not passing a bill to- day and recalling it tomorrow not the pro- duct of miserable politician It is a great privilege to white man in this country to be a democrat. l don't know that the negro enjoys it but the white man appre- ciates 1t. If there is any one thing above any other in the democratic party it is freedom of discussion in party lines. Every man can go out, or you can go out your self if obliged to-"
 He spoke of the former constitution of Alabama drafted by the sovereign people, When the constitution of 1873 was ordained 1t was amended three times before 1S61 Then a new constitution was framed. In 1865 another constitution was framed Three years later another was framed, and that constitution was refused by the people. Then we came down to the con- stitution of 1S75 under which we are living. Can constitutional convention be held to revise and amend the constitution? How much have the people surrendered to the legislature? Legislators shall simply vote whether the people shall have constitu- tional convention or not and submit the matter to the people to vote for "conven- tion' or mo convention" The legislature can submit, but the governor shall have nothing to do with it. Why was the gov ernor excluded? Perhaps there was a forecast in the minds of the people. (Ap- pause). They might have thought some governor might fudge little bit.
 Senator Morgan then read from the con- stitution a clause prohibiting the governor from having any voice in questions relat- ing to amending the constitution. 'If I was the best political friend Governor Johnston had, and up to the time he pub lished me in his message today I think I was think I would have said to him, You cannot interfere with the sovereignty of the people. No man can call himself democrat who does not respect the rights of the sovereign people of the United States. When the constitution of 1919 was