The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-02

the interests of the Democracy St tcart. There cannot be excuse sivin on account of white supremacy, te- cause I tell you white supremacy can take care of itself and 1t will talk care of itself in the registration between now and January 1, 1903.
 Mir. BarefieId-I wish to ask the gen. tleman a question.
 The President pro tem--Will the gnn- tlefnan yield?
 M. Long-Certainly.
 Mr. Barefield-If the property qaali- dicatiof is the only qualification under which 8 man can vote!
 Mir Long-1t is the only qualification after 1903 except an educational quail fication.
 Mir, Barefield-Well, then, suppose a man is not educated and has SS0o CT property?
 Mir. Long-Then, he may vote, but suppose he is not educated and has rot $500 worth of property, thea he cannot vote. Is he any better because ne mas $500 worth of property or SS,0Go worm of property? You make the difference right there in your own question. You say that a man is entitled to vote be- cause he has welded a woman who has forty acres of land or $500 of property, or has it in his own right, you might as well say that man with & country mule only should vote.
 President Knox resumed the Chair.
 MT. Waddell-Dd the House on yes- terday not adopt the old rule limiting the debate to ten minutes on amend ments?
 The President-Tne present occupant of the Chair was absent. The Chair Is informed that the gentleman from Wal ker has about one minute more.
 Mir. Long-Thanks to the interruption O. the distinguished gentleman from Russell The wicked flee when no man pursueth. Naughter.)
 MT. Weatherly-hir. President and gentlemen of the Convention, 1t is SC rit what astonishi is to me that gentleman of ths intelligence du3 GU ok apprehension Of the gentleman NI;.h has just taken hi., seat should mis- aprrehend the purpose and plan of sitr- flae, as reported Dy the Committee should so widely misapprehend It as tis remarks show lie las ione. It is astonishing to me, too, that the gentle man should deliberately offer an amend ment to this Section which definitely prescribed the qualifications of voters, and amendment which leaves 1t entirely to the Legislature-to their discretion to prescribe the qualifications of voters, after 1903. The gentleman has given us a very fulsorne diatrlbe here against certain qualifications in this plan of suffrage, and yet by the very amendment that he has offered, he leaves to the discretion of the Lesisla- ture, the power to prescribe the very qualifications that he condemns. The last provision of his substitute reads as follows: Provided the General As- sembly may make by law to become operative after January l. 1905. buSh other provisions for registering and voting not in conflict with this Con- stitutIon. MT. Long-Easn't the Legislature d. ways had that right? Haven't they al, ways the right. and should they not have the right to do anything not pro- hihited by the Constitution? Mir Weatherly-=Oh. yes. not prohib- lied by the Constitution. but we pro- nose to fix here definitely the chalifi.. cations for voters in the fundanentdl law and we have already heard. sup rose. there is not a delegate on this hocr who has not heard that at snrne tine or other. objections made to leaving it to the Legislature to pre- scribe the qualifications Of voters-in other words, it hns always been the policy e our State. as l uhderFtand It, that the Legislature should be power- loss to prescribe any extra constitu-
  plan offered here by the committee Is very simple. Between now and Janu- ary l. 1903, all persons who possess these simple qualifications in the tenn porary plan, will be ,at in to register and vote Those coming of age after that date the younger men. the com- ing genera ton. will have to possess the qualifications prescribed in this Section t. reading and writing is one of them. NN1FANFN 10T1k TsNV~ twel"e months in connection with the reading and writing clause. and then the possession of very small amount of property, not the possession of wealth, but of a modest amount of property Now the purpose of the com mittee was to fix some definite nualI- fication, both simple and t tine same l time easily attainable, by the citizen. remembering always that those who are voters now are made life electors under the temporary plan. So 1t seems tu me that the Anger and zeal of the gentleman are entirely misdi- rected and he has gone further-he has put it in the power of the Legislature, not only to prescribe these very qualia fications of reading and writing and the possession of property, but to do more: he has put 1t in the power of the Legislature to perpetuate the Board Of . Registrars so that they may pefpetu- ally require as a auaHficaton for vut- ing. good character and understanding of the duties of citizenship or any other kind of a clause. You cannot tell what the Legislature would prescribe under that power, which his amend- ment gives to them. and 1t is danger ous ] do not think the Convention care to hear further upon this subject. and therefore I move the previous question on this amendment md the section as reported by the committee.
 The President-The question is :hall the main question be now put!
 MT. Vaughan-l move to lay upon the table tho substitute of the gentleman from Walker.
 Mir. Long--On that I cali for the ayes and noes.
 The call was sustained
 The Presidcnt-Thc question is to ta- ble the substitute offered by the gen. t!eman fir m Walker.
 The vote resulted as follows:
 AYES.
 Nessrs President, Lomax.
 %Itman Macdonald,
 AAthnraft McMillan Baldwin,. Ranks, MHMllan. of WILCOX. Parefeld Malone,
 11cjhune Maxwell.
 pIarkwelL. Merrill.
 ponne Miller, of Marengo, lT