The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-25
CONVENTION IS PLEDGED
 TO SUBMIT INSTRUMENT
Continued from Page Ten.)

Mir. Espy-Who will 1t save expeHSe, to us or to the people?
 Mir. sanford-I do not hear the ques- lion.
 MT. BrowneI would like to answer the question:
 MT. Sanford-It is not saving ex- pense; it is paying expense. The State hoes that. It does not merely benefit the newspapers it benefits the people. MT. Espy-You misunderstood the question. I want to know who gets the benefit of it?
 MT. Sanford-The people get the benefit of 1t. It is intended for their benefit. It is intended to give them the arguments why, they should adopt or reject this constitution, their organic law. It is for their benefit. And what is the expense for two million peopief Eighteen hundred dollars. two thou sand dollars. how much per man Is 1t? A cigar or a glass of beer and they understand everything connected witp the proceedings of this great conven- tion, engaged in making the organic law of our State. I therefore nope gentlemen, that you will adopt the re- port of the majority. The expense Is frifiing; the benefit is infinite to the people and for these reasons l hope that you will sustain the report.
 Mir. .Greer-I regret exceedingly to be compelled to dissent from the views of the distinguished and eminent gen. tleman who has preceded me in sup port of the report of the majority or the committee, but, sir, the divine word of God says to us be ye doers. The people of Alabama today are not so much interested in what We say in this conventions; 1t Is what we do, and the Journal read there shows what IS done here. That is what the people Of Ala bama, I say are interested in, and not what we say. I am compelled to re- peat what has been said on the floor of the convention, that the orators or this convention alone will be benefited by the adoption of the majority report; we have not come here to make speeches but to do the will of the people who have sent us here. They might appear somewhat to disadvantage, If that report were adopted. It is not to be assumed, Mir. President, and we do not admit that the constitution framed by this convention will ever go to the Supreme Court. I believe that the wisdom and judgment of this conven- tion will so frame constitution that all will be satisfied that 1t will be within the scope and will not be in violation of the fourteenth and nfteentn amendments of the Constitution of the United States. do not believe, I cannot believe that the discussion on the floor of this convention would shed any light upon what Is done nere. and should the question not De raised in the Supreme Court, and should IL be raised in the Congressional halls m an effort to cut down our representa- tion, the very gentlemen who are so anxious to have their remarks pup lished would like very much to have them erased. In view of those facts, MT. President, I call for the question.
 (Cries question.
 MT. Heflin-Mr. President, desire to say a word or two. It appears to me, MT President. that 1t is out Of order entirely for this Convention to have tnis stenographic report, because the news papers,-it is their business to get up this news, and they do it, and they are to be congratulated on giving to the people of Alabama whatever has occurred here. It is the duty Of the Secretary of this Convention to keep the Journal of the proceedings Of this Convention, and it occurs to me that this is useless expense to. have a stenographic report. and also to nave A Secretary and an Assistant Secretary for this Convention. The newspapers, day by day, will give the proceedings of this Convention. The secretary will keep the. Journal of this Con- vention. and that is all, it occurs to me. that Is necessary. Besides that
 MT. ONeal Gauderdale)-Mr. Presi- dent, my information is that The Ad- vertiser published the stenographlc re- ports as a matter or courtesy to these reporters. Now does the gentleman un- dertake to state if this majority re- port Is defeated that The Advertiser will continue to furnish stenographic reports of the proceedings of this Con- vention.
 MT. Heflin-No sir. I do not, MT. President, and the gentleman misun- derstood me.
 MT. O'Neal U.auderdale)-My infor- nation from The Advertiser and the other papers is that stenographic re- ports will not be published unless there is a reporter employed.
 Mir. Heflin (Cha simply de- sire to say, MT. President, in reply to that, that we do not expect The Ad- vertiser and these daily papers to give out to the people of Alabama steno- graphic reports at their own expense We do not ask them to do 1t. But MT. President and gentlemen of this Convention, 1t has been my experience with these papers in the Legislature of Alabama. that you see on the fol- lowing day all that occurred yesterday in the General Assembly. They owe it to the men who patronize their paper MT. President, and they delight in do- ing it.
 MT. Weatherly-I will ask you if the ordinary newspaper report would be considered as an official account of the proceedings of this Convention? As I understand it, this will secure an off cial and permanent official report that will be a part of the archives of the State. Now I ask you whether or not that will be done by mere newspaper report?
 MT. Heflin (Chambers)-I reply that I do not consider that 1t will be, nor do think that it is necessary that it should be.
 MT. Dent-1 would like to ask the speaker a question.
 MT. Heflin (Chambers)-Yes sir.
 MT. Dent-I believe you were mem- ber of the Legislature?
 MT. Heflin (Chambers)-No. sir. was not.
 MT. Dent-Well. whether you Mere or not, is 1t not fact that there was a great deal of confusion and uncer. tainty about the records of the Legis- Iature, and a great many charges of irregularities.
 MT. Heflin (ChambersS-Yes, sir, that is my information.
 MT. Dent-And it would have been avoided if there had heen 2 stenc= graphic report of the proceedings.
 MT. Hefiin-That is my information