The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-10
i. her home with labor to pay

and so should tHo Momep' ~ho thcy oo not vote. F tIennen of the Convention, will not have time in ten minutes to make the argument I would like to make upon | this question. To me it Is one of the most serious propositions that has been nresented to this Convention. and confess to you, that I have been more depressed during the past night | and this morning than at any time since we assembled here.
 Mir. ONeal-May I ask if the gen. tleman from Greene has not thirty minutes under the rule! ,,, The President-The gentleman VIII l please be in order. M. Coleman--I remember very well
 vhan the first public advoca- tion for Constitutional Con- vention was made. It was considered .t mv home by Governor Seay, and arneared in his address during his last terp, of office, From that time to this, have continuously been at work to soeura n con ysitutioral Convention, having In view but one great propo- sit,on. and that was the purifcation of | the ballot box, but confess, MT. Pres- ident. that with the burdens that you are attaching to this Constitution IL is becoming a very grave question as 10 whether or not 1t ought to be ratified. n,,,ch ,ess can be ratified. If should moi he called to order for not speak, ing to the issue, l would direct the at- | tention of the delegates to this Con- vention to some provisions which they have already adopted. and which we VII have dihiculty in presenting Ia- vorably to the people, but 1 propose to conf,ne my remarks just how to the ouestIon at issue If We are to have | a clause of this kind, 1t ought to be perfected. The motion before you IS
 for reconsideration. If itis reoonsiaa | cred then st may be amended.q IT not
 reconsidered. 1t must go as 1t is No~' | as if stands, a woman Is authorized to vote whether she has been resident of the city or town one day. All other | qualifications require three months and | two years, but in this provision, It makes no difference how long she has | been there. whether she moved in the dav before or not, she Is authorized to yote. Now, that Is wrong and if you propose to have a provision here con- | ferring upon woman the right to vote, let us reconsider and put 1t in perfect l order.
 Mir. Cunningham-Willt the gentleman permit a question?
 MT. Coleman-I will If you will let me have time to say what have to say. Mir. Cunningham-1 just desire to ask | the gentleman if he would vote for it., | if so amended?
 MT. Coleman-I will make myself perfectly clear, if have the opportun- ] ity. Now, the gentleman has inter rupted me. I propose to direct your attention for a few moments to some of his remarkable statements. He IS good perhaps in medicine. or surgery, | but when he undertakes to teach Convention of lawyers law, he is get | ting out of his province. He has stated | to this Convention that. a man could
 not mortgage his property without the consent of his wife. That is confined simply to the homestead. man can mortgege his property without the con- l sent of his wife and his wires sig- nature simply carries with 1t her con- | tingent dover interest. If she dies, the | mortgage Is perfect. It is only a | homestead that she is interested in, and mention that not as bearing on
 the question. but to direct the atten- ton of this Convention to the remarks and arguments made by men on this
 floor. when they cut of debate in re- sponse which goes to expose the soph- istry and falsity of their position. That has occurred time and time again here upon this floor. Now this Is a great question. It Is one of great import ance. whether or not woman's prop
 erty in a town should be represented. for one acknowledge that 1t ought to be represented, and having that in jview, the Committee on Taxation very carefully framed what it thought would be a proper provision and which I | would have introduced yesterday it had had the opportunity. Now, our women are pure, just as he says and
 when he said as to their qualification | that their heart was as one to 140, the delegate to this Convention must re- member that that has been brought about by existing conditions and not | by conditions which he would inau- gurate here for any man, who is hon. est and candid, knows that mixing In
 our elections will derogate from their high standing and the fine emotions which possess them. Now if this prop erty can be represented by vote by any provision and at the same time keep her away from politics. that would be my idea of just law, and I think
 1t can be-. notwithstanding there are parties upon this floor, who would sheer at the proposition, nevertheless,
 the great purpose Is to protect her
 property in town, and at the same time
 keep her from the ballot box, because
 the delegates of this Convention must know that when women interfere wi;h elections. while the things may not transpire which the delegate from Walker has seen proper to state here, altogether, yet its tendency and lnflu- ence will be to take away from them that high position which tkey occupy In
 the esteem of man. Now here is an- other question that ough bo con-
 sldered. If the Idea is to protect the.r property, what Wili yJd uO w4,n ,ne
 great amount and value of property Of corporations in all of our cities and
 towns They are not permitted tO vote that property is not represented al
 all under this system, so f there ought
 to be representation wherever there Is taxation, in order to do complete jus tice. the property of those corporations
 ought also 10 have a hearing. Some body ought to be authorized to vote and represent them. Now I do not
 know whether or not the views which
 were presented and embodied here n
 the repor, oi the Committee will be ac- ceptable to this Convention. but 1t was with an idea to this very condition
 of things to have all property repre-
 sen ed in all these special elections
 that we frame that idea and present
 it 10 you. that in special elections of
 this kind there should be a majority
 of the popular vote and the tax pay CTS. If you had that In your Tonsti-
 tuition. notwithstanding she was not at the polls, her property would he pro
 tee. ed. just ,he same. as if she were
 at the polls. Now. MT, President. !