The age-herald., 1901-07-24

The previous question was then order ed. Judge Coleman. chairman of the committee, allowed MT. Beddow ten min- utes of his time to close the debate.
 Mir. Beddow said the question was whether we should keep our pledges that no white voter should be dlsfranchised except for crime. When we met in Bir- mingham every delegate present there pledged themselves to stand up to that platform, and yet in the very first sec tion we propose to violate them. There are men in my county who would be dis franchised by this section who are the peer in intellect of any delegate on this floor. Shall we go back on our pledge to the friends who sent us here? Are not the pledges made to my people as binding on me to-day as when made them, and if we do not have suffrage re- form until I violate them we will never have 1t.
 Judge Coleman said the platform only said that it would not deprive any white man of the right to qualify himself to vote.
 An aye and nay vote was bhen ordered on the amendments. The Smith amend ment was adopted by a vote. of 90 to 2S and the Beddow amendment by a vote of 70 to AS. The section as amended was then adopted sF
 On motion of MT. Lowe of Jefferson the privileges or the UOOT MSIo SAISiluSN tO Hon. Sidney J. Bowie.
 Section 2.
 Section was then read as follows
 Section g. To entitle citizen to vote at any election by the people he shall nave resided in the State at least two years, In the county one year and in the pre- cinct or ward three months immediately preceding the election at which he offers to vote, and he shall have been duly regis tered as an elector and shall have paid on or before the first day of February next preceding the date of the election at which he offers to vote all poll taxes que from him for the year 1901 and for each subsequent year provided that any elector who within three months next preceding the date of the election at which he offers to vote has removed from one precinct or ward to another precinct or ward in the same county, incorporated town or clty' shall have the right to vote in the pre- cinct or ward from which he has so re- moved if he would have ,bedn entitled 10 vote in such precinct or ward but TOT such removal.
 MT. Lowe of Jefferson moved to add af- ter word vote" in fifth line the words and each year subsequent to the last election" He explained that his amend ment required the tax to be paid in the year in which 1t was due.
 Judge Coleman explained that the sec ton allowed man to vote if at any time before February in any year he paid up his taxes. He moved to lay MT. Loves amendment on the table. This was done by a vote of " to 25.
 MT. Ashcraft of Lauderdale offered an amendment to substitute the word elect or for the word citizen in the first line. This was tabled.
 MT. Howell of Cleburne moved to a. f7oaf hxyr f-tr NY,1t NnQ dence in the State and six months in county to vote. This was tabled.
 MT. Pillans of Mobile moved to insert the word person for citizen in the first line This amendment was adopted, and the section as thus amended, adopted.
 Section was adopted as follows;
 Sec. 3. All elections by the people shall be by ballot, and that elections by per sons in representative capacity shall be viva voce.
 Section 4 was read as follows:
 Sec. 4. The following male persons of this State, who are citizens of the Uni ted United 21 years old or upward who, If their place of residence shall remain un- changed will have at the date of the next general election, the qualifications as to residence prescribed in Section of this article, and who are no disqualified under Section of this article shall, up- on application, be entitled to register as electors prior to the first day of January, 1903, namely:
 i. All who have honorably served in the land or naval forces of the United States in the war of 1912, or in the war with Mexico, or in any war with the Indians, or in the Civil war between the States, or in the war with Spain, or who honorably served in the land or naval forces of the Confederate States, or of the State of Alabama in the war be- tween the States; or
 2. The lawful descendants of persons who honorably served in the land or naval forces of the United States in the war of the American Revolution or in the war of 1872 or in the war with Mexico, or in any war with the Indians. or in the Civil war between the states, or in the land or naval forces of the Confederate states, or of the State of Alabama in the war between the states; or
 8. All persons of good character and who understand the duties and obligations of citizenship under republican form of government
 There was a minority report on this section signed by Messrs. White, Dent Harrison and Oates attacking the consti- nationality of the grandfather clause.
 MT. Beddow moved to amend by adding after the words United States the words 'or male foreign citizens who have de- clared their intention of becoming citi- Zens." This was accepted by the commit tee.
 The convention then adjourned until to- morrow. ;ts