The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-22

who abolish commissioners courts and
asked for the privilege OF eleetion-I have
reference to the senator from Cullman, and
IL am wrong let him correct me, two years
ago. Did the senate deny him that right.
has II ever been denied? Are you going
to establish another precedent here today?
What has become of the fairness. of the
dignity of this great body of men, what
can be the motives IL you defeat tt-ths
amendment? What can be the purposes?
don't desire, Mr.. President, to consume
the time of the senate further upon this
question than to say, that as the senator
from Jefferson l ask the senators on this
floor to adopt this amendment. It is sad
that this is a special election and will cost
the people one thousand dollars. 1t will
not come out of your state treasury, nor
out of your pockets, nor your peoples pock-
cts it comes out of the treasury of my
county and I deny that you have right to
represent them In that particular on this
floor You may make 1t state issue so
far as the assessment of taxes is concerned
but cannot you make IT a state issue so far
| as an appropriation in Jefferson county for
Jefferson affairs. l am here to say 1t Will
involve the great principle of local self
government and not only one thousand,
but ten hundred thousand, we would re
ready to sacrifice rather than De depriVeu
of our rights. Men have died Tor noerty'
men have starved for liberty, men have
been martyred for liberty, then talk to me
that the little paltry expense OF $oO0 would
be in the way of the maintenance OF their
liberty-it is an insult to them.
But Won saw 1t would create a great deal
of excitement. I tell you that the people
are indignant over this matter, and If you
want to allay the excitement, you want
to lessen the evil you are perpetratlne'
then give them the opportunity There is
another reason why think there Is cat
in the meal tub. didn't know the COM
ba1 ANYTHING to deprive
them of the right of trial by jury and In
the courts of this country. Are you going
to say that they shall not only not be
tried by the courts and laws and constitu-
ton of this state but we intend to put your
heads in the basket and deprive you of
the right of appeal to anybody? From the
report of the examiner ii does not show
which of the commissioners Is guilty, 1t
don't say whether any particular one or
them is guilty or not. 1t may be that II
the court as whole Is guilty, that one
man of 1t is not guilty-there Is no evil
dence in the report Are you going to de-
ny man the right to go before the people
and appeal to the people for justification,
or is it already fixed for that man or other
man? These are pertinent queries that
ought to rise in the minds of senators Are
you afraid that the people of Jefferson
county will triumphantly elect these peo-
pie? Suppose they did, who in the name of
God has right to say nay? What senator
upon this floor will get up here an dsay that
the people of Jefferson county may elect
their commissioners, but you must not
elect certain men? And that too without
giving these men right of trial by jury
and the court to prevent them from holding
office.
l hope, Mr.. President, that the senate of
Alabama will adopt this amendment. 1t
will be an argument with the voters, and 1t
will bring peace to the land. 1t will be
that you had no other motive than to rid
Jefferson county of those whom you be-
lieved to be incompetent and corrupt, but
failing to give us that, cannot interpret
your motives, but it seems to me that there
must be something else other than to get
rid of a corrupt commissioners court. l
would be glad to make my remarks shorter,
and L believe the motion will be tabled
and having no privilege to reply, thing
that is unprecedented in this body, never
before in the history of Alabama have 1
known it, as upon great public question
one man refuses to withdraw motion to
lay on the table to allow the senator OPEN
ing the right to reply. But that is the tao
ties that seem to be the scheme ~
Mr.. President, as a presiding officer of
this body, permit me to say that II my duty
to preside without regard to the senator
from Jefferson, and l say that there are
senators on this floor who refuse me the
right, or the opponents of this measure the
right to reply to criticisms that are made
- NOoiN WiSh " answer the senator
from Montgomery about the criticisms from
the auditors report, to quote from the re-
port Itself the statement of figures that 1
have made, but 1t is out of order now 1t
does not apply to this amendment Let 1t
go out to the people Of Alabama that those
who are favoring this measure will not give
the opponents the right to reply, but they
gag them and choke them off. That is my
apology, Mr.. President, for speaking thus
long upon this amendment, and sincerely
hope the amendment will prevail.
On amendment to elect board In July, at
time of constitutional convention, Mr.. Cum
ningham said:
This matter has been baked over consid-
erably by the friends and opponents of this
bill. 1t has been contended that this cleo
ton, If had at all, should be at the same
time that the people of Jefferson county
elect delegates to the constitutional con-
vention. 1t may be that there are senator's
here who are willing to allow us the priv
ilge who felt that 1t was their duty to pre-
vent the special election.
1t may be, Mr.. President, that there are
senators here who are willing to give these
commissioners at least the right of an ap-
peal to the people, but are not willing for
special election for that purpose. 1t may
be, and thinking that such might be the
case, Mr.. President, offer this amendment
with the same appeal and the same remarks
government, and of the people to elect.
hope the amendment will prevail.
On Senator Sowells amendment to the
section, Mr.. Cunningham said
I said at the beginning, 1t was not my
purpose, by parliamentary tactics, to de-
feat this bill. I have said from the begin
ming that all I asked was a fair show.
deny that the senate has given me fair
show. This report of the standing COM
mittee was just this minute laid upon the
desk of the senator-just as we come to
close. They refer to a standing committee,
printed at the expense of the state, and
just now laid upon the desk of the sena-
tors. Mr.. President, I have opinion as
to the reasons why these amendments were
defeated I cannot express that opinion
here in parliamentary language, but 1 want
to say this, that If there has been built
up by this general assembly a machine
anywhere in the state of Alabama, 1t is in
the county of Jefferson; and want to say
another thing, and that the people of JEFF