The age-herald., 1901-08-14

to have the sheriff tried for impeachment, and during this time he could be sus-
 pended.
 This was a serious matter and de-
 parture from our system of government. The sheriff Is elected by the people Of county, and Governor should have no
 right to suspend him. One man ought not
 to have more power than the people of county It makes a czar out of Cover
 nor It brands the sheriff as guilty be-
 fore any evidence Is taken against him.
 MT. O'Neal of Lauderdale said 1t was
 a question of what right-not what would
 please any particular officer. Our gov
 ernment was of the people. by the people and for the people, not government or
 the sheriffs by the sheriffs and for the
 sheriffs. There Is no private property in
 an office Why should sheriff not be
 suspended if he violates the law? The
 Governor Is the chief executive officer and the sheriffs subordinate executive of
 ficers. If the Governor Is charged with
 enforcing the law he should have the pow 1 CT to do so. Since the war not a sheriff has been impeached for allowing pris- oner to be murdered. We should consid- CT what Is the interests of law and order
 and not what will please the sheriff. He
 moved to table MT. Longs motion. This
 was lost by vote of fl to 55.
 Speak for the Sheriffs. Judge Cobb of Macon favored reconsid-
 eration. He said that giving the Govern or the right to suspend a sheriff during impeachment proceedings was little short of monstrous We had never had any provision 1 nour constitution suspending any officer pending impeachment. The
 walls of a all ought to be holy from att tack without, but he did not think the sheriffs ought to be held to such high degree of care. The sheriffs as a class set were a law abiding set of men and enforced the mandates of the law. This was a matter of importance and the sher- | ifs should not be singled out for attack l Governor Jones then secHred the floor and moved that the vote whereby the sheriffs had been given two terms be re- | considered. On motion of President Knox who had resigned the chair to MT. Eyster, the consideration of this motion
 was postponed until after the considera- | tion of the former motion.
 The privileges of the floor were extend- ed to Congressman Joseph D. Poole. The convention then adjourned until 3:3O | o'clock.
 Afternoon Session.
 The convention reassembled at 3:3O
 o'clock. with Ill delegates present
 Governor Jones, who had secured the
 noor just prior to adjournment, pro-
 ceeded to speak on the sheriff question. Nothing but an imperative sense of duty would tmpel me to appear before
 the convention at this time, said the Gov ernor. We are here to discharge a solemn duty to our people. A committee of this convention has reported an article which this convention has solemnly adopted and we, are now asked to reconsideration
 what? What arguments are urged? Ap- peals to our fear? It is said that certain of our officers will pull down our work about our ears unless we agree to their wishes. We have had for years a law that when our solicitors are indicted they are declared ipso facto to be sus- pended Our Governor, the highest of ficer in the State, can be suspended when impeached. Look at this question as a matter. of common business sense. Is it anything improper that the people should see fit to intrust their chief officer with the power of suspending as inferior. Is there a man who will put an over seer on his place and tell him he must not remove hand no matter what he does? am no enemy of sheriffs. have
 had many dealings with them. and am their friend
 It is said that by this measure you dis
 trust the people. do distrust the people
 in some instances when their passions are
 aroused.
 What a farce 1t would be to put
 sheriff on trial in a county where mob
 rule reigned! The Governor then gave
 instances where prisoners had been
 taken from the sheriff and murdered In
 day light. A sheriff, he said. once had
 the audacity to write to a Governor that
 it was none of his business whether a.
 ,,,ap uyoo hrrg not.
 Where Is the harm in this proposition?
 The Governor by one stroke of the pen
 can arrest the operation of the whole criminal law. Can he not then be trusted to do his duty in this case? He is none the less human because he is Governor and will never interfere with the liveli- hood of an inferior officer unless 1t is necessary He will incline the other way Why Is 1t wrong or unwise for the sov- ereign people represented here to say that
 we regard this an evil to be corrected and that when sheriff takes his office, If he has been dereIict the Governor may re-
 move him. We are here to preserve our civilization.
 My God! Mir. President, has it come to this that fundamental law that no man is to be deprived of life, liberty or prop erty without due process of law is to be broken down because some evil brute has <Co,+tr,,ad oy, SsorS,ud Fa0ai