The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-30

honestly. Then, how can that in1ure the negro? Suppose ,as some of our friends say, it will let In some bad fel- lows to let the soldiers sons vote. l ask is 1t going to injure the negro not to let in bad negroes also? How can 1t injure a negro man to say to hfn, If you be honest. if you be yirtuous. you may come in and share the privi- ieges of a glorious free country with us. Docs that invite him to evil! Does that invite him to degradationT Does it not offer him an opportunity and an invitation which never yet has been offered to him before? Today he Is disfranchised. The best of his race have no voice in our government. To- morrow when this Constitution has been ratified by the people of Ala bama, the best of his race will have voice and he will have an opportunity to place himself along by the side or patriots and to be loved Just as the soldier who fought with the one-armed hero is loved. He will learn to know his place and fill 1t we'll. No man yet on this earth has known his place and filled 1t well who was not loved and honored and respected.
 Gentlemen of the Convention. think you for your attention ProlTHged applause.)
 MT. Rogers (Lownde )--Mr. Pr s'dent the Committee on Suffrage and Elec- tions consists of twenty-five members, awenty-one of whom are able lawyers learned in the law and four others of the number, who are not learned in the law. Four of these able lawyers say thet the grandfather clause is uncon- stitutional. The other seventen able lawyers say 1t ts constitutional. A. u explained by both sides. Taking counsel from the multitude of wisdom and believing that 1t is not proper thing to ask a man to sign his own death warrant, for we have got to sub- init this Constitution to these people who already vote. heartily favor Its adoption. az it will help to accomplish the purposes for which this Conven- ton was called.
 Coming from the county of Lowndes. where there are 4762 whites and So.S91 blacks, or to 1. or more negroes to the square mile than in darkest Africa. am heartily in favor of a measure that will bring to our relief 10000 white votes in the State for our redemption from ultimate ruin. The majority re- port embodies the best and most prac- ticable ordinance and l trust that It will he adopted. History repeats itself. have seen in this historic hall thirty negroes at one time, members ot the Legislature. selling their votes Tor . drink of whisky or mule. ana enact fhg laws for us that inflicted millions of dollars of indebtedness on the State of Alabama and which We are now paying and will have to continue 10 pay for fifty years more as we have for the last twenty y-five years. Under the present Constitution they can come again. All they need is courage and leadership. all that we have to prevent 1t Is the indomitabie pluck of Anglo Saxon manhood. No white man who knows why this clause was adopted Is going to offer sentimental objections to it. they are too level headed; and they are in favor of white supremacy as far as the fifteenth amendment will permit them to go. For. third of Q century the negro has voted in Alaba- ma and always votes solidly against ths I interests and welfare of the State. l would rather have a military despot- l ism than to be ruled by negroes and | barbarism.
 Alabama with 5i.54o square miles, | contains 1,ooi,l52 whites and 27.so7 | blacks; in thirteen central counties of | the state, In one of which this capitol Is situated, embracing 9,7S6 square miles .or one-fifth of the area of the l State, the most productive portion of 1t, there dwell 373,all negroes and 100000 whites, or three-sevenths of the black | population and one- tenth of the white l population; 444,000 blacks and 9o0,00t
 whites Gin round numbers) live in the other fifty-three counties of the State containing 1,754 square miles. In eight of these flfty-three counties the negro holds the balance of power and in only | Ave counties he cuts no figure. Consider these facts and see what grip he has on us. Restrain him and treat him
 kindly and justly as God intended that he should be. he becomes use- full citizen. Remove restraint and he reverts to barbarism and lust.
 We have been told that white su- premacy in Alabama Is assured. White supremacy, Mir. President (which
 means the rule of intelligence) prevails
 in the black belt of Alabama by mcth- ods repugnant to our feelings and jus | tifed only by the intolerable aiterna-
 tive of a tame submission to the rule of an inferior sarvilN race. Adopt this suf- l frage plan and peace and order will be
 assured. under conditions fixed by law | and racial conditions will adjust them | selves like the law of gravity or of wa ter seeking it's level.
 In my Judgment this is the last op-
 portunIty that Alabama will ever have | to redeem herself by force of law from
 the curse inflicted on us by malice and
 hatred. A returning sense of justice
 seems to pervade the Union and now l let us remember that "there is a tide | in the affairs of men, which, taken al
 the flood, leads on to fortune" Lei
 Us turn from all impra :cticable schemes and act wisely and pass this measure | and carry 1t to the people and explain
 1t to them from the mountains to the sea and our beloved State will be re- | deemed.
 The President pro tem.-The gentle
 man from Barbour, MT. Williams.
 Mir. Williams 05arhour)-Mr. Presi- dent there Is some mistake about that | 1 cid not know l was on tho list.
 might cay I was anxious to get there to get there at one time, but l never | landed, and l will not disturb the Con-
 vention with any remarks upon the | subject at this time
 l MT. Howze-I move that the Con-
 vention do now adjourn. l Leave of absence was granted MT.
 Harrison (Lee) for today.
 Upon a vote being taekn the Conven-
 ton adjourned.
 Corrections.
 Fifty-ffth day, in MT. Spears: speech: Fourth page middle of siXtf column. change Have courts" to reat
 some courts have.
 l Four1h page sixth column. chang: