The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-06
EX-GOV. JOHNSTON
SPEAKS AT PRATTVILLE
 AGAINST RATIFICATION.
Rev. John R. Caldwell Also Lifts Up His Voice in Opposition to the New Instrument-Speeches
 Fell Flat.

! ernor J. F. Johnston and Rev. John R. Caldwell were the drawing cards at the | court house last night in their .charac- | teristic talks" on the new constitution I to the anti-element of this town. Hon. | G. s. Livingston introduced the first speaker, Rev. MT. Caldwell, to a large
 audience. It was not relished by the op- position that those favoring the new con- stitutton were in the ma jerity in the large audience. but such was the facts. as was | easily noted by the humor of the listen CTS. The parson made his best efforts to ridicule the changes in the new constitu- ton; told many jokes, not very eelvating | in character: quoted from several per- sons in the audience as citizens. and in- cured some of their displeasure for the manner in which 1t was done.
 There were twenty or twenty-five negroes in the audience to hear these speeches. and while the parson was in the best part of what he thought was argument, there could be heard such ex- presisons from the negroes as ives Lord"
 ''dats right" groans, grunts, and similar expressions of approval. The main point of his speech was the effort he made to
 excite the prejudice of his hearers against
 the new constitution. and the men who
 are laboying every day now to see that
 1t Is ratified. This man Is a Baptist
 preacher; yet he said he thought the
 negro was out of the question in politics
 now and did not believe in making any
 changSs in the constitution. He said
 he hated the new instrument that it
 was wrong and he hated it on general
 principles. He said that the n,w con-
 stitution was conceived in sin, and
 brought forth in iniquity.'' After tell
 ing many jokes, and making frequent use
 of such expressions as turn jack
 good hand to draw to-" full house." etc.
 he sat down and the ex-Governor was
 introduced.
 Captain Johnston expressed pleasure at
 being able to address another Prattville
 audience, and immediately launched his
 strongest points against the ratification
 of the new constitution. Some of these
 were: He did not understand the new
 instrument He had read it several
 times. but was not now able to say what
 1t meant. He did not believe there was
 a man in the audience who did know how
 to construe the proposed instrument, 1t
 would require twenty years to construe the proposed constitution he thought.
 He tried to convince the audience that the new organ created 1Ss new offices,
 and said they were all to be filled by lawyers. The speaker did not leave any
 thing Dndone which he thought would tend towards exciting the prejudice of the hearers. He said Senators Pettus and Morgan, ex-Governors Oates and Jones. General George P. Harrison and Frank s. White were all opposed to the pro- posed constitution; but he forgot to say that General Pettus was here and ad- dressed a large audience last week in which he unequivocally favored the rati- f1cation of the proposed instrument.
 It is believed that the speeches of Messrs Johnston and Caldwell fell short | of the mark in so far as they were ef- | forts to excite prejudice. MT. Caldwell | declared that all the electors registered | under the temporary. plan in the proposed | constitution would be stricken from the | roll in the event that section should be decided unconstitutional.
 The speech of the ex-Governor follow ed closely the plan outlined by the first speaker. and the thoughts were practi- cally the same. In his talk on the suf frace clause of the new instrument, he saA1 he had all the instrument there end If any one wanted to hear 1t read he would read 1t, but on being asked by one man in the audience to read that part where it disfranchsed white men. the Governor refused, saying he would be pleased to give the gentleman a copy before he went home. It is understood that the man asking this favor of the Governor last night was against ratifica- ton. but today he has declared his in- tention of voting to ratify it.
 The Governor argued that the registrars would disfranchse many a man with whom they did not agree in politics, said he registrars would be appointed by of- icers in Montgomery, that the registrars would be manufactured in that city. and when asked by a gentleman in polite manner whether he intended to convey he impression that the registrars were to De of another county than the one for which they served. he refused to answer, moving that he desired to leave that inn but dared not to say as much before that audience.
 The speaker said there was one or two hings in the new constitution which were rood things. hut that every one of them vas there by his suggestion. That he suggested all the good sections found in hat large and long. complex" instru- nent The Governor semed to be about 1 IS self-conscience of his importance as yer. He said we had white supremacy | low and thought we should be satisfied with it; that if the new instrument should " any chance be ratified it would put the ontrol of every county in the black belt l ut two, in the hands of the negro.
 When he had finished there were loud aIls for J. M. Thompson of this county O make reply to these statements. but was said afterwards that some of the 6 opponents of the instrument had gone to ir Thompson and begged that he would lot undertake to answer them. Ii Is ertain that these speeches did not make my friends of the opponents Of ratifica- ion