The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-03

ton which presented itself for consid- eration was. whom will we d.sfrancnise? The majority of the Committee on Suf- frage. backed by President Knox sad that the Democratic platform de- clared that no white man should be dis tranchised, except when convicted or ln- famous crime. Then outside of convict
 ed criminals (and who are are disfran-
 chised under the present Constituuon.
 there is no one to be disfranchised In
 this new Constitution but negroes. we all took an oath before taking our seats
 as delegates to this Convention to sup
 port thu Constitution or the Onte9
 states, which declares that the rlgnt or
 franchise shall not be denied to any one
 because he is q negro. Whether we
 would have it otherwise, or not. We
 swore to support it, and another plank
 not to violate the Constitution Of the United States in any part or the con stitution We were 10 make ineh m order not to disfranchise any white man however worthless or dishonest he might
 be, resort was had to the subterfuge or allowing all soldiers on any side In any of our wars to register and become vot- CTS for life whether they were faithful
 to their flag for the entire period Of en-
 listment or deserted. If the soldier served honorably any part of that period
 subyerted The records of the War De-
 partment show that in the Civil War Of
 1S61-65 there were but 2,4lO negroes rom Alabama enlisted in the Union army. No negroes were soldiers in any of our prior
 wars. Alabama furnished to the Confed- crate cause 100000 soldiers, but consid- erable per cent of these were conscripts. never got any further to the front than the conscript camp or If they did desert ed their colors the first opportunity; but this makes no difference under the new Constitution. All will claim that they honorably served, will register and be- come voters for life. It is anything else
 than complimentary to the heroes who
 though barefooted, ragged and hungry,
 into the very jaws of death, in the midst
 of carnage. the groans of the wound ed and dying and shed tears of sorrow
 when they stacked arms at Appomattox and Bentonville. If benefaction be con
 ferred on Southern soldiers let them be
 dodger. the moss-back and the deserter.
 The Convention voted down my amend
 ment to this end. The suffrage claus.
 "AIl who have honorabiy served in the
 land or naval forces" shall have the right
 to register and vote without regard to
 character or other qualification. 1t ,ix Is
 served would exclude a deserter. If
 soldier served faithfully. for year he
 honorably served for that period. all
 wards. The language of the Constitution
 is not that the soldier honorably served
 the period of his enlistment or until ie-
 Kally 0lSCnaTReu. NO, BIT Nhys ShS
 Benedict Arnold "honorably served the
 cause of the Revolution when fighting,
 and winning victories. but that honor
 able service ceased when ne oeserteo.
 personally know several instances where
 men in the Confederate army-yes. in my
 own company, and regiment-who served
 '.honorably'' and fought for years and
 the blue and fought on the other side.
 I will never by my vote equally honor
 them with the faithful. That is just
 kao d@an hnf
 ''Grandfather" clause is still worse. It
 is vioiative of the Fifteenth article of
 the Constitution of the United States
 because a discrimination is made against
 one anu even greater. without any test
 as to fitness to exercise the franchise. except that of race. which if right is too
 Constitution of the United States. An
 ether fundamental objection to this
 clause Is its un-American ant-Demo-
 political right. That belongs to the re-
 gal or kingly form of government and
 should never find place in the Constttu-
 of ciPi America nc @ whether it belongs to Judge Coleman's temporary or permanent plan of anfranchising all white men rascals, and unfit included.
 My contention has been and is that sub Stantially the same test. or standard of qualification and fitness should be ap-
 piled to white and black alike. and that
 
 keep the oath we have taken and accom- plish the desired end by lawful and prop CT means. The same tests. or standards
 of fitness to exercise the right Of suf- frage, making an exception, as to lack of book education, would be fair in favor of the old soldiers. This would constitute
 as many negroes as would the plan adopted by this Convention, and do 1t honestly. conscientiously and fairly. It
 would of course, disfranchise some unfit uuhifA Uhn less WnrthV Of heinz
 trusted with the ballot than a negro of
 intelligence and good character. 1 main
 tain that the test should be of individual
 worth and trustworthiness to use the ballot for the common good of the State. Elevate the electorate and secure honest
 elections. The negro is not d favorite should have been left to the States. Mir. Elaine. Garfield and other Northern statesmen claimed that the negro's en- fl anchisement was necessary to protect him from the unfriendly legislation of | the Southern States. l have cause for a greater grievance against the race, po- | vention. In 1870 when was elected to | the Legislature a negro ran against me. | In 1872 when I ran as the Democratic
 nominee for Congress in this district, l was defeated by a negro, Rapler the
 only time I ever was defeated in race | before the people but those occurrences
 do not warp my Judgment nor bias my My position has be en misunderstood by | some members of this Convention, and
 misrepresented by others. The President of this Convention, Mir. Knox, is, I pre- | sume, from his appearance before the | Suffrage Committee and his able advo-
 cacy of the measure, the chief originat- or of the plan of suffrage adopted by the 1 Convention. have no doubt but that | he and a majority of this Convention be- | lieve the plans of suffrage set fol tn in | this new Constitution to be wise 1 can | not fully approve 1t. l would be glad | to know that I am mistaken, but a close | study of 1t has not enabled me to see it
 in a favorable light The whole of the | temporary plan except the Third subdivi- l sion of Section 1S0 is tainted with uncon- | stitutionality and wrong principle. The | provision for three registrars for each | county of the same political party, in the | face of numerous precedents for minority | representation, does not indicate fairness
 nor honest non-partisan work. An | amendment was offered for one of the i but it was tabled. Why should it not | have been adopted if the boards are to
 be composed of fair minded men and you | desire an honest registration?
 After making a rule that no delegate
 should speak but one time, he waited
 until the four of us who made the minor | ity report against the grandfather | clause and eX-GOvernor Jones had spoken,
 and under the rules had no chance to
 reply, the President of this Convention
 made an elaborately prepared speech in
 reply to us. He claimed that l had trade | an eloquent protest against the dis | franchisement of the negro" ine gen
 tleman knew when he made that state | that I was as much in favor of disfran- | chising, or as he said of eliminating | from the electorate, ignorant, incOmpet- | ent and vicious negroes" as he was, but
 now. that I desired also to eliminate | from the electorate "the ignorant. incom-