The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-18
0FFICIlL REPORT OF TIE PROCEEDINGS OF
 THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF ALABAMA

TWO years tnereaIter. It means that every alternate year there Is no limit upon the session of the Legislature; It can hold tor q month, six months, or twelve months. every alternate year, but in every alternate year the sessipn is limited to thirty days unless the Governor should deem 1t necessary to continue the session. Here is the Con- stitution of Louisiana. which requires biennial sessions. yet the people ot Ala bama are asked to embark in this new and untried experiment without sim gle experiment, without single pre- cedent in any State of this Union. What is the argument in favor Of 1t! Why the distinguished gentleman from Sumter says it is expensive. Why. gen tlemen of Sthe Convention. that argu- ment has no place in body Of this character. a body which has Aeen char. acterized as the most disOngusned that has assembled In this hau for 2S years. Are we to measure the liberties of the people by paltry dollars and cents? Have we become so sordid and mercenary that we are willing to strfks down the safeguards of liberty because 1t Is expensive? If such an argument can be used with force, why not strike down your jury system, and allow the judge to decide. all the cases and save the expense? Why not burn down your court houses and turn over the admin istration of criminal law to- Judge Lynch, because 1t Is inexpensive? An. MT. President. such an argument is the argument of the counting house, and the banking house. and has no place in a Constitutional Convention. Are we to estimate the liberties of the people by dollars and cents? What did the great empire of England do? single Eng fish citizen had been imprisoned by the King of Abyssinia. His release was demanded and res lsed. and that great power spent millions of dollars. organ ized an army and kept in commission her navy to save one citizen of Eng land! Did she stop at the paltry and mercenry arguments that are heard here in debate? It costs money to have g Legislature and a Governor. Why not abolish the Legislature and judi ciary. and have a Governor General in Alabama - 1t will be less expensive. Why not have a Governor General clothed with executive and
 judiciary powers and save money and
 break down the liberties of the
 people. An. MT. President that argu
 ment can be made to strike down one
 of the great coordinate branches of government that has existed since the formation of republican institution. An,
 but they say that the Legislature creates unrest and discord among the people and disturbs business. have heard that stated before, but Mir. President is 1t not true that those who are disturbed and who are uneasy are sometimes officials who have been guilty of abuses which they feared might be corrected; isn't 1t sometimes the case that those who are uneasy and restless are wealthy corporations and individuals who have secured rights and privileges which they were not entitled to under the law? In
 whose interesu then is this proposed change ?Is it in the interest of honest government, l ask the question? Have a meeting of the Legislature only once iu four years and you open wide the flood gates of fraud and corruption. Our Legislature is a check upon dis honest officials, 1t is check upon dis honest government. Why Mir. Presi- dent. in this State we have practically only one great political party. We have not an active, aggressive, vigilant op- position party to keep us the majority
 in check, and the result Is that the only remedy which the people have is just and honest Legislature, fresh from the body of the people to correct abuses and evils that may exist in the administration of government Your tax laws may require reform, are they to remain upon the books four years and not man can touch them? Your appropriations may require change. may be declared unconstitutional. like
 the revenue law was, and you are with
 out remedy and powerless. You say
 the Governor can call an extra session. How many extra sessions have been called in this State? Suppose you had had this four year term, this Conven- ton would not be assembled here to- day, because over two years ago the Legislature was called in session and
 repealed the act calling this Conven- tion and disregarded the will of the people. Two years afterwards the people rebuked them and sent a Legis-
 iature here that represented their
 wishes and called Constitutional Con- vention. and yet if this had been the
 law upon the st9tute books, the people | of Alabama would today be enduring all the evils of a corrupt and debauch- ed suffrage without remedy for foasr years. M-. President. suppose the people should demand relief from un- just. arbitrary and discriminating rates
 by the great railroad corporations of Alabama? You must wait four years for relief. That might be a pleasing "a soothing thought to these corpora tions, but I put it to you gentlemen
 when you go before the people of Ala
 bama and tell them that you have pre- vented them from reforming abuse and evils in their laws, will they thank you with tears of joy and words of praise as stated by my distinguished friend from Sumter.
 MT. Greer (Calhoun)-Don't you think since we have taken from the Legislature local legislation, that four years will be sufficient time in which to meet?
 Mir. O'Neal--I am glad the gentle man made that suggestion. We have corrected the evils of local legislation MT. President. and what would be the result The result Is we have elevated the tone and character of the Ieeisla- ture. we have enabled them to direct their attention and thoughts to the great matters of State. we open wide discussion and debate upon every great proposition that may be present. l ed. every question of general import | ance will be subjected to the search | light of fair and full and open dis l cussion. and the result will be that we
 will have no hasty and improvident | legislation in this State Why the Parliment of Great Britain meets con- tinuously for seven years-holds for seven years, and legislates for an em- pire that girdles the world, and vet although the session is unlimited ii
 passes only few hundred general