The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-03

tlemen re1erred Inls HnVrninS tO tHe man that was looking forward to the time when he could quit paying his poll tax. Gentlemen you may smile at 1t as much as you please. there are men all over this country looking for ward to the time when they reach forty-fve years of age and can quit working the road and paying poll tax Some one has said that a man unwili- ing to pay $1.50 is not entitled to vote. Gentlemen of the Convention, every one in this country is not well off. There are great man poor peopte Tn this country who do not nave $l.oo that they can pay, there are great many people all over the white coun- ties that have not $1.50 at the end or the year. but come out in debt. There are white men in this country who rather than pay $1 50 would surrender you please and say that they are not patriotic, but I say they are.
 Mir. Oates-May I ask the gentleman a question.
 MT. Duke-My time is nearly up, will answer you when l get through. They say you do not expect to send ;he Constitution back unchanged. No, my friend from Talladega, it won't be sent back unchanged, for if there ever was an instrument in this world torn all to pieces, this old Constitution Of 1875 has been torn. No, we won't send it back unchanged, but we want to put into it, we want to put in changes that will meet the appreciation of all the white people of this country. Now, the gentleman from Lauderdale in his ex- citement and eloquence says that if we adopt this amendment that it will re- duce the taxes of the colored people $50.0O0, and yet, Mir. President, from the report of the Department of Educa- ton I find that if it produced all 1t would not produce that much because they did not pay but $40.000 taxes, that was the amount for the entire race, and yet the gentleman says we will lose 5000 if we adopt that.
 The gentleman from Perry says 1t is SO short a time in which a negro can get to be 45 years old after he is 21 years old. Gentlemen. from what have heard of the Black Belt. and do not say this disparagingly from what I have heard of the Black Belt and its methods, the negro is welcome to every year he gains from 21 to 45. MT. Chairman. I now move the pre- vious question on this amendment and the Section.
 The President pro tem-The question is shall the main question be now put?
 MT. Burns-I hope the gentleman will withdraw that. wish to ask the gentleman from Chambers a few ques- tions.
 The President pro tem-The time of the gentleman from Chambers has ex- pired.
 MT. Burns-A point of order. If the gentleman's time had expired, it ex- pired before he took his seat two min utes.
 The President pro tem-The Chair de- clared the gentlemans time had ex- pired when the Chair rapped him down, and immediately moved for the pre- vious question.
 Mir. Burns-When the Chairman rapped he had not time to make a mo- tion.
 The President pro tem-The gentle man from Dallas is out of order and will be seated, unless the gentleman from Chambers will withdraw the mo- tion for the previous question. MT. BUrns-I will ask the gentleman from Chambers if he did not make the motion after he was rapped down?
 The President pro tem-The Chair holds that he made it in time. Does | the gentleman from Chambers with draw itf
 MT. Duke-I am willing to withdraw 1t and will attempt to answer the ques- tions.
 Mir. Burns-I shall never believe that the gentleman from Chambers would attempt to gag anybody, much less his friend from the Black Belt. MT. Duke-I am perfectly willing tc | answer the question.
 The President pro tem-The gentle man will please ask the question. MT. Burns-You say after you rapped him down he had a right The President pro tem-I will state to the gentleman from Dallas if he will be quiet long enough, the gentle man from Chambers has already with. drawn his motion. and he can answer now.
 MT. Duke Yes, I will with the un. derstanding that I can renew it. have the floor l believe. Will you re. new the motion?
 Mir. Burns-I will renew the mo. tion when l get through. MT. Presi- l dent. l had made up my mind on ac. count of physical disa abilities, as muct as anything else. not to attempt tc bere this Convention on any subject | because 1 knew the men that consti. tuted this Convention, I knew the ole J men and the young men, and I have Doen perfectly SatlSned to let then frame the organic law of this State knowing from the manner in which the committees have been appointed that they would do justice to all sec. tons of the State. I recognize no sec. tion and no factions in the Democratic Party, from the standpoint of mem. Der Of this Constitutional Convention l ask no man if he be a Populite. Z Republican, voted for Kolb, whether ht voted for Kolb or voted for Jones whether he went wild with Bryan ol crazy with Palmer and Buckner (Laughter) I was willing to come hert | and clasp hands across the bloodS chasm. North and South, East anc | west. l came here pluribus llnum (Laughter.) l was sent here from the grand old county of Dallas, not exactl, a nt representative but one of the few Tn that county that might possibly rep. | resent the best elements and the best interests of that county, and I would rather stand here today and represent
 Dallas County than to be a delegate rom the State at large, or from an, district in this State. (Applause
 Now my friend from Chambers sait something in regard to the Commtttee', report. Is the report of that Com
 mlttee wrong? MT. President, is there any delegate upon this floor that car rise up, place his hand upon his hear
 ana say to this Convention that tha
 committee did not do exactly wha
 they thought was right and was for tn,
 pest interest of the entire State. I.
 that report wrong? Of course the, |