The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-12

| presumes that the gentleman would prefer to have his minority report con- sfdered when those sections are read. The Chair was about to ask the gen. | tleman what his pleasure was in ref erence to that, when the gentleman from Lee arose. The question is on the motion of the gentleman from Mont | gomery that the article be now con- | sidered section by section. The motion was carried. The Secretary read section 1 of the Article as follows:
 An ordinance to create and define the Executive Department.
 Be it ordained by the people of Ala bama in Convention assembled, That Article of the Constitution be strick- en out and the following Article fn- serted in lieu thereof:
 ARTICLE v.-ExEcUTIvE DE- APARTMENT. Section 1. The Executive Depart ment shall consist of a Governor, Lieu l tenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor. State Treasurer, Attor- mel General. Superintendent of Educa- | tion, Commissioner of Agriculture and | Industries and a Sheriff for each County. The President-what will the Con- vention do with the section that has been read.
 Mr. Oates-I would like to inquire of the Chairman of the Committee, what is the necessity for retaining in the Constitution. like the present one. State Auditor. and State Treasurer? Why retain the word State? Why not just have it Auditor and Treasurer? MT. Jones (Montgomery)-Personally do not see the slightest objection to striking 1t out.
 Mir Oates-Then move to strike out State just before Auditor. and State" before Treasurer. We are not dealing with the Auditor or Treasurer to be useless repetition.
 The President stated the question was upon the motion to strike out the word "State" where 1t appears state Auditor" and State Treasurer" in the second line of section 1.
 The President-Will the gentleman reduce bis motion to writing.
 MT. Oates-The Secretary. I presume, will take it down. It is very short. second line before Auditor" and the word State" before Treasurer" in the same line.
 The motion was carried.
 MT. Long (Walker)-T have an amendment desire to offer.
 The amendment was read as follows: Amend the ordinance by striking out the words Lieutenant Governor" wherever they appear in any section of the ordinance.
 MT. Oates-Mr President, a point of order
 The President-The gentleman will state the point of order.
 MT. Oates-We are considering the first section. The gentleman cannot offer a sweeping amendment to the whole article but only to that section
 The Presidential the opinion of the Chair. the point of order is well taken. The gentleman can offer the amend ment to this section.
 MT. Long CWalker)-I offer 1t as far as it applies to section 1, then.
 The President-To strike out the words Lieutenant Governor?
 MT. Long (Walker)-Yes.
 The President-The gentleman from Walker moves to amend section l, by striking out the words Lieutenant Governor" in the first line.
 MT. Long (Walker)-Mr. President. I offer that amendment because I think it is unwise to create the of1ce of Lieutenant Governor in this State Under the Constitution of 1867, Re- publican Constitution as it Nas called. the office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the State of Alabama. among others, remember well when the Democratic orators went all over Ala bama, into every hamlet in it. asking that the people ratify the Constitutio" of 1S75 and the main argument was that it abolished the office Of Lieu tenant Governor in the State of Ala bama. I contend that We no more need the office of Lieutenant Governor I.;1 C&oX X1 hn npadA wheels. Why Mr President, it leaves it optional with the Legislature to fix the salary for the office of Lieutenant Governor. It is reasonable to suppose that a man running for that great of- flee would ask for at least fifteen hun dred or two thousand dollars saalry. It takes away the right of the State Senate to name their own presiding officer in that body, and can see no danger in our present form or gov ernment, if the President of the Sen. ate and Speaker of the House shouicS succeed, as their names appear, to the office of Governor, in case of the death of the Governor ,or for any other req son.
 Why, MT. President, we have pledged our faith, and we have gone before the people of Alabama and all the orators have pledged themselves to make only the few changes in the Constitution that are needed. We were called to- gether, not for the purpose of creating more offices 1 was unfortunately a member of the last House of Repre- sentatives, which has been cursed all over Alabama for appropriating un- necessary and unneeded money. and now we are asking the people to rat fly a Constitution. and creating by that Constitution another high office in this State.
 Why, in my humble judgment. the very mention of Lieutenant Governor in the Constitution will take from Us ten thousand votes among the hill-bil- lies of Alabama. Many of the people were taught to hate it by Democratic orators, and 1 was one of them. When but a boy, fifteen years of age, in seventy-fve, l attended some of the Democratic meetings, and the first men I had seen since the Yankees that came in there with store bought clothes on. were these Democratic speakers, and they fought to a finish the Lieutenant Governorship in the Republican Con- stitution. It was then and there that l learned to despise the name of a Lieu tenant Governor, and I learned it from such men as John T. Morgan aud oth- CTS in this State. l can see no use for this office, and 1 hope this Convention will consider well the fact that need less offices should not be created by this body. 1 do not believe that a sound and sane reason can be given why we should have 1t. I have al- bolt ho ha