The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-10


 ties that l have mentioned. and 1t will be talked with telling effect, ana for one. am not a man Of sufficient ability to explain away the arguments that will be made along this particu- lar line. cannot explain to my peo- pie that, If 1t was not the intention to leave 1t in the power of the white counties to deprive the black belt of its representation, why it was that this Convention refused to pass a pro- vision that would guarantee these rights to our people.
 Gentlemen of the Convention, the re- sponsibility is with you. 1 hope the results of this Convention will be a Constitution that we can all honestly recommend to our people to adopt, but MT. President. l tell you the work of this Convention will not be ended when it shall have adjourned. 1t will have but scarcely begun, and in the counties and among the classes of peo- pie that 1 have alluded to is where you will have to do your work. They are loyal people. They have stood up to the white people of Alabama in all times past, in shot and shell. under the flag, when lives were paying the forfeit. Since then they have tried to serve the people of Alabama in the maintenance of Caucasian supremacy. They are a fine. chivalric and noble people. You can trust them to repre- sent the vast quantity of property they have. It may be perhaps In the future that a temptation will come to the people in the northern counties of this State to put us on white basis of representation. and, Mir. President. you will have a great county like Mont gomery. with it's vast wealth and its population. the white population be- ing considerably less than its colored population, put down on a par with counties that represent but little value in the State, with good people. MT. President, but not representing the vast property of this county, and yol will probably have my county down on a basis (and say it without any dis respect at alp counties like Winston and Marshall. You are goin gto put the four largest tax-paying counties in the State down on a par with the coun- ties that has but ten thousand people. I appeal to you in behalf of a people whose hopes and hearts are with you in this work, and whose heart and hand I hope may go on with you untii the dawn of a new era Of prosperity in this State when we can announce that the Constitution Is adopted.
 Mir. Ferguson took the chair.
 Mir. Long (Walker)-The basis or representation in the legislature is not changed py any amendment adopted under the provisions of this section. l sympathize with the gentleman. ana l know his motive; but to say to the neople of a sovereign State like Ala hama that we are going to deny you the right to change your Constitution ia saving something. in the first place. that you cannot do; it Is saying some thing that you should not oo. The people are ali-powerful. They nave the right by amendment or otherwise to change anything m that Constitutiol. and they have always had that right.
 Mir. Reese-I ask unanimous consent to amend it to .he population Dasls'
 MT. Long (Walker)-I am speaking 10 that question now. That will come up later. The population basis IS the same .hing. The people should nave the right to make any change they want to in the Constitution. Inat IS the point. Show me where there Is in any State that its peo- ple have not the right to amend in any wly they see fit and proper. It takes a two-thirds vote of the Legisla- ture before youscan submit to the peo- ple an amendment; but when an amendment to the Constitution is sub mitted, why shall Lot the people all- powerful, have the right to do as they see fit and proper? This is step in the wrong direction, and l am sorry 1t was brought in here at this time. be- cause it is an omen that will lead to no good. am sorry it Is in here, the Committees report on the representa- ton fixes it on population basis. Then why do you want it in there? l ask the delegates to think well before they vote for that. You say to the people. we are greater than the people when you do that. You say that we. the members of this Convention. are greater than the people of Alabama. It ls but making the creatures greater than their creators, and that you can not do.
 Mr. Barefeld-I would like to ask the gentleman if, in that report, Walker County has not been given another Representative?
 MT. Long-That is not germane to this subject and has nothing to do with it. will state yes.
 Mir. Basefield-Do you want this Con- stitution fixed so the representation of the Black Belt can be cut down?
 MT. LO1R-NO, SIT UuI want iI fixed So the people will have the right to dc whatever they please in the tu- ture. It is not a question of cutting down the representation of the people of the Black Belt. It is question of denying the right of the people of Ala bama to amend their Constitution. The people have a right to amend the Con- stitution. We have no right to deny 1t to them. I believe that the Supreme Court of Alabama would declare such an act as that on our part null and void You had as vel say the people of Alabama should never call another Constitutional Convention as to put 1t in there. You say they can not do 1t in part, why not in whole? It is the same proposition. It is, not question of representation at all. It is question of the right of the sovereign people of Alabama. They have the right to amend their Constitution. They should have that right. We have no power to deny that right. I think the dele gates understand it. 1t has no place in this report.
 MT Oates-In the present Constitu- tion is this not provided for?
 ft Mir. Long-Yes, sir; of course 1t does, and it fixes 1t permanently. as far as it can fix 1t, on population basis. What more do you want? Are you going to try to saddle 1t on the people and to fix something that the people themselves can not change? We of the Conven- ton are great people, but not greater than the people.
 Mir. Greer-Is it not a fact that the Committee on Representation have re- ported here that the basis of represen- tation shall be on a population basis?
 MT. Long-Yes. sir; that is a fact. T tbouphf had answered that several