The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-09
NOT EXACTLY FAIR.

The Chattanooga Times, while generally fair and just in treating questions affect ing the South, has taken frequent op- portunity to underrate what we consider the vital importance of ratifying our new Constitution. Commenting on the asser- tion of one of its Alabama/contempora that the new Constitution is necessary to the purity and honesty of the ballot, The Times replies:
 And the fact is if the new Constitution is adopted young men will be taught to commit dishonest acts at the ballot box just the same. Tennessee is in no fear of negro domination, and yet election frauds have been just as common here as in Alabama under the old constitution. It isn't the laws that make men honest or dishonest. Ballot frauds and election thievery are made possible by the low order of public sentiment that tolerates them because committed in the alleged interest of "the party" Alabama may rid itself of one kind of fraud. but another will be raised up equally as bad unless the electorate of that State is superior to that of all its neighbors.
 It may unfortunately be true that there will be eection frauds under the new Constitution, but that does not in any degree lessen the force of the argument for it. One of the most prolific causes for ballot box irregularities under present laws and conditions is the fact that Ill no other way was it possible to prevent that negro domination which has beer an ever present danger in certain portions of the State. That danger was real anc indisputable, and good men joined in ol | excused the only practicable means o meeting it. We have an abiding faitf | that under the provisions and restrictions | of the instrument to be ratified on Mon | day, there will no longer be excuse o palliation for the practices which all gooC men deprecate, while they can not den! the necessity of such means of preventing negro domination.
 The Advertiser freely admits that tn irregularities which were born of neces sity and practised for self-preservation Il the Black Belt of Alabama have e&pecte' to portions of the State where no sucI necessity exists, but the practice ha its origin in sections where the negroe outnumbered the whites. ard like al other eNllS -lnlS one SpTtdu uiltll II hd fastened itself on almost every precinc and voting place in Alabama. Tha there will be frauds ard wrongs unde the new system is highly probable. bu l the best people of the State are strong and earnest in their determination to dc away with all excuse for it.
 The Constitution which was lately formulated strikes at thr very root of al evil which has existed in Alabama fol more than quarter of century, ant | which has continued to exist because l was felt to be the only means of wdrdinl off a still greater evil. There was q one time state of affairs in at leas one-fourth of the counties of the Stat of which the editor of The Times ca
 have little conception. It reached
 stage where the white people saw bu two courses before them-to resort such methods of self protection as la , within their power, or to submit to negr domination which meant ruin, preser
 and prospective. No other word wi
 properly describe what negro rule mean
 and no people who had shown the COul
 age and endurance which the Souther
 people had exhibited could or would sut
 init to the rule of their former slave.
 It narrowed itself down to a qnestio
 of mana ging the elections or of resortin V to powder and ball. and our people chos I the former.
 That the same methods which wei l absolutely necessary in the Black Be
 have been used for partisan purposes
 other portions of the State is true cnous but we believe that when all excuse h; been taken away from the people of tn
 section to manipulate or discourage neg votes. the best people of the State "
 refuse longer to allow irregularities
 be practiced in the counties where 'hel was never any danger of negro rU , And we feel that the people of th @
 negro counties" have right to eNpc