The age-herald., 1901-06-26
TOM LONG OF WALKER FOXES FUN
 AT THE MONTGOMERY EDITORS
 WHO HAVE BEEN RIDICULING HIM

how many solicitors he had ever heard of being stabbed in the back. MT. Hef1in in reply said he had never heard of any, or a sheriff either. Captain White replied that we had never until now required sheriff to risk his life. MT Heflin said the sheriffs had not asked for it and he was opposed to the section.
 MT. Sollie of Dale opposed the proposed section, which he said smacks of paternal- ism. He thought If sheriffs or their posses were pensioned that policemen and sol diers and all others who might be in the same category should also be pensfoned"
 Governor Jones Concludes.
 The previous question was then called for Governor Jones in conclusion said he regretted mat some of the members were impatient tc hear argument on great question like this. Was 1t ever before heard" exclaimed the Governor, that when a State protected citizen who had been injured in its service that it was indulging in paternalism? What Is the sheriff? The highest constitutional officer in the county, charged with the supreme duty of protecting human life. Was 1t any argument to say that because one did not protect others we should not protect him. Have you never seen regiment af- ter regiment march forth cheered by their women with tears streaming In their eyes, and when the remnants marched back they were taken up by their fellow men and honored because they had done their duty. A jail should be a sanctuary, and 1t never would be attacked by a mob when they know that to go there meant death. A mob may swing up a victim when he is not In the hands of the law, but they will never attack a guarded jail He closed by citing the Scriptural pass age: Bear ye one another's burdens"
 Substitute Adopted.
 The convention then by vote of S2 to 50 decided to reconsider its action of yes terday. Governor Jones offered a substi- tute embodying the same idea in differ ent language. MT. Heflin of Randolph moved to table Governor Jones' substi- tute. This motion was lost by a vote of S2 tc 4S. The previous question was then ordered and the substitute adopted.
 Judge Cobb of Macon then offered an amendment to the section to leave the matter to the discretion of the Legisla- ture and not make 1t mandatory on them. He said it made him tired to hear so much talk about the Legislature not doing this and not doing that The Leg islature was the representative of the people and if 1t was as bad as some had pictured we might well despair of rep
 
 said that even the Congress of the United States drew line between civil and mili- tary pensions. It made no civil pensions except to the widowsaaf a President. If we begin civil pensions in Alabama there would be no end to them. He said a sheriff was in less danger than police man That if he did his duty the mob would retire. In that event, exclaimed | MT White, there would be no question of pensions The sheriff is paid for what 1 he does, continued Judge Cobb, and there is no use to pension him.
 | MT. Barefield moved to lay Judge | Cobb's amendment on the table which was lost by vote of 60 to 73.
 | MT Weatherly of Jefferson then moved | to lay the original section and the | amendments on the table. This was lost l by vote of 62 to 73.
 Governor Oates Speaks. Governor Oates said that he had never seen such an independent body or one where each man thought for himself, as was the present constitutional conven- | tion He had observed them closely and was struck with this fact He spoke of | Governor Jones' speech of Saturday favor l ing the proposition to remove sherins who allowed mobs to take prisoners from them, and said he was impressed with It himself, but that Governor Jones had | overdrawn the picture out of his own high courage and sense of duty. That Cover | nor Jones therefore out of sympathy, for | he was as tender hearted as woman, wanted to provide for the families of | sheriffs who might be killed or Injured by a mob He did not think the dangers the | sheriffs ran were as great as pictured by l Governor Jones' A mob, he said did not want to kill the sherif-they were after the prisoner and would not kill the sheriff unless they were particularly des- perate. Mobs were seldom so desperate; they would usually retire if they met with firm resistance The sheriff only has to be firm and not connive at the prisoner s escape This was all that was required of them. Are you then going to incor- | porate in your fundamental law pro- vision starting civil pensions?" he asked He did not think 1t was necessary and he hoped the convention would not adopt it He did not think any sheriffs would seek death in order to have their families pro- vided for by the legislature. and that it would have no effect if adopted, as there | was nothing in it to stimulate sheriff to sacrifice his life.
 At the conclusion of Governor Oates re- marks the convention adjourned until o'clock.
 Afternoon Session.
 The afternoon session was called to or der at o'clock. There were 105 members | present. and the convention proceeded to discuss the subject of the section thirty | one.
 Judge Coleman of Greene said we had | had seven or eight constitutions and none l of them contained such a provision. He did not know of any such provision in the constitution of any other state. He ] thought the matter was out of place in the article on executive-it was entirely a legislative provision for the benefit of the sheriff. There was nothing in the section which fixed the amount to be given to his family. Many of the mem l bers he feared had been influenced by ap- | peals and citations of extreme instances, l which in law, always shipwrecked great principles. They were losing sight of what should and should not be in the organic law. They were going into the domain of purely legislative matter. He cited a case of sheriff in Greene County | recapturing prisoner from mob, which l showed that there was really little dam | ger to the sheriff He had the law on his 1 side which was a powerful force.
 | MT. Dent of Barbour said it seemed to be taken for granted that now duties and obligations had been put upon the sheriff. | but it was not so. Only a new court for | his Impeachment and trial had been pro- vided. He saw no reason why an excep- tion should be made in his favor.
 Governor Jones Speaks.
 Governor Jones said that as he had listened to Governor Oates in the morn | ing he had thought how different he
 would have acted if he had had pris- | oner in his charge from the way he had | talked He realized that the change of | having sheriffs impcached before the Su-