The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-08

| SNSt by luG way, LHdt oiS A'~e mentative. The speeches that nave been made upon this floor demonstrate that all the small men on the noor | are not limited to the legal profession. Gaughter.) The statement of a gen. tlernan on this floor that no circuit solicitors have been working in their interest demonstrates that he ie either blind or has sat here with his eyes shut.
 MT. deGraffenried-Wil the gentle man tell me who they are? .. Mir. Graham-If you will look around here for about three minutes, and not run up against one in the lobby right now. I'll-well-no use to say anything further. UaughterD Mir. .deGraffenried-I have never seen them.
 MT. Graham-I have not been person. ally approached, but I can designate solicitors who have been talking to men on this matter, on which side. 1 cannot state. That is by the way. I want to argue this matter not from that stand point, not from any personal stand point, because I have no grudge against any solicitor in Alabama and nothing personal inspires my position, but l want to answer the argument of the gentleman from Walker, who says we are going before the people of Alabama with sixty-six new offices created for lawyers. How does it stand now? We have thirteen circuit solicitors in the State. We have six teen city solicitors in the State, not deputies. We have about fifty deputy solicitors in the State, making a total of seventy nine under the present sys- tenn. Then how would it be damaging fr 11 1nfo he for it to go out that we recommend only sixty-six. I can point you to three counties in this State that have three and four solicitors each. The county of Calhoun today has a circuit solicitor, a city court solicitor, with concurrent Jurisdiction, and the deputy county eolicitor-three in one county. The gentleman from Madison tells me the same thing exists in the County of Madison. I believe there are four in the county of Jefferson. and there is no reflection upon any gentleman there. It is on the line of reform and economy that I speak. Last year the State of Alabama according to the Auditors re- port paid to circuit solicitors of this State. $32122 and those thirteen cir cult court solicitors paid into the State Treasury in fees that they earned, $19, ,053. making a total loss to the State of Alabama of $12,1e9 on thirteen of- ficers. Can you make 1t any worse than that? Gaughter.)
 MT. Ferguson-Entailing loss to the State of Alabama?
 MT. Graham-To the State of Ala bama a loss of $120o0 in round num- bers for thirteen men. The thirteen circuit solicitors had sixteen counties carved out of their circuits in which all of the fees went to the local soli- citors.
 MT. Ferguson-I wish to ask another question. The Judges and Chancel- lors and other State officers, are they required to pay their way as they go?
 MT. Graham-No sir, because they are not on fees and never were. The fee system has been in existence all the while for solicitors and they have turned the fees into the State Treasu- ry,, until the change to a a.salary basis and the State has lost $12,000.
 Mir. Ferguson-May I ask the gen. tleman another question?
 MT Graham-I have only five minutes more time, and I must decline to yield. I decline simply from lack of time without any intention to be discourteous. l would like to have an all day discussion with the Gentleman and dinner on the ground" if we had the time. Daughter.
 Thirteen circuit solicitors who lost the State $12.000. Can you make it any worse? There are sixteen county or city solicitors who retain their fees in their local counties and do not con- tribute anything to the State. How does this sound with reference to counties? Here is a little Populite nn nfNr xnvh big enough to be solicitors" The little county of Franklin, represented here by Populist ByarE. pays into the State treasury $l,026 for fees in one year, and the great big Democratic county of Hale pays in $44. (Applause). What is it but this iniqIitous system that makes the discrimination? The little county like Franklin with Popu- lites contributing more than $1,000 a year, and the great big county like Hale with three or four representa- tives here in the Democratic party con- tributing only $44.
 MT. deGraffenreid-The people are law abiding in Hale county.
 MT. Graham-Now there is another argument 1 wish to use here. I did not by the way use the term populite in derision. l used it to answer these gentlemen who argue that if they adopt this system. it will work to the good of Populites or Republicans in small counties. Gentlemen, are We here to frame a Constitution which says the Democratic party shall for ever be perpetuated in control of this State. or are we here on the higher plane, to reform the suffrage, and base the privilege of voting on intelli- gence and virtue. and then let the in- telligence and virtue of the State rule and dominate it without reference to the party in which it may be found? I am a born partisan and will always be a partison. but God forbid that 1 should ever become so narrow minded and so small that I would deny the right to rule to the intelligence and virtue of this country, simply because it may be transferred to the Repubi can or some other party. We cannot make the solicitor system any worse They say corrupt Influences will get in. that Republicans and Populists will be elected. I would like to know if the Democrats don't get out in the open and take their chances of electing Pro- bate Judges and Sheriffs and all county officials? Is the election of Probate Judges of less importance in this State than the office of solicitor? I would like for you to answer that question. They say that it will be corrupt. I cast no reflection on any solicitor in this State. but it seems from reading the reports of solicitors made to the At torney- y-General that the saloon men and gamblers. except negro crap shoot