The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-19
wE HAVE NOT LOST rArrH

ing communication yesterday from a
 citizen of Montgomery:
 Editor The Advertiser:
 Don't get mad if friend asks a few
 questions. You may chunk this in your
 waste basket. fl you like. You need not
 Why are you so blindly partisanE
 Didn't you see ''the handwriting on the
 wall" in the votes on the damnable pass
 business? Don't you know the power,
 which gives passes to those who do its
 will has got your Convention, your pure,
 good Convention? Don't you sec the issue
 is shifted in spite of you, from who shall
 own the peoples legislators. to the DIE.
 ger question who owns your Convention
 Really, don't you think it time they were
 ending tho farce of saying be 1t ordained
 by the people of Alabama? Would the
 people of Alabama, if they had say so.
 'ordain'' it Is all right for legislators 70
 sell their influence for passes? You sald
 this morning nobody defends tms ols.
 gusting practice" except the puyers an, ahv
 sellers in the trade. and still you only
 say you are a little disgusted. You nope
 there is something you don't understana. that will reinstate the Convention. ou
 out like little men and tell the people that your virtuous and good Convention has fallen by the wayside ana you hase
 been played for sucker nave the courage to tell the people there IS notR ] Ing so bad ir Alabama that the Cohven-
 tion will not approve, If the mas,eTs oG s,'e tho wink WATERlsOt'. We fear our friend, whom we know
 to be a good citizen. has gotten into
 pessimistic frame of mind. We readily
 grant that a number of discouraeihs
 developments have taken place In con nection with the Convention. But we
 are not yet prepared to admit that our "n,,re. good Convention" belongs to any set of men. that they have any masters outside their own consciences and intelligences. There may be
 small contingent in the Convention who have used passes for long time and are under great obligations to the powers that be, but a majority of the
 body has not fallen by the wayside." Some of the most respected men in the Convention voted against all three
 of the anti-pass propositions on wed
 nesday. They did this, doubtless. for various good reasons. Some of them expressed themselves distinctly in fa- vor of a strong provision in the right place. For instance, Judge Thos. w. Coleman, who is held in the highest es- | teem all over the State, made this ex-
 planation of his vote against the propo- sitions:
 MT President and delegates of the Con- ventfon, upon the vote to lay the amend ment offered by the delegate from Pike upon the table I, with others. voted aye. Many others voted mo- Now, that amend ment by implication, authorizes the is- suance of free passes to representatives. | That was the reason why we voted to lay | 1t upon the table, and not because We | were in favor of free passes at all Now the substitute offered by the gentleman | from Jefferson. 1t seems to me, is mop | perfume at this time. Adopt the section as reported by the committee and when we reach the article on railroads or com mon carriers. then you may amend by making 1t a misdemeanor or other or.
 fense, not only for representatives: put for every person who occupies an onicial position in the State of Alabama 70 ac- cepx a pass Is there any more reason that a representative should be guilty or a misdemeanor. or should forfeit ms or. flee. than judge or any other onieiai; .i,ssa The proper way Is at the proper time. to provide such an amendment to the Constitution as will forever prevent the transportation of officials upon free
 passes. If yo2 accept po,,,t thls hv amenh anotSer smendment hereafter for the other onl- cers of the State. Let it all come up Tn | the proper place.
 That IS not merely an explanation,
 but a positive notice that Judge Cole
 man proposes to do all in his power
 to wipe out the official pass evil. when
 that matter comes up directly. The propositions Wednesday were all
 amendments to the Legislative Article
 The present section of the Constitution
 on the pass subject is in the Article on Corporations and Is now before the
 Committee on Corporations which has
 not yet made it's report. A number of delegates evidently think that the proper time and place for attending to the pass evil is upon the consideration
 of that report.
 In the light of these facts, The Ad- | yertiser will not adopt the pessimism
 of ''Waterloo," who seems to be utterly
 knocked out. We are still optimistic.
 The majority of the Convention we De- lieve. will yet do right. They are going
 to hear from the people about the mat ter in loud tones in the next week. ana this. too, will help clarify the situa- tion considerably.