The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-06

a5cna can create citf1ano ou9 e fo11l@
 matsriAl and we updortock 1o c<o14 citisens of Alabama, which Con1
 alone can do hy the pa6oage e unlxo4M
 naturalization laws It has Adono e9. Its naturalization laws do not m4Me
 clared their intention to become c1<I-
 xens. However, in this clause. H Wo'
 should adopt it. as we unwittlpgly o1d
 heretofore, we override the COne<tt4<
 tion of the United States, CT at M44<
 attempt to do so. and that wo oQ1Nt
 not to do. No man should be u114o . citizen of Alabama who 10 m au10,
 and has not been naturaiized un6er me,
 uniform naturalization laws ox sno United States.
 Mr. o'Neai G.anderdaIe)--I think tlis section Is in conflict with the pfovnl9ne in reference to Suffrage and Elecfl8M < The President--The question be4cre the Convention Is the amendment pfo- posed by the gentleman from Mont- somery to Section 2.
 MT. O'Neai (LauderdAie1--I under stand that, and think the amen0meut of the gentleman from Montgomery should be adopted for that reason. The Committee on suffrage gave very c4rS- full consideration to the question whetn- CT those who had declared their iuten- ton to become ciusens of the Unke0 States should be classed aB citt1en1 of Alabama, and after careful consIdefa- tion and discussion of that subjecfs we omitted 1t from the section of eue- frage, which declares .-that every mate citizen of this State. who Is . citiHen of the United States"
 Now, under the old provision on suf- frage and elections, found in the pree- ent Constitution, 1t provided "every male citizen of the State, or who had declared his intention" That is also found in the old section in rsfcrence to suffrage. and there would be . mAntfeee confiict between these two provisicnn. unless the amendment suggested by the gentleman from Montgomery is adopt ed, and I call the attention of the chairman of the committee to the con- fict and hope that he will agree to the 
 Mr. Oates--T desire to suggest that the amendment offered by my col- league Colonel Sanford) b not exactly In the language of the section. He uses the word 'those." The words that ought to be stricken out are 'or who ton to become citizens of the United States"
 Tho President--Th is rnanifestIy the intention of the gentleman.
 Mir. Oates-That is the intention but not the words.
 Mir. sanford--I win make it exactly in the words. did not have the ssc- ton before me.
 Mir. o'Neai (Landerdaie)--win the chairman let me call his attention to the old Constitution before he con- ton provides: Every citizen of the United States and every person of for- eign birth who may have legally de- clared his intention to become citi- zen of the United States" Now we omitted that Intentionally, and 1t eeens to me there would be a confiict there.
 Mir. TomAx--I submit that there is nothing in this proposed section of our bill of rights which has anything to do with the privilege of suffrage. The fact that we declare in our bill If legally declared his intention to be- come a citizen of the United States, shall be citizen of Alabama, does not and cannot confer upon that man the of suffrage, and the fact thnt we have further declared xn this section that they are tcitizens of Alabama, possessing equal civil and political rights. does not confer upon any person named in the section Inc privilege of suffrage. We make them citizens whether they have been Tn the State the time required for nat araiixation. when they have declared their intention. We confer upon them all civil and political rights. but we still retain the power and exercise the $ power to keep from them the privilege of suffrage. And there is nc better drawn nof better recognised distinc- ton. It is directly and distinctly. and In terms. recognized by our own court that suffrage is not a right but a privilege. Now the declaring that person shall have equal political and :ivil rights. does not declare that he shall exercise the privilege Of suffrage.
 Mir. Pettus-May Task the gentleman } question?
 Mir. Lomax--Certainly.
 MP. Pettus-For information, would loiding office be a political right under hat section?
 Mir. Lomax-No: he could not hold ,ffice under the suffrage clause, unlesi le was voter I take 1t.
 MT. Jones--I would like to ask the gentleman. Is not a woman a citizen if Alabama?
 Mir. Lomax-Certaifiiy she is.
 Mr., Jones (Montsomery)--And mi. lor.
 Mir. Lomax--And minor.
 Mir. Jones tMontgomery)--And none f them can vote?
 Mir. Lomax--None of them can vote. ut they have civil and political rightf n the State. Now what would be ths fleet of adopting the amendment ,of ny distinguished friend from Mont. .omery. MT. Sanford? The result oi hat would be to say to any foreign orn person who desired to come to the tate of Alabama, you must live .n this tate for five years before you can be- ome citizen thereof.
 The result of that would be we would xclude from coming to the State oi alabama the most desirable class of oreign citizens that come into this ountry and we would simply have ome in amongst us people who did not are whether they had secured the ights of citisenship in one or five ears.
 MT waddell-win the gentleman ai- ,w a question?
 Mir Lomax-Yes.
 MT waddeIi-what does political ghts mean then?
 MT. Lomax--It don't mean suffrage. nd that is the question here.
 Mr. Waddell-What does 1t mean?
 Mr. Gomax--Suffrage Is a privilege nd not a right.
 Mr...o' Neal dauderdale)--wnl the entIenhan permit a question. Under its section "any person who has le- ally declared his Intention to become
 citizen of the United States is de- ared a citizen of Alabama?
 MT. Lonax--Yes, sir.