The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-12
ALABAMA'S CONSTITUTION.
Convention Will Adopt some Form
of Qualified Negro Suffrage.

of Qualified Negro Suffrage.
Mr.. John G. Harris, editor and pro-
prietor of the Alabama Baptist of Mont
gomery, and formerly superintendent of
education for the state of Alabama. is
making his first visit of a long life to SA-
vannah, and is stopping at the De Soto.
He has interesting views. and he dis
cusses them in interesting style. of the
present agitation in his native state for
the restriction of negro suffrage. The
constitutional convention, which it is be-
feved will devise a plan which will free
the state from the black shadow that in
certain sections has impeded its progress
and menaced the peace of mind of its
people is now in session az Montgomery.
IT have every. confidence" said Mr.
Harris last night, lin the wisdom, con-
servatsm and patriotism of the conven-
ton as a whole and of the members who
compose it. 1t includes some of the best
men in Alabama I am confident that it
will find a way to remove the danger of
negro domination that now hangs over
che Black Belt of the state. numbering
twenty or twenty-five counties, though
am not prepared to predict just how this
will be accomplished.
1T is a very real danger and we must
get rid of it. We shall be rid of it, too
for the convention will devise a plan that
will accomplish the end proposed and the
constitution as it comes from the con-
vention will be ratified by the people
Its members are going about their task
soberly and slowly and they will solve
the problem.
I'VE have a large number of upright
ana intelligent negroes in Alabama and
nobody wants to deprive them of the suf-
rage. They know how to vote intelligent
Is. they exercise the privilege of the bal
lot properly and they will retain it. 1t
is desired to get rid only of the purchas-
able element and of the crowd that can
be and is driven 10 the polls like dumb
beasts to the slaughter.
we want to strike a blow at the cause
and the occasion for bailot-box stuffiug
fra the BLACK Belt. In those twenty or
twenty five counties the negroes largely
outnumber the whites and if their votes
were always counted every one of these
counties would be dominated and con-
uoncd and managed by negro oficehold-
els. This our people cannot and will not
stand. They lealze, however. that the
course they have been compelled to adope--
as a means of self-preservation, is an
evil one, and they want to destroy the
necessity for it,
Mr.. Harris said that the best people of
Alabama, the most intelligent, upright
ard conservative citizens, were practical
J, unit in favor of a qualified negro
suffrage. Those who oppose it principal
ly are the demagogues, who hope to ride
into office on the popularity among the
negroes that is born of their opposition
Mr.. Harris enjoys the distinction of
being the only layman who is the editor
Of Baptist paper published in the
SC+th. The Alabama BAPTIST is the Off
cidl organ of that denomination in its
state and yields a wide influence Its
editor is visiting number of the coast
cities and islands, with view to writing
articles descriptive of them for his own
and other papers. He will be in Savan-
nah and at Tybee for the remainder of
the week.