The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-24

State. 21 years old or upwards, not la boring under any of the disabilities named in this Article. and possessing the qualifications required by it, shall be an elector, and shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people. MP. Beddow-I desire to offer an amendment.
 The Secretary read the amendment as follows: Amend by adding after the words United States in the first line of Section i, the following words, and every male person of foreign birth who. before the adoption O. this Constitu- tion, may have legally declared his in- tention to become a citizen of the United States"
 The President-The question will be upon the adoption of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Jeffer- son. Mir. Beddow
 Mir. Beffow-Mr. President, I feel safe, after hearing the learned argu- ment of the chairman of this commit tee, that this amendment will be adopt ed without a dissenting voice. As he has truly stated in his argument, the Democratic party of this State is pledged in framing the suffrage Ar ticle for our new Constitution to do it in a mananer so as not to disfracnhise any white person now entitled to vote under the present Constitution. If Section 1 is adopted as submitted by the committed, there are no doubt thousands of persons throughout the State of Alabama, who are good white citizens, who have declared their inten- tion to become citizens of the United States under the laws made and pro- vided therefor that will be deprived of the right of suffrage. In order to post myself upon this question, put myself n cnrroSnnn6pnaa with tho clerks nf' ha courts of record in my county, and I find that in the County of Jefferson there are at least 1,500 white citizens who have declared their intention to become voters, who have not, by req son of the law requiring residence of five years, been enabled to perfect their citizenship. I feel sure that no mem Der of this Convention has any desire whatever to go back on the pledges so recently made by Us to the people of this State, and that this amendment as offered by me will be adopted. By scanning the amendment, twill be seen that it relates only to those who at the time of the adoption of this Con- stitution have declared their intention to become citizens of the United States. The amendment will speak for itself. | MT. Watts-I would like to ask the gentleman a question. I understand you to say there are 1,500 citizens who are willing to become citizens of Ala bama, but for the inhibition of the law declaring against their voting until they have been here five years.
 Mir. Beddow-No, sir; under the law. the intention has got to be declared. and they cannot perfect their citizen | ship for five years.
 | MT. watts-But does not the present | Constitution of Alabama give such cfti- | zens the right to vote on declaring their intention?
 | MT. Beddow-It does: yes-but under Section 1 of this Article. they would not be entitled to vote if this Consti- tuition is adopted.
 MT. Lowe (Jefferson)-I rise to second the amendment of my colleague. the gentleman from Jefferson. I did not care to interrupt the argument of the distinguished chairman of the commit | tee. because it appeared to me that the | first section of the report of the com | mittee does not support what Is said. do not care to tell him we were un- | willing for one side of this controversy to get up a monopoly upon the wearing of the grey. I~did not care then 10 say | that no one Sde of this controversy should have a monopoly upon an appeal to history and the recollection of re- construction times. I thought, Mir | President, as the report of the com- n,ittee of which the distinguished gen. tleman from Greene is chairman, was
 read. 1t would be found how far the inconsistency existed between the re-
 marks which the gentleman submitted in so pathetic a manner. and the re-
 mort and the language that tife gentle
 man sought to nut not upon the statute
 books, but in the organic law or Ala
 hama. The gentleman referred to the | declaration often repeated in Demo- | cratic conventions, that no white mar
 was to be disfranchised. There is nc such provision anywhere In the repor'
 of this committee. and the first sectior
 of the report of the committee aims tc disfranchise those now entitled 10 Not. in Alabama. MT. Chairman, I second the adoption of the amendment or the
 gentleman from Jefferson.
 MT Cunningham-I had in mind pre- cisely the same amendment that was offered by my colleague from Jerfer'
 son. MT. Beddow. I shall not take UT inc time of the Convention Tn olscuss ine the merits of this question. excep to say this: I believe that the lnnlpl
 tion resting upon US in regard 10 th'
 disfranchisement of white men appiie' to those citizens of foreign birth who
 under the existing Constitution. have
 
 zens of the United States, and, there
 fore. have been permitted to vote 1T
 State, county and municipal elections understand the gentleman's amend ment aright it does not apply to GU
 zens of foreign birth who may herear fer undertake to qualify as citizens II
 this State. I will ask the gentleman
 from Jefferson if that is not his amend
 ment?
 MT. Beddow-That is my amendment MT. Cunningham-It applies only tC
 those who are here now, and l sin
 cerely hope, Mir. President and ap neal to this Convention, to adopt tha'
 amendment. I believe it will be a mis
 take not to do so, because you undoubt' edly knock out a great many white
 citizens of this State who are now qualified voters. In conclusion, let me
 say. MT. President, that for the las' eighteen years I have had very large and rather extensive, personal expert ence and business relationship with the foreign population in Jefferson County. and during that entire time l MT. President, to my personal knowl edge. not exceeding half dozen have haen convicted of crimes in the state of Alabama. Only about three have
 reached the penitentiary of your Stat' ana possibly as many or few more have heen sentenced to hard labor to
 Inc county. In their debt-paying ca
 nacitv. MT. President. there is perhap
 m 61e class of citizens in the State O
 Alabama that excels them; their crtul.
 as a rule, is good: they pay their depts I~g fsfTiZpnG.