The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-31
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.

THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
 One hundred and sixteen delegates were present at S:30 o'clock when the | Convention reassembled.
 | The body immediately took up the consideration of the amendment offered | by Governor Oates excluding deserters | fron. the Confederate army from the | benefits guaranteed to old soldiers un- ! der the suffrage plan. Governor Oates concluded his remarks.
 Captain Dent of Barbour. spoke against the Oates amendment. He gave some of his personal "reminiscences of the war between tn. States and said he was willing to exclude deserters but he defended the men who were in many | cases absent without leave. | Mir. O'Neal of Lauderdale, spoke in support of>the Committee report and moved to lay the Oates amendment on the table.
 By vote of s2 to 10. the amendment was tabled.
 Judge Robinson of Chambers, sent up | an amendment providing that young men who will become 21 years of age | by 1905 shall be registered under the | temporary plan by 1903. He addressed the Convention and urged the body to | throw the strong arm of protection 1 around these poor young boys Judge Coleman moved that the | amendments be tabled. MT. Lowe Makes Denial. At this point Mir Lowe of Jefferson, ! arising to a point of personal privilege. made denial that he had charged dis honesty against thes Black Belt couD- ties. He said he stood squarely upon his speech on this subject. When any man has accused me on l nf 1t be the President of this Convention | or any member of this Convention, of | assaflng the Black Belt, he has said what is untrue, unjust and unjustifi- able" declared MT. Lowe with great deliberation. | He said he denied the right of the | Black Belt to assumes monopoly on all of the rascality in Alabama and de- clared that there has been more ras- city practiced in the white counties of l Alabama than was ever contemplated | by the Black Belt counties. The su- premacy of the white man in Alabama has never been in danger except in those counties where the negro held l the balance of power. Under the reg istration plan he declared there will be an increasing number of negroes registered every year.
 1 MT. Lowe said he expected to retire from political life. If he had political ambition he might have been following the lead of the majority and the com binations into which 1t had entered. He thanked God that he was not con- structed. on that plan. He declared that the suffrage plan did not seek to remedy conditions nor provide fair elections. The Committee had brought in plan that would, in the course of a few years. put the ballot in the hands of large per centage of ne- groes. and when the white people of Alabama will have divided, as some of the leaders hope they will do, the balance of power will be left to the negroes.
 MT. Lowe said delegates had put him ! in the category with Senator Pettus and Senator Morgan. He declared that he was proud to be with them on this great question.
 Speaking of General Pettus he said:
 There is no man in this Convention, from the President down. who will oc- cupy his seat as long as that old man | lives" He also declared that no dele gate on the floor would aspire to the seat of Senator Morgan as long as ne lives.
 The people ot Alabama are in revolt against the registration clause, Mir. Lowe declared. They are in revolt against the good character clause. lie said he was saying in the open what he was denied the right to say behind | closed doors and he was saying it in | the interest or his party and the peo- 1 pie, because the party and the people | desired fair elections. The report of | the Committee showed him plainly that it was the deliberate purpose of the Committee to perpetuate fraud in Ala bama and he would say his last word against it.
 The time of MT. Lowe expired and the question recurred to the motion of Judge Coleman to table the amend ment of Judge Robinson. By an aye and nay vote of 63 to 52 the Robinson amendment was tabled. l On motion of MT. Williams of Elmore. | the first paragraph of Section 4 was adopted by viva voce vote.
 The first subdiN ision Was adopted by | a viva Voce vote.
 The second subdivision, which is the grandfather clause" was then adopted l hv, a viva Voce vote, and Mir. Lowe renuested that he be recorded as voting against the subdivision because it 'is | undemocratic unjust and unfair, and it was so ordered.
 On motion of MT. O'Neal of Lauder dale. the third subdivision was adopted ] by a viva Voce vote.
 By an aye and nay vote of IDA to l4, Section and subdivisions as amended were then adopted.
 The amended section is as follows:
 "section f. The following male resi- dents of this State. who are citizens of the United States, and every male person of foreign birth, who, before the ratification of this Constitution. may have legally declared his inten-