The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-15
MESSRS. KNOX AND STALLINGS
 DEBATE NEW CONSTITUTION
Speakers Greeted by Large Audience in 0pelika Friends Of Proposed Instrument
 Claim County.

A few minutes before Il o'clock and when the crowd had assembled in the court room, MT. Knox entered the room from the stairway on the east side. He was accompanied by Gen. George P. Har- rison. The crowd cheered him. MT. Stallings with Capt. T. D. Sanford en- tered the room from the stairway on the west side. He was also cheered. There was hand-shaking all around and 1t re- minded one of the preliminaries to a prize fight.
 Very soon General Harrison advanced to the front of the judges bench and called the meeting to order.
 We have assembled here today" said General Harrison. "to hear discussed a very important matter. We are fortun- ate in having with us two of Alabama s distinguished sons. I bespeak for these gentlemen your kind attention.
 T now present to you the one Jess Stallings of Alabama"
 MIR STALLINGS SPEAKS
 AGAINST CONSTITUTION
 MT. Stallinss came on to the scene of debate in his customary good humor. He said that as he understood 1t this was not joint debate in the full sense of the meaning of the term. He was merely here he said to oppose an instrument that in his opinion would take away from the white men of Alabama their dearest rights.
 After discussing the form of govern ment of the country he said that the people knew what were their rights under the old Constitution and he asked the audience if there was any good reason for changing the rights of the people as laid down in the present organic law. He referred to having been called an lex" by some of the speakers for the Constitution and said with a smile wreathing his face that 1t was better to be an "ex" than never to have been at all. When he looked over the list of speakers for the Constitution he said he saw the names of many men who were anxious to occupy office and be ''exes."
 This sally was received with applause, the first that he had received.
 Mir. Stallings said that 1t was a good thing to occasionally pull a nubbin," out of the crib" Even his distinguished friend who was here today. he said. was looking with longing eyes to the United States Senate "the greatest crib in the world" He hoped to see MT. Knox suc- cessful in this ambition and said he would forgive him for being mistaken about the Constitution. After he had been spanked by the people, MT. Stallings said, they would no doubt forgive him because he was a great and good citizen.
 MT. Stallings then referred to his own career as a Congressman and his defeat by Governor Sanford for the highest office in the gift of the people. He said he was not a candidate now for any office and never expected to be again. but he reserved the right.to change his mind if he saw any good things coming his way. daughter.)
 Stallings Talks of States Rights.
 The speaker then carefully explained the power and authority of the Constitu- tion and it's close relation to the people and their rights. He dwelt at some length upon the question of States rights as laid down by the Federal Constttu- ti6n and took occasion to speak of the war between the States. He said the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the Federal Constitution were fixed there upon the graves of Confederate soldiers. The Federal Constitution was the sun, he said, around which the Constitutions of the States radiated like the stars.
 Then, he asked, how the State was to make a Constitution that confiicted with the Federal Constitution.
 Then how are you, going to do It gentlemen" asked MT. StallipSs. My experience has been that those Yankees are just as smart as we are.
 Continuing he said that he had dreaded this movement by the South. When 1t becomes necessary to place restrictions upon the rights of voters, he said, he realized that 1t could not be done with out the man with straight hair and blue eyes going down. He said that in the presence of a number of negroes he want ed to say, "Cuffy, you must look out for for by the Gods they are after us" Uaughter)
 Taking up the proposition for white primary, MT. Stallings said If the white people wanted this Constitution his hat was off and he was with them right or wrong, but he said the white people did not want 1t.
 If you haven't got a majority of the white people of Alabama with you; in Gods name what have you got" asked MT. Stallings.
 He said the Democratic party was home to him, but this new order of politicians had met and said they must relieve the Black Belt of its true and tried Demo- cratic majorities. He declared he had never seen a crowd before that tried to disfranchise its own party. (Applause)
 Jumps on the Delegates.
 Then MT. Stallings took up the corpora tions and said a majority of the dele gates to the Constitutional Convention were railroad attorneys and the interest of the railroads was cared for when a
  Convention. His friend General Harri- son, he said, was there and he had such a good railroad job. MT Stallings said, he would like to get him in the United States Senate so he (SsallingsD could get his job Daughter and applause)
 This is a matter of great importance to you' said Mir. Stallings, and I want you to take 1t home and go out behind the chicken house and pray over it." Uaughter.)
 The numerous petitions to the Constitu- tional Convention to change the method of electing the Railroad Commissioners was discussed by MT. Stallings. He also referred to a meeting of the sheriffs in Montgomery during the Constitutional Convention and said one of the last acts of the Convention was to extend the term of the present sheriffs two years. He showed that sheriffs manage elections. He said he was not entirely suspicious of this action of the Convention, but he was just "natchully of a questioning turn of mind"
 "I want to know what did you do that for?" he asked turning to Mir. Knox T was not there and l want to know. l was at home in the field at work and l want to know why it was done"
 Mir Stallings then reached the suffrage plan of the new Constitution. He criti- cised the temporary plan and said 1t was claimed that it was ito break down the conditions in the Black Belt.
 My God. boys" eXcalimed MT. stall ings in 1892 We were praying Tor those conditions in the Black Belt.
 The understanding clause, Mir stall