The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-01

all those who have declared their in tention at the time of the ratshcstio! of the Constitution. Further those peo pie lose their rights unless they become citizens when they are entitled to be come citizens; unless they complete their citizenship, as required by th' Federal laws. think that ,tke propo sltion stated by the gentleman from Greene is unfair that foreigners wht may net even speak the English lan' guage. who may know nothing of oul institutions, and have no sympathy fol our government, may vote. The samt qualifications apply to him as to every body else. If he owns three hundred dollars W orth of property, he can vote or if his wife owns 1t. or if he can read and write the English language, or has good character He must come up tt the test, aud If he can come up to those tests and has heretofore declared his intention, why, it seems to me 1t i' not the harmful proposition that the bentlemen have insisted.
 Mir. Watts-I arise to a point of per sonal privilege. I desire to state that I have voted on this amendment under misappreheaGN1, and have voted each time against the amendment and each time have done 70 under mis- apprehension. and do net wish to be misunderstood when vote in favor o1 the amendment.
 Mir. Coleman-Upon a great question like this, while anecdotes sometimes H. lustrate very well, 1t 4seems to me they are out of place. The foreigner who comes with three hundred dollars worth of property. who may have no knowledge of our form of government and the proba bility he has none. that does not qualify him alone. The gen tlemen lose sight of what constitutes citizenship In this country. It is nec- essary to sustain the form of govern ment that we have. They must have some knowledge of 1t. They must not only have some knowledge of 1t. but they must be attached to the principles of government. and they cannot be simply from the fact that they have property. Now, MT. President. suffl- clent time has been consumed. The question Is with this Convention. So far as disfranchisement is concerned, 1t avails but little for one man to say so and SD, and for another to say he does not so understand 1t. It does seem. however, plain that If we make a provision by which man can become qualified. we do not disfranchise him. We must insert a provision by which he can never qualify as a voter, but we do not disfranchise him. He may disfranchise himself, as any other man may disfranchise himself. but certainly provision of this kind does not dis franchise him.
 MT. weatherly-I desire to know ii ;xrto AR to admitting persons of good character and who understand the duties and ob- ligations of citizenship, would apply tc these 619 foreigners. who have filec their first naturalization papers. Mir Coleman-I do not know that catch the point.
 MT. O'Neal-Good character would apply.
 MT. Weatherly-Would they com' on the same plan as the others?
 MT. Coleman-If they are citizens.
 Mir. Weatherly-But if the amend ment is adopted admitting these 61 foreigners-that Is what I understan' the number is-in order for them t. vote, wouldn't they have to show III a good character under the temporar plan, and wouldn't they also becom life electors?
 MT. Coleman-They would, think They would be electors without eve becoming citizens of the United State or of Alabama.
 MT. Weatherly-But they would hay to show up a good character.
 Mir. Coleman-They are not citizens but are made permanent elector whether they ever become citizens o not.
 A.. T- at Co nk trn if these amendments are adopted W are conferring a special privilege upo foreigners who have declared their in tention to become citizens, that W are not conferring upon native-bor citizens?
 MT. Coleman-As a matter of course Every member of the Conventio knows that.
 MT. Morrisette-Are we willing to d that?
 MT. Coleman-I am not.
 MT. Morisette-Is there anything 1 the platform that we should confe upon foreigners anything that we d not confer upon our citizens? l did nc make any such pledge.
 A reading of the amendment wa called for.
 The President-The question is upo the motion to reconsider the vot whereby the amendment offered by tn gentleman from Jefferson was adopted
 MT. Cunningham-I call for the aye and noes.
 The call was sustained. MT. Graham CTalladega)-A parlia mentary inquiry. Wasn't the amend ment offered by the gentleman frol Jefferson amended?
 amended unanimous consent. The amendmer of the gentleman from Mobile was aC cepted by unanimous consent. MT Long (Walker)-I ask for a read ing of the section.
 The Presidential seems to the cha that the section has been read three four times, and the question is on motion to reconsider. The ayes an
 noes have been called for and the ca sustained. All those in favor of rt consideration will say aye and thos opposed no when their names al calledA
 During the following roll call M
 Reese took the chair). -: AYES.
 Messrs President. Ledbetter Altman, Lowe uawrence). | Banks, ." McMilan (Wilcox)s Darefield. Miller (Wilcox), BulKer, Moody. ] Byars Morrisette. Cardon, NeSmith. | Carnathon. Oates. Coleman, of Greene. O'Neal Nauderdale Coleman. of Walker. O Rear, Cornwall, Palmer, Dent Pearce, | deGraffenreid. Pitts, | Fletcher. Reese l Glover. Renfro, Graham, of Talla- Robinson. dega Rogers (LoWndes), Grant, Sanford. GraVROn Sanford