The age-herald., 1901-03-15

State that should be made. He said that
 the convention had met to take steps
 towards fighting the greatset wrong ever
 done by an English speaking people, the | enfranchisement of the negro. He said
 the enfranchisement of the negro was
 not mistake, nor folly, but that 1t
 was a crime He said the people of Ala | bama had suffered for thirty years the
 consequences of this crime, until now | they have decided to undo it. He said
 that no one contends that the negro was
 enfranchised for his benefit, but that 1t l was done through hate. It was the resui, | of civil war.
 l He said the people of Alabama had | practically disfranchised the negro twen- | ty-f1ve years ago, but 1t was done by
 fraud; now, he continued, they intend | to do it by the constitution. At the conclusion of Captain Whites s | speech there were numerous calls for Col onel Denson, to which he responded. On mounting the stage he said that it was no usual thing that had brought the peo- pie of Jefferson County together in con yention He said the question confront ing them had not confronted the people of the State before in twenty-five years and he doubted If per cent of those present had voted on the last constitu- tion, which was adopted in 1876. He asked those that had so voted to stand up, and about twenty men arose from their seats
 Colonel Denson said he was In favor of constitutional convention, but that he would oppose any proposition to dis franchise the old Confederate soldiers
 He said he wanted to be sure that the constitution adopted by the convention, if the people called one, will be submit ted to the people for their ratification
 Committees Report. The committee on credentials returned to the hall at 2:35 clock, just two hours from the time the convention was called to order, and reported that 261 delegates
 were present with proper credentials, and that only fourteen delegates were ao- | sent The report was adopted. A motion offered by F. E. Blackburn e | Elyton to appoint a committee of seven | on permanent organization and order or | business was adopted. and the chair ap-
 pointed on the committee F. E. Black burn, L. W. John, Fred J. Williams, j.: A. Acton. w. rB Stacey, Dr. Jones Of Parsons and Dan Ryan.
 Dr. R. M Cunningham was invited to
 address the convention while the commit tee was out
 Before Dr. Cunningham could get to the stage Col. J. J. Altman addressed the chair, saying that he wished to express | surprise at Colonel Denson's speech. lie asked: What man in Alabama Of Cau- | casian blood ever intimated that any old | Confederate soldier would be disfran- | chised by the Democratic party of Ala l bama?" He said that the Democratic 1 party. through it's highest authority, had l provided for the constitution to be sent back to the people for their ratification c. B. Powell of Ensley suggested that l if Dr. Cunningham be invited to address l the convention that all the candidates be extended the same courtesy. Dr. Cunningham, on taking the stage, | said that he was not a candidate for
 any office but that If the convention l nominated him he would accept the nomi~
 nation. He said he favored a constitu- 1 tional convention; that he had been Tor
 1t from it's incipiency. He sai} he wanted | the people to have a chance 70 vote on
 the question: that he wanted 10 see inc | day when the white men of Alabama 1 will have no machine to nominate and no l returning board to elect. He said he
 wanted to see the day when if bill dis l appears from the Legislature, the man
 who is responsible shall be punished. He | said that this could not be had until there | were honest elections.
 Permanent Organization. The committee on permanent organiza-
 ton and order of business recommended | that the temporary organization be made | permanent and the motion to adopt that
 part of the report prevailed. | The order of business was fixed as fol- | lows:
 Appointment of a committee of five to
 select thirty delegates to represent Jeff
 ferson County in the State Democratic | convention.
 Appointment of a committee of five on
 resolutions, to which all resolutions shall be referred without discussion. The nomination of six candidates to | represent Jefferson County in the consti- | tutional convention. This recommenda- l .lA oef | it's vote for six candidates on the first | ballot and until one candidate had been | nominated, and for five candidates on the next ballot, and so on until the entire l six candidates had been nominated. It all | So provided that the person receiving the | highest number of votes, provided that | number be a ma jority of the votes cast. | should be declared the nominee of the | Democratic party for delegate to the con- l stitutiona convention from Jefferson | County.
 The report of the committee was | adopted
 The chair named the committees, pro- | vided for as follows: Ono delegation to state convention-B.
 A. Thompson, c. w Hickman, J. NJ.
 Morris o. w. Ward and A. N White Committee on esolutions-Augustus
 Benners, M. F. Wood, J. S. Gillespie, D. l W. Houston and Sam Blake. | The chair announced that nominations | for Delegates to the constitutional con
 vention were in order, and the following | were placeS in nomination on call of the | beats.
 T. J. Cornwall of Bessemer by Jones'
 vile beat and seconded by number of | others.
 c. W. Ferguson by East Lake and sec
 onded by number of others.
 W. H. Denson by Greens beat.
 John w. O'Neill by Coalburg and Bloss- | burg beat
 c. P Beddow by Irondale.
 A. H Benners by Cleveland and sub | division of beat 21.
 Samuel Ullman by Cleveland sub-diyis-
 ion of beat H.
 H. c. Selhemer by beat 21.
 James Weatherly by beat 21 R. J. Lowe by beat 21.
 J. B. Aird by Pratt City.
 Harry Markcy by beat 37
 J. H. Leath by beat ST.
 MT. Markey withdrew his name in favor | of J. H. Leath.
 l The first ballot resulted in the nomina'