The age-herald., 1901-11-03
JOHNSTON AND BANKHEAD DEBATE Unexpectedly Met at Jasper and
 Had Joint Discussion LARGE CROWD PRESENT
In Conclusion Col. eankhead Used Johnston's Record on the Cues ton of a New Constitution
 and Caught the Crowd.

Jasper, November 2.-(Special) = A crowd of voters which filled the Walker County courthouse today had the unex- pected pleasure of listening to a joint de- bate between Congressman John H. Bankhead of the sixth district and former Governor Joseph F. Johnston of Birming- ham, Colonel Bankhead speaking for the ratification of the new constitution and Governor Johnston favoring its rejection by the people.
 The debate had not been previously ar- ranged, though Congressman Bankhead, who spoke at Winfield last night, had an o'clock this morning.
 Governor Johnston. who spoke at Car bon Hill last night, had appointment to speak in Jasper at 10 o'clock this morn ing.
 Neither Expected the Meeting.
 It does not appear that either of the speakers knew that it was arranged that both should speak here at so near the same hour; but both were consulted after their arrival and both agreed to a joint debate.
 The debate was opened by Congressman Bankhead, who for three-quarters of an hour logically and ably discussed the merits of the proposed new fundamental law for the government of Alabama, pointing out the striking features where in the new constitution is so greatly better than the old. The speaker con- fined himself to this line of argument and 1t was clear that his speech had a strong effect upon the crowd. Governor Johnston followed Congress- man Bankhead and after relating two or three good stories, he gave his at tention to what he termed the serious faults of the new constitution, dwelling with especial force upon the franchise plan, reference to the registration pro- visions which he declared to be highly objectionable.
 Governor Johnston's Record.
 Governor Johnston then referred to his own record in respect to the calling of a constitutional convention. He said that after a convention was called by the Legislature in 1898 the decision of the Supreme Court in the celebrated Bir- mingham constitutional amendment case he became convinced that 1t was Easier less expensive and altogether more de- sirable to change the existing constitu- tion by amendment, as in the case of the Birmingham amendment, Chan 1t was to call a conyentiSn to frame a new instru- ment of organic law. Therefore he had called the Legislature into special ses- sion to repeal the act calling for a con stitutional convention.
 iBankhead Produced Records.
 Congressman Bankhead replied to Gov ernor Johnston in thirty-minute speech and demonstrated by the records, which he had in written form as to events and the dates of events, that the Supreme Court decision in the Birmingham case. upon which Governor Johnston declared he based his act of securing the repeal of the convention law, was not rendered until months after Governors Johnston's proclamation summoning the Legislature into special session for the very purpose of preventing the assembling of a consti- tutional convention, an official action based upon a theory of the Governors own and in impossible anticipation of the decision of the States highest court.
 This point, so cleverly turned against Governor Johnston, aroused the enthusi- asm of the crowd, and the applause indi- cated that the crowd was in favor of the new constitution.