The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-12

any circumstances. You elect a Gov ernor and that Governor. as has been said, is subject to all the ills that flesh | is heir to. He Is liable to die, he Is | liable to become infirm and disqualified from discharging the important duties
 of his high and elevated position. In that event, someone else must take his position. someone else must take up the power that he lays down. Who shali if be? That was question that aritated the minds of the leading men of the State of Alabama but a few months ago. If we lose our Governor, If death should strike him down, then who will place upon his shoulders the robe that the people have placed upon the shoulders of, their Chief Magistrate? The peorle did not select anybody to take it, and that was the question that axita ated the minds of many in the State of Alabama at that time. It is right
 ana it is proper that the people of
 Alabama should have voice in saying
 who shall preside over them in the
 event their Governor Is removed by
 death or by any other cause. Shall 1t be the President of the Senate? I say
 to you that the people of the State of Alabama had no voice in electing or se- lect,ng the President of the Senate to preside as Governor. He may be
 magnificent man. he may preside over that learned body with dignity and with fine ability and yet not be the man that the people of the State desire to occupy the high position of Cover nor. Therefore, I say that at the time they elect their Governor, they should elect a second man to take up the powers and the duties of that office, if,
 unfortunately. the Governor shall be removed. There is a strong disposition, 1t seems. to bring on fewer elections in this State, to permit the State officers to hold for a term of four years. Now suppose you elect your Governor and in fine course of a few months or of a wear he is broken down by death or prevented by some other cause from filling that office? Then some other man that your people never thought of, that the people had no vote in selecting, presides over them for three | or four years, as the case may be. | Therefore, I say, MT. President. let the people at the same time they select their Governor, select man to take his place in the event the Governor Is stricken down. No harm can result from this. It is but saying to the peo- | ple select two men, one as your Gov ernor and the other to preside over you in the event of his removal"
 It has been said by some that some people in sections of Alabama would object to this, that we could not go back among the Hill Billies with this
 kind of a Constitution and expect them to ratify 1t. desire to say this: When I cast my eye around this hall and see the magnificent assemblage of Ala
 bamians that have gathered here, when
 [ reflect that they are all animated by one earnest and patriotic desire, l have no doubt but what Constitution will here be framed that will be sane tioned by the people and that will prove a blessing to the State of Alabama for years to come. Let us then, MT. Pres ident, act with the best lights before
 us. Let us trust the people. confide in them, do our work well and in this in-
 stance say to them: Tt has been pos- sible that some man should preside over you as Governor whom you have not had the privilege of election. but hence. forth your Governor, whether he be Governor or Lieutenant Governor, the man who presiues over your destinies as Chief Executive shall be a man Of
 your choice and a man for whom you have voted at the polls"
 MT. White--I doubt whether l can l add anything to what has already been said. but 1t occurs to me that we | should consider this question and ce- IeTnlTC u upOIl SOutiA lCdbOhcs W S are told that certain classes of our fellow citizens living upon the hilltops | may oppose it. l have great consi- | dence in the people. In fact, have so much confidence in them that l am l never afraid to do right. because I be- lieve they will alway sapprove If that | which is right. The Chief Executive of the State Is the chief officer of the
 State. By him the people of the State | are judged. By him the laws of the | State are enforced because it becomes his duty to see that the laws ar exc | cuted. Great questions of policy, great economic questions are presented
 which must be decided by him. He stands above every other office in the | State in dignity, in power, and in au- thority. Then we should select him with more care and with more caution than we should any other officer, the
 selection of whom devolves upon us
 and if the Chief Executive fills this
 high station, and must meet these re- | quirements, is 1t not important tha'
 he who might succeed the Chief Ex- | ecutiye should at least fill the require
 ments and meet the demands that we
 would expect of the Shief Executive | himself?
 It is now understood by this Conven- | tion. this very article itself proposes | that the term of this officer shall Dc | extended to four years By that very l act we double the chances of the deatf
 or disqualification of the Chief Exec
 utive. He must live through foul
 years and be able during that time te
 discharge the duties of his office
 Heretofore his term was only two
 years. Aside from this whether we se-
 lect the best man or not, we know we
 have selected him and we are satis'
 fled. Then there is 1t seems to me
 this great difficulty, not yet present
 ed, except merely suggested in the cut
 line given by the Chairman Of tho
 Committee. The Governor and tht
 Senators who are to select his success
 sor. if 1t Is to be left to the Senate
 are selected at the same time. suppose | for any reason, the Governor should
 not be capacitated to enter upon the
 discharge of his duties or suppose rs
 should die before he became qualified
 what is the result? At once wran'
 gle begins in the Senate, with the term
 of the Governor then expiring, Wran'
 gle over the selection of their pcesid' | ing officer. His qualifications as pre-
 siding officer are laid aside and for
 gotten. The ambitions of men and the | intrieues of men enter Into that qUes-
 tion and into that controversy. How
 long may that deadlock Last? Who
 can tell when they will decide whc
 shall be their presiding officer during
 that long time-who will discharge the
 duties of that office. I say to you, MT
 President. and gentlemen of the Con. | vention. there is nothing so momentus
 so full of danger to the people as
 threatened dual government. It seems