The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-31

the motives, and. perchance, weaken the chance for the success of the cause we were called here to promulgate. Now. in conclusion, let me say, there | may be no fears that the Black Belt win not sustain the action of this Con- ventton. Like the soldier en duty, she kuows not how to disobey orders when
 her party speaks. She appreciates the
 wisdom and learning of many who com pose this Convention and has confi- dence, despite the ehaff that has been blown, that when the work is com
 pleted the fundamental law of this State will be worthy of endorsement. Her people are those of culture and re- fipement. the opinions of some news papers to the contrary notwithstand- ing. Her colleges are found at every county seat and her public schools ale most as numei ous as the readefs of The Birmingham Age Herald. We long for an influx of white people to take advantage of our fertile soil. healthfuI cline and popular schools. This influx will come when it is known for certain that there need exist no fear from our negro population.
 | believe, Mir. President, that the &C., ton of this Convention means not only a new era for Alabama, but marks the beginning of a new era for the civil
 
 floats above many isles of the sea. Our commercial interest extends through out the civilized globe. and believe the time will come when the progress sive strides of the English-speakin people will encompass the globe, and our principles of free government Will be embodied in the laws of every na- tion-yes, when America herself shall be bounded on the east by the rising sun. bounded on the south by the Ter redelfuaga. bounded on the north oy the auoroborealis and bounded on the west by Judgment day.
 Mir Bulger-It is not my purpose 10 undertake anything like an elaborate argument at this time. but simply and briefly to give some of the reasons for the position 1 occupy on the report or the Committee. On account Of the magnitude and widespread importance of the pending question. the Conven- ton has acted wisely in providing that every delegate shall have an opportu- nity to express his views. On this ffoor we have all the political parties. both State and national. represented-th Democrats. the Republicans. the Pop ulites and those few who yet have faith in the free silver and the gold. standard doctrine. believe it is right and proper that we have an expression of the views of all of those gentlemen. We are not making a Consultation for any particular section or any particu- lar party. We are making Consti tuition for all the people of Alabama. At the very threshhold of our efforts to solve this great problem with which we are confronted. we are met with two propositions, plain and simple. IS the grandfather clause constitutional1 IA f1,A fA0f AZ the Supreme Court of the United States? Will 1t stand the test of our own conscience? These questions. my friends, must be answered.; they must be answered today. When the hands of the timepiece that hangs on this historic wall have pointed to the hour or twelve, each man on this floor, for himself. must answer Yea, or Nay. In passing upon a great question like this time and labor should not enter into the consideration. The Committee is hopelessly divided. They have so an- nounced by presenting to this Conven- ton two reports-the minority and the majority reports. Both of these re- ports are backed by ability, by patri- otism and by honor. The majority say that the grandfather clause Is consti- tutional and right. The minority say that the grandfather clause is uncon- stitutional and wrong. What is a lay man to do? There are one hundred and thirty members of this Convention who are not members of this distin- gdished Committee. My friends, we are confronted with the necessity of investigating for ourselves. Unlike the distinguished gentleman from Jeffer- son, who addressed this Convention in the outset of this argument, I have the profoundest confidence in the pat riotism and in the honor of every mem- Der of the Suffrage Committee. l am not surprised that this Committee, af- ter six long weeks of research and thought and consideration, have pre- scented to this Convention an article on the suffrage that has not only attract ed the attention of the people of Ala bama. but of the people of the whole country. I say am not surprised that men like them should write an article on the suffrage that has attracted the admiration and approval of the people of Alabama. This committee does not come from any one place. The mem bers of it come from the cities and the country; they come from the Black Belt and the hill counties; they come from the mountains of North Alabama and the flat lands of South Alabama. They come from every section of the IdlS. tHcy arc AOI SOhAAhou 1O OhS occupation. On that Committee we have lawyers and doctors and mer- chants and bankers and farmers. No wonder they have written such a re- port. In support of the position of each side-of the majority and of the minority reports-they have not only entertained this Convention with their argument their logic and their oratory, but they have presented to us decis- ions upon this great question. l. for myself. have taken the time and the trouble to investigate every one they presented. I believe that four of the cases presented by the advocates of both the majority and he minority reports settle the question about which we have been talking so long. The case of Minor vs. Happersett in Fist Wallace. the case of the United States vs. Cruikshank. and the United States vs. Reese in the 92 U. $. Reports and the late case of Williams vs. The State of Mississippi. in my humble Judgment settle this question as to it's constitu tionalitY. They all decide the fuuda- mental principal upon which this clause must stand or must fall. They say that the Federal government has no power to regulate the right of suffrage in the States. Non-constat, the States have the right to regulate their own suffrage. Then we only have to read the fifteenth amendment which puts 8 limitation on our right to regulate suffrage. It says that no citizen of the United States shall be deprived of the right to vote lon account of race, col