The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-21

" ctt<4S. 8uu yet IT d NaSaucs cAtkNt>< happen in their County, although ev- cry man in the County should petition the Governor for one of those men to be appointed to that place. under the Constitution he could not pc appointed. It goes further, It thwarts the will of the people, even If they want 1t. he cannot be appointed by the Governor under this Constitu- tion.
 MT. oates-I think your statement Is a little too broad. Isn't 1t confined to offices which have been created or the ernoluments have been increased!
 Mir. Sentell-I was referring 10 the new section that has been adopted: Then there Is another consideration. II these extremes are resorted 10, IT we carry this section to this extreme. l am afraid we will create disrespect for the Constitution among a great many people of this State. There should be a good reason for making every change, and unless we have a good reason for making change IL seems to me we should retain what we have of the present Constitution, and for these reasons l hope that the members of this Convention VIII re- consider the Article passed yesterday.
 MT. Jones (Montgomery)-Mr. Presi- dent. in behalf of the Committee, de- sire to say a few words. The oniy new argument which has been made is ,sone based on supposition as to what the. Committee on Legislative Department will recommend, ana the argument presupposes that the Conven- ton will adopt it. It presupposes that we are going to make members of the legislature for four years, and not Tor two years. It is with great reluctance that I venture to differ on any ques- ton. from the policy put forth by the Committee on Legislative Department; but do not think I am a bold prom ct in saying this Convention VIII eject members of the legislature for four years instead of two years.
 All the arguments that have been made. if you run through them 10, logical end. come to this proposition, that there might be some hard cases and therefore the people ought never to limit themselves. This principle or Head us not into temptation, IS not put forth for the first time in this section. It comes from much higher and mixhtier sources. It may surprise some members to know that as far back as ls19 our forefathers declared in express words against third term. for the Governor of Alabama. Tney said that he should not serve more than four years in any six years. fes- terday my good friend from Biob. ana my gooi friend from Dallas, in gen tie way, rather lectured me for reg ing up the embers of past political blt- terness. My offense, MT. President. was that l stated truly notorious and open facts in the history of this State. My God, Mr. President, has 1t come to such a pass that member or thls Convention cannot allude to an h}s- torical fact, that Is true, without oelng charged with digging up the embers or some buried strife? trust that in the illustrations in support Of propo- sltions of the commit ee, I have tefn- pered my words witt 2eliberation, and that I have not St. down aught in malice; hut there are times when we rnust call a spade spade. Now my distinguished friend from Montgomery (Mr. Oates) said that he never heard of but one objection, instance of the ap- pointing power in this respect, and at the risk of bringing down upon my head some more cen3ure, I will Cell him that 1t WAS in my mind, and in the
 minds of thousands of people in Ala bama that in a session of the Lcgtsla- ture in the not very remote past, that an Executive appointed three members, for the first time in the history of the State. from the floor of the two Houses.
 MT. Oates-I want to disclaim that l ever did propose to bring down any thing upon the head of my friend, the delegate from Montgomery.
 Mir. Jones-I had no reference in the world to my friend-and l mean it when I use the word friend-I had no reference to him. l make no complaint because the gentlemen who gave the lecture, were my friends. l merely say it was not well founded. The whole question, MT. President. Is this: We have already said that the Governor was human; that he might be tempted by the possession of certain powers to do things that were not for the good of the State. The committee were not dealing with the Governors office alone, we were trying conscientiousiy it may be mistakenly. to reach human nature wherever we found it. Don't We all know that the independence of members of the General Assembly is often entirely killed by the considera- tion they think some office is in sight, and by supporting the measures of the Executive-it may be against their bet 
 themselves in his favor, and thereby secure an office? Don't we all know 1t? Now it is said. Mir. President. that good men will not go to the l4e2isla- ture of Alabama if you shut them out, not from all ofHces, but from all ap- pointmerts by the Governor for the term of two years. They say 1t is hard enough now to get good men. MT. President I do not fall in with the general censure of Legislatures never saw one that was quite as black as it was painted. l have seen assem- plies made up individually of men for a majority of whom I had the most profound respect. yet when they got under this, the subtle influence, the hypnotism of the appointing power they did things which almost univer- sally met with disapproval. venture to make this suggestion: There will be less difficulty in getting good men tc go to the Legislature when the Scrarn- ble for the office ceases. and when il Is not confined to men who want to go there because it may give them a leverage on the office of Probate Judge or Solicitor or something else. l may be pardoned for repeating conversa- tiun, which Illustrates the position which I maintain. with one of the greatest jurists that ever adorned the Bench of Alabama or elsewhere in this Union-Chief Justice George w. stone
 In the bitterness which prevailed 2I times in 1892, some of us thought per hare if We could remove from the helI of strife the two candidates whose claims then engrossed the attention of the people of Alabama it might tend to the public good. With that purpoSs I was in hearty sympathy. l had tht hnrnr tn call nn lndCe George w