The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1901-08-04

| under the guise OF fairness in this reg
/ istration. the Black Belt will again
come forward with its tremendous ma
forities in favor of the Democratic
party, whether those majorfties were
given rightfuily or wrongfuily. Or
whether. the vote was cast. / desire
to say to this Convention and to the
State of Alabama, that the Black Belt
has come to this Convention bearing a
gift, an unusual gift, ana, Mr.. prss.-
dent IT bears the gift to this Conveu.
ton OF the power 1t has heretofore hAld
ana heretofore used. but 1t now turns
1t over to the State, without consider.
alton, and without request for any
compensation therefor, save such nro.
lection as the white people of the stat.
may give the Black Belt. Now. in the
future, when the vote Of the BLACK
Belt comes forward to the State.
It viii come counted as cast.
There will be no frauds ana can
be none We no not desire .nv.
we want to get rid OF them. ana.
no matter what the result NAV be IN
the election of officers, no matter how
may turn out. the people of the
white counties of the State will be re-
sponslbie therefor. for we are turning
over to YOU the majoEities which we
nave heretofore held, ranging any,
where from $4,000 to $4,000 votes. We
turn over that majority and whatever
the result. rests with them, ana 1t may
come within five or ten years. that the
state VIII have the exquisite pleasure
OF addressing the distinguished dele.
gate from st. Clair as His Excellencv
Governor Spear. Now. II may be. that
IN five or ten years what this conyen-
ton does will return him ana his
trends to the control of the State.
ms rear about the black belt giving
these ma5orities Is all unfounded, We
are done with It.. You must take care
or the negroes and take care OF US too.
hereafter, because we are going to have
nothing more to do with that thing if
II can be avoided. and we want to
aVo.d II. Now as the distinguished
gentleman from Madison says. do not
think this amendment offered bv fine
gentleman from Morgan will serve anv
good purpose at all. 1t only applies To
mushroom registration. 1t Is up in
day ana dead In day. They viii
De out OF the way long before there can
De any prosecution. even II they should
wiifully and knowingly make ILLEGAL
registrations. but Mr.. President. II Will
deter great many good men from
taking the responsibility of attempt
ing to register men in the counties Ii
you put such penalty as that. right
before them. because they will not
know when their discretion will be ex-
ercised wrongly. There Is no distinc-
ton made there between the judicial
and the ministerial acts Of reeistra.ion
and the man will put himself In a co.
sitlon TO De prosecuted, and fined two
nundred and fifty dollars IL perchance
ne mas under the construction OF the
law, not intentionally, but wrongfully
registered an improper person.
Mr.. Sanford OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ne does 1t corruptly!
Mr.. Chapman-That is a presumption
that he Is going to do 1t corruptly and
l 90 not think we SHOULD Indulge such
presumption as that against these
registrars. / renew the motion OF the
delegate from Madison to lay tina
amendment on the table.
Mr.. Blackwell-And 1 call for the
ayes and noes.
The call was not sustained and upon
a vote being taken. the motion to ta-
BILE prevailed.
Mr.. Browne-1 have an amendment
Inc amendment was read as follows:
Amend Article on Suffrage by add
ing the following section thereto: Sec
ton =. The legislature is authorised
to raise the limit of age~to which rhe
this article. from forty-five years to
not more than sixty years"
Mr.. Browne-The difference between
That amendment and the one / pro-
posed yesterday, which was voted
down. Is that the amendment. voted
down yesterday left 1t discretionary
with future legislatures TO fix the min
lmum as well as the maximum limit
OIL age. 1t was argued by the gentle
man from Lauderdale, Mr. O'Neal, that
a Republican or Populite legislature
might convene and might lower the
limit to thirty years, in order that all
the colored people, or most of them,
might register. This amendment sim
ply leaves it discretionary with the
legislature to raise the limit from for
ty-five to sixty years, If it should ever
become necessary. For ore, | believe,
in ten or fifteen years, 1t may become
necessary. while / do not now believe
It is necessary. There are very few
colored men In the State of Alabama,
speaking over the age
Of forty-five years who can read and
write the Constitution of Alabama. but
n the future, If. as is predicted by
some Of the gentlemen upon this floor,
The negroes are to become educated so
'apidly 1t may become absolutely nee
sssary. and ! believe, Mr.. President.
firmly that whenever in the future it
shall be demonstrated that IL Is neces-
'ary to raise the poll tax limit from
'orty-five to sixty years
Mr.. Oates-Have you in your propo-
'ition the words: IF 1t is necessary"
'r is that only impledS .,
MIR. Browne--I do not say, IF nee
'ssary." but that is implied The Leg
stature can do 1t when they desire to
10 1t. but of course they will not do it
Unless they deem It necessary.
Mr.. White-I desire TO say that the
Committee will accept that.
MIR. Browne-Then / hope ii will be
adopted. and / move the previous ques-
ion upon this amendment.
A reading of the amendment was
allied for and the amendment was
cad.
The main question was ordered.
President pro tem-The question is
lpon the amendment proposed by the
from Talladega.
Upon vote being taken, the amend
nent WAS adopted.
President pro them-The question is
pon the engrossment and third read
ng of the article
Mr.. Beddow-I have an amendment
which I desire to offer
The amendment was read as follows:
Section 20. The affldA v1t Of an app1f-
ant for registration Under para graphs
ne and two of Section 4 Of this Arti-.
lie. based on his personal knowledge
r Information and belief, shall be suf-