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

l.
though he knew that they were cor
| fupt and vicious, and their ballot could
be cast, and no provision Is made fol
Furnishing the Registrars for the act
This might be repeated as often as
the Registrars pleased. Some Of the
Committee have said to me that they
| have Furnished a remedy. Notice the
reading Of the amendment that have
offered: AMY Board Of Registrars oil
a majority of any Boards of Registrars
who shall knowingly register any per.
son who Is not of good character and
who does not understand the obliga.
| tions of citizenship under a Republic
| can form OF government, or who Is
otherwise legally disqualified from
| registering, shall upon conviction, be
fined not less than $3.50 for each MEM
| Der of the Board of Registrars parti-
cipating IN the registration of such per-
son or persons shall forfeit their Of
fees as registrars.
Now I do not see how the Commit
tee or how any gentleman OF this Con-
vention can afford to say by their
vote that IL man wlllfully. and
| knowingly registers anybody whom
| the law says he shall not register, shall
not be responsible somewhere and to
somebody In a way that he will know
and feel. for violation of this law.
The only thing furnished by the Com
mittee Is this:
ANY eleetor who registers for an
other, or registers more than once, or
any registrar who enters the name Of
any electors on the list of registered
voters without said elector makes APP
plication in person, under oath, on the
form made for that purpose. or who
knowingly enters a name upon the
registration list as registered voter
when no one of that name applied to
be registered
Mr.. Smith (Mobile)-May interrupt
the gentleman?
Mr.. Blackwell-My time ID limited
and 1 prefer not to be interrupted, but
I will yield.
Mr.. Smith, wanted to ask If under
your plan, you would not punish a man
for registering a voter under the SOL
dicr's or descendant clause? i think
you have overlooked that
Mr.. BLACKWELL think not. He Is
in no way registered illegally, IL regis
tered under the soldiers or descendants
clause.
Mr.. Smith-But you say >"if they
register any one who is not of good
character or who does not understand
the duties and obligations Of a Re
publican form of government" II a
soldier does not understand, and the
registrar registers him. he must be
fined?
Mr.. Blackwell-Unde rthe good char
acter clause, as set forth in the article
here it is provided that he must have
that character to be registered. Now
the soldiers are exempted from that,
and in the exemption Of them, he
L.. 1lr,- ~t-4A
they would not be Illegally registered.
I say they must be Illegally registered,
in order that he may be held liable for
registering a party who has no exemp-
ton applied to him. You will find in
the plan of the Committee that they
do not provide any punishment for the
registrars IL they register men who
have no right TO register. But this
amendment provides that he Is pun
ishable for illegally registering parties.
1t SENS to me that this unusual power
ought to have restraints placed upon
1t. Can any gentleman say that, il q
man wilfully and knowingly Illegally
registers q man, he should not be pun
ished by law for the violation OF the
law? This is simply provision that,
If he does knowingly what IS viola
ticn of the law, and registers men
AAVSdilys Hc pdi IiIApdItS w. ttc shall
be fined $3.50 and forfeit his office.
Mr.. Oates-Will the gentleman allow
me to ask him a question?
Mr.. Blackwell-Yes sir.
Mr.. Oates--It seems to me that the
object of. the amendment Is to punish
registrars for allowing illegal registra-
ton or making it fradulently. Is that
the purpose?
Mr.. Blackweu-Yes sir.
Mr.. Oates-It may have too many
words in it but l sympathize with the
purpose.
Mr.. Blackwell-Yes sir, that is the
object of 1t, simply to punish men for
violating the law. Now is there any
body here who can afford to say by
their vote that. If man knowingly
violates the law you have laid down for
his guidance, he ought not to be pun
ished for violation of the law? Are
We here for the purpose of providing
for fair elections in Alabama? Then
If we are. every safeguard should be
thrown around the ballot that will help
to bring about the results that we are
sent here by our people to accomplish. |
and II seems to me that there can bH
no question and no doubt about the |
matter.
But. Mr.. President, I am willing, 50 |
anxious am 1 to accomplish the pur-
pose set forth, In order to satisfy the |
suggestion that l do not see much in |
offered by the gentleman from Mobile, |
to ask leave to strike out of my sec |
ton that part of II which says shall |
be of good character" and that which |
says land does not understand the |
obligations of citizenship under a re- |
publican form of government" and |
simply add those who are legally dis
qualified" and ask leave to do so.
President pro tem-The gentleman |
from Morgan asks unanimous consent |
to make an amendment to the section
by himself.
Mr.. Hood object.
President pro tem-Does the gentle
man propose an amendment?
Mr.. Blackwell-I propose it as
amendment.
President pro tem-The question
Is upon the amendment Of
the gentleman from Morgan to his
own amendment. VIII the gentleman
write out the amendment .~
Mr.. Blackwell--Yes sir. I win.
Mr.. Williams (Marengo)-While he Is
writing that out. l would like to sub
NIT two resolutions and move that they
De referred to the proper committees.
Ordinance No. 436 read as follows:
Be it ordained by the people OF Ala
oama in Convention assembled. that
he provisions of an act to provide for
me removal Of the county scat If Shell
~ county from Columbisnl to Ca!e.u.
approved March the Ith, 1901 he and