The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-21

aress to the people of the state outi, i,., Ing the changes in the new Constit".ion from the organic law under whicn Aia ss bama is now being governed mas issueO the following:
 To the People of Alabama: t,,, ,,ou
 The Convention lately assempieo py yoSS to amend and revise the CCnstltusslu. .sn.ant Alabama asks your considera,ea a,ea has sn- pointed the undersigned Giegates oo ias ts before you the reasons which urge US It is no dispargen1ent of the wisdom or fidelity of the Convention of lS.o 70 oe- clare that the proposed Constituuon ID far better for us than our present oreahic Problems Before the Convention or
 That Convention met when the passions of the great war had not yet supsiueui; and sectional distrust was sun acutS uIttnd andJ argressive. The Congress or the Chi.S;u C.; States and public opinion in the doml. nant sections were still unconvlnced .ma' a government for the people or 1esrase Atauanf of former African slaves, was neitper Jusn- fable nor possible Our then fundamen- tai law framed by aliens' haa ets pees fs peiec lion at the polls. The State was burden ed with direct debt, and liable Tor. many iS millions of dollars lost or squandered m reckless railroad enterprises; Our people had just regained control of their State government and were suffering rom the
 
 depression inevitable from the readjust- ment of our systems of labor ana lnqus- Qn-
 try It could not be f ssanees were made in the basis of suffrage. Above all things, the State needed rest.
 Under such conditions. the .ct'nv C1nvenuf1a f}a members shared the opinion of the masses of the people, that beyond the adopttiont tres of nf With such provisions as were absolutely necessary to prevent excessive taxation. the crea- ofny in the government few changes should be undertaken in the orgamc Jaw. Dreading Federal intervention. that con yention did not disturb the existing basis of suffrage, but felt compelled to fasten it upon us by restrictions, going Tar pc yond the Fifteenth Amendment, forbid ficafion for suffrage or office With the great question thus put aside. the task of that Convention was comparatlve- lv simple and could be speedily accom- The Greater Task of The Convention
 of 1901.
 The relief afforded by that Constitution, m the nature of things, couid only of he sufTrage remained untouched, while fhe State meanwhile was rapidly cnang- ing from agricultural pnrsniIs, ss,tr,ns t1 niid and increasing from year to year m , Poptnh,a++ pths+ tion and wealth It was ineVltaole Lnat inGtEfAnt 0GTndnUS tn time for d Constitutional Convention fo adjust the existing organic law to our present needs. The final response to these Ser11bly of 190l,s and the approval py the people of the call for Consutuuohai ~Tomnelled to find some solution for the evils which its predecessors did not at tempt to solve, and confronteu py new 0,nrh,nos oF the nresent Constitution the Convention of 1901 fully realized the mag nitude of its task, the completlom o1!l,,,oL oL which did not admit of the haste perml;S. sibie under the conditions existing Tn 1875. The Convention felt it high outy; no less to you than to itset, 10 procs1er nster cautiously, and to act finally only aIter the mstIirest discussion and deliberatton. The result is before you. Careful scruLlny their importance and prove their bene-- out these changes in substance, that you may fudge of them by what they are rather than by what we say.
 Suffrage.
 The years since the adoption of the Constitution of 1875 have been one long @ Institutions by the participation in our rovernment of a mass of unworthy or Vicious voters. Daily ;SR exPer,e93ee 3eece mas tS which no recital by us can add, the array of evils which follow in the train oI sucn struggle. and va thetT can ieaf not fnG other means to insure good government: heheL from present conditions IS esseIl.ial iSg to our morals, our peace ana our welfare. Nnthinp could be worse than the ineV- table operation of our present surrage provisions Any change Wmtn res'ric's the evil must be improvement. =, With the choice of means narrower py the Fifteenth Amendment, ana compn- cated by the necessities, and condluons of different localities, the task or ram ing a remedy which would meet your oe- sires and be free from obJectlon or attack upon moral or constitutional groun1s, mas n6t heen an easy one. Your delegates have wrought as best they couid ana submit the result of their laOoLs, teenng Llii{ purge the electorate of the unworthy ana vicious voter who has so long debased our The Suffrage Article of the proposed Constitution provides for the registration of all voters under the present law who have honorabIy served their country In war the lawful descendants of such per- sons, and all who are or gooo eharaCter and who understand the duties ana ool- cations of citizenship under repuDncan form of government. This provision saves to every man who avails himself or It, the privilege of sunrage TOT ,II mie, dfe ne result will be that the ballot Will De lett in the hands of those of our present Vot, ing population who have demonsuateu their capacity to exercise the privilege m the interest of social order and progress; and the right to place on such perma- nent registration will be denied only to that mass of vicious or unworthy voters which has so long threatened our welfare The fact was recognized that the quail ties of good citizenship and the capacity and disposition to exercise the voting privilege properly, are generally pos sessed by that part of our present vot- ing population which is composed of those who have honorably served in our wars and the lawful descendants of such per sons, that d due regard for the public wefarewould not warrant any interfer- ence with that right as now enjoyed by them. All such persons, and all who are of good character ans who understand the duties and obligations of citizenship, will have the unchallenged right to regis ter for life. It is confidently asserted that no worthy man, now an elector, or who would become an elector under eN- isting laws prior to the first day of Janu- ary, 1903, can have any difficulty in reg istering as a voter for life; or once be- ing registered, can be debarred from fu- ture participation in the government. The question of the consistency of this pro- vision with the requirements of the Con stitution of the United States was fully tion. The only doubt developed was in reference to the feature securing the right | to vote to those whose claim rests solely | upon the fact that they are descendants | of men who hOnoTably served in our l wars. This objection was made by | four of the twenty-five members Of the | Committee to which the subject of suf- | frage was referred by the Convention: 1 and though the objection was concurred | in by some other members Ot the Con- | Nention. after pat t'eAt deiberation and | full discussion by the Committee and by | the Convention. an overwhelming major l ity of the Convention remains fully sat | isfied of the wisdom and validity Of their | FN NH N-I