The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-24

DuSlneSS TOT this afterDOoH VII s consideration of the report or the CoM'- mittee on Suffrage and Eiection. ,ns lne Convention had under consideratioh when if adjourned at noon Section l. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mobile.
 MT. Graham (Talladega) took the Chair.
 MT. Smith (Mobile)-The question as to the difference between the Constilu- tion of 1875 and the provision or the Article reported by the Committee on Suffrage and Elections was consldereo in the Committee at very consideraDie length, and the Committee intentional ly changed the qualification so as to deprive foreigners who had not become citizens of the United States, put who had declared their intention to become citizens of the United states, or tne right to become participants Tn the elections in this State. It was not pe- lieved by the Committee that that class of people as a general thing were interested in and attached to Repuo- lican form of government. They come here from various classes, and the larg- est proportion of emigrants coming to this country are not of the most ln- telligent or the most desirable class. They are people that come here TOT re- munerative wages, who seek employ ment in the mines and the other in- dustrial pursuits of this country. They come here, not seeking the benefits of our governmental institutions, TOT seeking the freedom of the United States of Am erica. They know little and care less about the governmental affairs of this country, and many or them live here from year 10 year and raise fa rr1flioo uifh really know the organization of our Government, or the system of it's laws and legislative enactment. Experience has taught the United States that they are not safe and good citizens until they have lived her at least five years, and shown to the satisfaction of the court by their conduct during that period that they are men of good moral character and attached to the principles of the Con- stitution of the United States, and well disposed to our Government and the welfare of the same. If it be true that it takes that length Of time to test them, and to test if their purpose here is to enjoy the advantages that are to be derived from this Government, and if we must have an opportunity to -ob- serve them and observe their conduct, in order to determine whether they are
 
 it seemed to the Committee that it would be turning loose an unfit e!e- ment into the electorate, to allow them to participate in elections in Alabama, until some opportunity is afforded our people for judging of their character and their conduct and their attach ments to our form of government. dn my section of the State there is 0 di- versity of elements. The Italian comes in, ignorant not only of our law, out of all existing law. The Swede is left there from the ships, with a tendency to freedom and a belief in it. The German, the Scotch and the English of the better classes come there with money and invest in the material in- terests of our country, but few of them, however, come under an idea that they are bettering themselves in the gov ernmental sense. They come not for freedom, but for business advantages, and there are gentlemen in our com munity of high standing, of high ed ucatiori, good men and good citizens, who have raised families there, but who are still devoted to the institu- tions and laws of the country from which they came. 1 have in mind one who is a good, intelligent, honest, pros- porous man, that has been there nearly thirty years. He is married to an American wife, has raised d large fam fly of children, his every interest is there with him, but he still believes in the government and laws of the Fatherland, and is today sending his children back to Germany to be edu- cated and imbued with the laws and institutions of that country.
 MT. Sanford (Montgomery)-Has he never declared his intention to become citizen?
 Mir. Smith-Never has, and never will, so far as that is concerned. We have another such there, one of the finest men 1 ever knew, of fine intel ligence and a good citizen. He has be- come citizen of the United States but he has been twenty years making up his mind to zee if he is attached to the principles of the Constitution oi the United States, and because he was unwilling to say so until recent years he has waited until this time to take out his papers of citizenship. If men of that character so cherish the mem ories of the countries from which they come, and remain attached to theiI principles. what can you expect of the laborer, the man who is without any knowledge as to our form of govern. | ment, has the customs and~laws of his native state instilled into him from childhood, what do you expect of him when he comes here? Do you expect him to appreciate our Government, dC you expect him to exercise properly the privileges of the franchise, and tC do it for the advancement Of a Re publican Government? I think rot Our country is not yet filled with in, habltant5, but the tide of immi gratioI | increases year by year, and the daS may come when the majority of thi. country will be largely of a foreign element. To allow the foreign element the electorate would place it in theil hands to at least modify, if not to con- trol. our institutions. and I believe il to be dangerous to admit any of then to the electorate unless they have not | only declared their intention, but have actually become citizens. Many gen. tlemen of the Convention know that 6 number of them will declare their in. | tentlon, not because they want to be. come citizens, but because as voter, they want to be brought together ir classes, or bunches of twenty-five cI nifty, and have their votes sold to can | uldateS for office, and there may be hundreds of them who declare tneil intention without ever becoming citi
 zens or, ever expecting to become citi 1SpS> or these United States, and I dt not believe that the eIectorate cugh
 to be thrown down before these peop,,
 10 De used as mere matter of ner 1 chahdlse. It was in consideration O | tnese views that the Committee chang ea the language ln the old Constitu
 ton ana excluded these people. The | lEFa h.