The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-31

eincerely nope tnat q new moru WILL e'er long, unbar her gates and dispeI the dark clouds that over hang our political sky: for t seems now, that once and place are bought and sold as things in the market.
 In promoting the aims of the ambs- tious, the arts of the demagogue are more potent than the virtues of the statesman. These are melancholy truths--facts to be lamented--but they should not cause us to despair of the future. In Accommodating ourselves to the changes and turning them to best account. the great difhculty Is to disengage ourselves from the past. es- peciaiiy the recent past and take hold of inc present. to erappie with its is- sues. to march up to thcir lines. and in the contest of ideas to extract the truth and put 1t to use. practical use.
 l hear good men in this Convention, doubting the ratification of the Con- stitution to be framed here, because of some, comparatively speaking, little, insignificant matter. God forbid that this feeling should rest in the bosom of any good man in this State. Any man who loves his children. and who wishes to raise honest boys. who wishes to nave pure elections and good gov ernnent and who wishes to stop this wholesale confession that Alabama Is almost in state of anarchy, by as- sailing the grand juries and sheriffs of our State, will not hesitate for one moment to do all in his power to ac- compiish this end. And hold that no man, saves he who feels that his fate is fixed to be slave and his children after him are to inherit lis condition, such . man has no incentive to use his faculties, except to provide main He, and he alone. can afford to oppose a Constitution which will bring our state to honor and glory.
 E Now, gentlemen, with pure hands, let us gather t0gether the broken frag- ments of the grand old temple that our fathers erected. and from these sacred relics rebuild its columns and arches and again raise its proud dome, tower ing to the skies. to stand in all com ing time a fitting memorial of their skill and patriotism, and an enduring monument to virtues of the illustrious dead!
 Mr. Coleman (9reene)--Mr. Presi- dent. the hour is approaching at which we will be required 70 take a vote, &C., cording to the resolution which has been adopted by this Con yentiop. There are several gentlemen who desire to place themselves upon record Upon this question, I move that the rules be suspended Expressions of dissento
 The President-The gentleman from Greene win proceed to state his m,o- ton.
 Mr. Coleman (Greene)-I move that the rules be suspended and that the vote be taken at 1 o'clock today, and that speakers be limited In their speeches from now until that time to not exceeding ten minutes.
 MT. Pillans-Tha& requires suspen- sion of the rules. Mr. President.
 The President-The question will be first upon the motion to suspend the rules.
 A vote being taken the Convention refused to suspend the rules.
 Mir. Coleman-I regret very much that q number of persons have not had an opportunity to express themselves upon this great question. so that the members of this Convention from oth- CT portions of the State might have an opportunity to know the sentiments of the people whom they represent. As the rule requires that the vote shall be taken at is;so. l propose in the mean time to exercise the right, and that which is expected of me. to con- sume the next ten or fifteen minutes, do not expect the delegates of this Convention to fortify the legal propo- sitlons which have been stated before you, which have been discussed with so much ability. and which it seems to me, to any unbiased mind, have been exclusively established. l propose. however. in this short time. which have. in my own common sense, and commonplace way, to supply some ma terial for argument, if 1t should be re ouired in the discussion before the people, upon the ratification of this Constitution. While the illustration of the delegate from Jefferson was horne- ly, and perhaps beneath the dignity of the subject, inasmuch as 1t has been commented upon more than once in this Convention and carries upon it's face that which would deceive or mis- lead. I will use his honeiy illustration by way of defining what understand to be meant by the phrase You can- not deny or abridge the right of suf- frage to any citizen because of his race. color or previous condition" Now if the delegates will remember, the homely illustration was that of the sow and the pigs, making crack by which the pigs could escape, and the SOW would be confined, and he ask you if that was not discrimination. Of course 1t was. but the vice of the gentleman's argument was this: He 0IQ uOt bthIG tud WHVtS Cd1c. NS question is. why was the SOW confined in the pen. and why were the pigs | permitted to run at large? If the SOW
 was confined there because she was a SOW. 1t was a discrimination on account of her race. but if the SOW was con- | fined there on account of her vicious habits. 1t was a discrimination because of her habits and not because of her
 race. The proposition presupposes that there was somebody in control of the SOW. and venture to assert that if you will go to the owner and ask him the question, Why did you con-
 fine her in that pen?" he will tell you
 that 1t was because of her predatory habits. that she visited the poultry yard or got into the melon patch, and they were compelled to confine her in tte pen. That is a simple illustration of the law. That Is what Is meant by denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race. color or previous condition; but it makes no difference
 whether she was a black, razoF-back or a red SOW. intended to elaborate these questions somewhat at length, but the gentleman cited from the Stringfeilow vs. Ivey case, to show you the danger that when an improper con- alteration was framed in . law that the whole might be stricken down, and he was even more unfortunate in his illustration. The case of Stringfellow vs. Ivey was this. When a man sells lands. he has a lien upon that land for unpaid purchase money, but