The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-23
SPEECH OF GOV. JONES
Distinguished MOntgOmerian
 Made Eloquent Address.
Body Held Two Sessions and Ac- complished Work-Committee on Local Legislation Sub
 mitted Its Report.

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 Saturday was by long odds the bus fest day through which the delegate! to the Constitutional Convention have passed. Two sessions were held in tht morning and in the afternoon and ths Article on the Executive Department was completed. The Convention re. ceived the report of the Committee or Local Legislation and listened to a number of interesting and eloquent speeches. E.
 The real feature of the day was a speech by former Governor Thomas G Jones in support of Section 30 of the Article on Executive Department which was reported by the Committee oi which he is Chairman. The section provides that a Sheriff shall be i'm. peached if he allows a prisoner to be taken from him or his deputies and lynched. There was considerable op- position to the Section but Governor Jones carried the delegates with him and he was warmly congratulated upon his remarkable address to the Conven- ton.
 The twenty-seventh day of the Con- vention was opened at 10 o'clock 'yes- terday morning, 11O delegates being present,
 Mir. Reynolds, the Populist delegate from Chiffon. presented a resolution instructing the Committee on Suffrage to make a report not later than 'Mon- day. s,s5s
 A resolution. presented by Mir. Ora ham of TaIladega, provides that the resolution adopted by the County Su- perintendents of Education recently in session asking that school houses be nlaced on the same basis. as other pub. lie buildings as regards taxation, be in- corporated in the new Constitution,
 MT. Parker of ElInore presented--a resolution providing that Congress be nhemorialiSed to give Alabama relief from the Fifteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution.
 The Rules Committee reported favor ably a.resolution providing that begin ming Monday the Convention have two daily sessions from 10 a. m. to 1 ?. m. and from D. m. to 5 p. m. The reso- lution was adopted.
 The Committee on Local Legislation made it's report. The Article reported by this Committee is published in full in the official proceedings. It takes away from the General Assembly the power to legislate upon certain local matters and gives the General Assem- hly power to confer upon County Com missions authority to legislate on cer- tain subjects.
 The Convention then took up the Ar ticle on Executive Department and Sections 4. 23. and 25 were adopted.
 section 26. creating a Board of Con- ciliation for the settlement of disputes between employer and employe caused considerable debate and was under consideration when the Convention took a recess until 8 o'clock.
 Speech of Governor Jones.
 Governor Jones, Chairman of the committee, then began his speech in defense of the committee report. He said that it was a fact that within the past ten years 120 citizens of Ala bama had been lynched and that two- thirds of these persons were not guilty of the charge against them. He de- clared that it was the duty of a Sher- if to protect a prisoner and uphold the law. No man would have respect for a policeman if he failed to do his duty because he feared to risk his life. The same might be said of the men of ;he National Guard. If an officer was con- victed of neglect of duty he should he removed from office. This lynchlng business had grown in Alabama until 1t had become a common thing fnB persons to be shot down for petty crimes.
 Governor Jones declared deliberately that two thirds of the lynchings in AL abama were due either to cowar lice of sheriffs or their willingness for mobs to take prisoners from them. we owe it to ourselves and to our God" declared Governor Jones, ito put a stop to this reckless business of an-slaying." He said if gentlemen asked him if he was afraid to let Coun- ties regulate these matters he would answer 'yes." Grand juries have failed fin too many instances to return indict- to build up a principle that the life If a. man is safe when he is in the hands of the law. Lynching is menace to civilization. Alabama is looked upon in some sections as disregarding the right of the weak for protection. The idea is brutaliZing to the instincts of young men. "Why shouldn't a Sherin die at his post as well as a locomotive engi- neer?" asked Governor Jones with em- nhasis and the delegates cheered the sentiment. In closing he declared that it should go out from the Convention that Alabama has respect for law and order and that the new Constitution would throw the proper safeguard around prisoners.
 At the conclusion of his remarks delegates crowded about Governor Jones and congratulated him upon his fine effort. He was surprised and re- marked to a close friend that he was merely making an argument and did not know that his speech was making auch a profound impression.
 MT. Sanford of Pike replied to Gov ernor Jones. He said he had the highest respect and admiration for the distinguished Montgomerian. but when he set up the standard that the people of a country were not competent to control their affairs he fixed a standard to which he CMr. Samford) could not subscribe. It amounted to the conven- tion saying to the people of Alabama s'You are not worthy to be trusted in the enforcement of the laws.
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