The age-herald., 1901-07-15
Il Will be Considered There in Order to Expedite
 Business
T WILL SHUT OFF ORATORY
Constitutional Convention Will Not Adjourn Saturday In Accordance With Enabling Act-Wili Vote
 Additional Appropriation
BY FRANK HARVEY MILLER.

BY FRANK HARVEY MILLER. Montgomery, July 4.-(Special.) )-The Democratic caucus called for Monday night is to consider the advisability of taking up the suffrage matter in caucus MT. Thompson of Bibb Is the originator of this call and over 100 members hay signed the petition asking that the cau- GUS be held.
 While Constitutional Convention Is not strictly speaking a party organiza- tion it is useless to deny that the present one is practically Democratic body and that the plan to disfranchise the negro Is a party measure. It Is to decide in what manner this question shall be dealt with that the caucus has been called.
 One idea of many of the prominent Democrats in favoring the caucus Is to save time. There are 1855 delegates in the convention the large majority of whom will want to make speeches on the sub ject. Some of these will be set speeches of over an hour in length. At this rate the convention will never get through work It Is proposed in order to expedite business and save time to hold nightly sessions of the Democratic members. which will be practically the convention, at which sessions every Democrat will be allowed to express his views at length In this way the convention can proceed with It's work during the day and the suffrage clause can be discussed at night. While the caucus will be a party Q measure it is not proposed by the ma jority to force the minority to vote It's way. Every one will be left to vote &C., cordng to his own views, the idea being to bind his tongue and not his con- science.
 The minority report against the grand father clause is signed by some very able men, and some of the Democrats realizing that Governor Oates Captain White, General Harrison and MT. Dent will make strong and elaborate argu- ments against it's constitutionality, which arguments if made in the conven- ton and reported in the steuographic re- port will be briefs for the benefit of the United States Supreme Court and those who wish to test the matter before that body. Therefore it is thought better to have these arguments made in caucus in executive session where they will not be reported than to have them made in the convention.
 No Gag Law.
 It Is not the purpose of the Democrats to apply gag law In any way to the Re- publicans and Popuists in the conven- ton. After the matter has been dis cussed in caucus the report will be taken up in the convention and every Republi- can and Populist will be given an op- portunity to present his views. Then certain set speeches will be made by some of the Democrats which can be used in the arguments in the campaign for ratification. Of course these propo- sitions are tentative General Oates, Captain White and others have not ex- pressed themselves and may and proba- blv will insist on presenting their ideas in the convention.
 It has also been suggested that by abolishing the stenographic report the members can discuss this question in convention without leaving a record Of their remarks to be reviewed by the courts hereafter. It is doubtful 1T this idea will take with the delegates. Sew sral attempts have been made to abolish she stenographic report but they have uniformly failed. The delegates seem t like the report It is nice to read a col umn of your speech in the morning pa- per while waiting for breakfast. It Is true that nobody, else, as rule, ever reads it but having once formed taste
 seaz resolution was introduced Saturday to abolish this report after June 30, at which time the fifty day limit will expire, but the convention will probably vote 1t down The convention will not adjourn either when that day arrives They will vote an additional appropriation and it fs understood that Attorney General Brown will advise the state treasurer to pay it.
 Work of Convention.
 Saturday was the forty-fourth day of the convention. The early part of these forty-four days was devoted chiefly to the introduction of ordinances. This was the material out of which the constitution was to be made. The portions of the new constitution which have so far been com pieted are the article on executive the article on taxation, except those sections which limit the taxing powers of cities \and counties, the article on local legisla- Non, the preamble and declaration of rhts and the article on state and coun-
 Boundaries which has been adopted all
 me section.
 e still remains to be considered the
 on legislative department, judicial
 ent (not yet reported), impeach-
 frage and elections, representa-
 ptions, militia (not yet re-
 cation, private corporations
 ted), banks asd banking.
 lrations. and amending to