The age-herald., 1901-11-01
SERVICES FREE ID ANY WHITE MEN
 F DIST RANCHISED Sixty Members of Birmingham Bar Sign Pledge to Sup
 port Constitution
WILL DEFEND WHITE VOTERS
Woods Are Full of Speakers and Mem bers of Democratic Campaign Com mittee Are Jubilant--Richard
 croker on the Stump.

ONer slAly members or the Brmlngnam bar signed a pledge yesterday that they would prosecute free of charge the case fused the privilege of voting by the board of registrars provided for in the new con stitution. They also agreed that the re- gently framed constitution is far superior to the old and practically all of the prominent lawyers of this city in writing agreed to support 1t.
 The pledge or petition was presented to the lawyers of Birmingham by Judge Houghton and he stated last night that only three attorneys had declined to sign it.
 It Is said by Democratic Campaign Committeeman that this agreement of the lawyers to represent any white man If he be disfranehised will work as an off, set to the statement of the opposition leaders that a large percentage of the white men will lose their right to vote and that they cannot afford to file suit on account of the expense.
 Campaign News.
 1HSre was Soou leellnB III the DeI1lO- cratic Campaign headquarters yesterday over encouraging news received from Cherokee and Marshall counties. The former county is now expected to cast a majority for ratification and if Mar shall can be brought in line the Seventh District will endorse the new constitution. Chairman Underwood says he Is sure of every county in his. the Ninth Congress sional district. He is expecting a majority of at least three thousand in the county of Jefferson.
 Henry B. Gray, chairman of the county committee for ratification, is shelling the woods of the Birmingham district with argument in favor of eliminating the ne- gro vote from politics in Alabama. Mir. Gray and Secretary Parkes have speak CTS in nearly every beat in the county, and say they are receiving reports of the brightest nature. ''In fact" said Secre- tary Parkes, tits going to be a landslide. All we have to do Is to explain the new constitution to the people and they are for it.'
 Among those who spoke last night were w. W. Brandon at Warrior; s. D. Weak | ly at Thomas; R. F. Kolb and Robert
 Bell at Morris; Frank s. White and Hugh
 M. Morrow at Brighton. ~ Gen. c. M. Shelley of the opposition will speak at Bessemer tonight l Hon. Richard H. Clarke of Mobile has
 been persuaded to go on the stump, and the Democratic campaign committee an- | nounce his appearance at Bessemer fnIt
 be MT. Clarke's first campaign speech for some time. and the advocates of ratifica- ton are expecting great benefit from his | address to the people of Bessemer. pr. Phillips, Argument. In the October number of the Educa- tional Exchange, paper printed prin- cipaliy for the benefit of teachers, prints the following article from Dr. J. H. Phil lips, superintendent of the public schools l on the necessity of ratifytng the new constitution.
 '"The new constitution will soon be submitted to the people for ratification or rejection. What shall be the attitude of the teachers of Alabama towards this important question? It is true that it's educational provisions are not satfsfac- tory; it Is true that it does not contain such measures as the Alabama Educa- tional Association has insisted upon for nearly twenty years It is also true that its educational article is no worse than that of the old constitution; indeed. 1t is probable that 1t may prove a slight improvement.
 "But the instrument should not be judged by one article. The teachers of the State must judge the instrument as a whole. When thus considered we must conclude that 1t is incomparably super for to the oIu, and 1t becomes our plain duty. therefore. to aid in It's ratification. I would advise all teachers to enter heartily into the campaign for ratifica- tion. Nothing can be gained by the re- lection of the instrument-its failure would mean the indefinite postponement of all educational reforms. Its adoption will settle forever many of those grave issues that have long prevented even the consideration of educational problems.
 Another argument for the ratification of the constitution is the fact that It's provision for amendments is fair and reasonable Under the old constitution amendments are practically impossible except by indirect and questionable methods. If the Hundley amendment, which was submitted several years ago, providing for local taxation. had been submitted under the provisions of the proposed constitution 1t would have car ried without difficulty, and Alabama would long since have had local taxation in practice. Let the teachers work for the ratification of the new constitution, but at the same time let them serve mo-