The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-27

any purp0Se without the consent of the local authorities.
 Section 1s is old Section 25 renuIn- bered and is unchanged. ~>
 Governor Oates of Montgomery re- ported from the Legislative Committee Mir. Morrisettes resolution favorably. requiring the Legislature to reduce the fertilizer tag tax to 10 cents and to provide for maintaining the Agricultu- ral Schools out of the general fund. The Committee reported adversely the resolution of MT. O'Neal of Jefferson. providing for separate box for vote on United States Senator.
 President Knox Speaks.
 MT. Knox of Calhoun, President of the Convention, then took the floor on the grandfather clause of the Suffrage Ordinance. He argued that the States do not get their power to regulate suf- frage from the Federal Government. The States ratified the Fifteenth Amendment, but the States are su- preme and can do as they like in the matter of allowing their own people to vote. He denied that the soldier pro- vision was unconstitutional and that such qualifications only must be what all could attain. He illustrated by citing women who are citizens and yet cannot vote He showed by authorities that suffrage is a privilege and not right, and the State can do as 1t pleases with it so long as there is no discrimin- ation on account of race. color or pre- yious condition of servitude. The clause does not take the right to vote from any negro. It gives the right to both white and blacks. It would be perfectly right for the State to confer the right of suffrage on married men only. He was surprised at Senator Morgans position, now when he had taken exactly the opposite ground when the matter was being considered in North Carolina and had been almost deified in that State for what he had done. He was grieved that the Senator could think it all right to allow descendants of voters in 1867 to vote and object to our giving the right to the sons of men who had fought for their country.
 He paid his respects to the argu- ments of Governor. Oates and Messrs. White and Lowe and created some amusement in his reference to them. . MT. Knox received an ovation at the conclusion of his remarks. and on mo. tion of MT. Reese of Dallas, 5.Ooo copies of his speech were ordered print ed for distribution in the State. Gov eTn0r OdIeS ODJSClCo ClioCoNOhS S@ to give his reasons therefor, but was cut off by a decision of the Chairman (Mr. Graham of Talladega) that mo- ton to suspend the rules was net de- abtable.
 MT. Ferguson of Jefferson, followed Mi. Knox iN opposition to the report of the Committee. He differed only on "the grandfather clause" and he thought that unconstitutional He said tfers were many difficulties in the way of determining descent from old sol- diers. especially revolutionary soldiers. He illustrated how easy 1t was to es- tablish class distinction by saying that he had noticed it among the delegates. One hundred of them came from the counties and ffty-five from the State at large. These last would arrogate . superiority to the mere county defe- gate. Senator Morgan was not wrong in wanting to select the whole body of tha Caucasian race.
 Mr. Howell! of Cleburne, was against the majority report, and was only true to his conscience when he opposed the grandfather clause" which he regard ed as unconstitutional. He could not violate his oath to go in opposition to the Constitution of the United States, He regarded the clause as wrong In principle.
 Nil. Kyle of Etowah, opposed ''the grandfather clause" and while not a lawyer. he had sat as a juror. and after listening to the argument he was bound to dissent because we could not afford to take any risks. To place our selves in such an attitude would pre- vent investment of capital and he thought the clause could be easily left out and all the troubles removed
 Mr oP Cal dAlA~a fA from the Senatorial District composed of Cleburne and Calhoun, said he had canvassed Cleburne County and he had promised to vote for this grandfather clause" and they wanted 1t and expect ed It's adoption by the Convention. He did not think capital would be fright ened by such action and he endorsed the words of the able President of the Convention who was from his county.
 MT. F1tts of Tuscaloosa moved that a vote be .aken on the Section Mon dal at 12 o'clock. and pending con- sideration of that motion the Conven- tion took a recess until 3:30 D. m.