The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-20

increased during the term TUT WhicA
 such member shall have been elected.
 The President-The question is one the amendment of the gentleman From
 Bibb to the amendment of the gentie-
 man from Limestone.
 MT. Pettus-I rise to question of in- quiry. Did the gentleman from Bioo
 offer that as an amendment to the
 amendment of the gentleman from
 Limestone ,or substitute for the entire section and amendment?
 Mr. Thompson-As substitute Tor
 the entire section and amendment.
 MT. Pettus-Then 1t is out of order
 because it is in the nature or an amendment-I withdraw the point .ct order.
 Mir. Thompson-It will be observed by a casual reading that the amend inert Is simply the provision of the old constitution though 1t is included here in the article on Executive Department where in the old constitution 1t is in the article on Legislative Department. Ii Is copied word for word from the State Constitution of 1875 as 1t stood. and I submit that it Is not necessary @ prevent good men from becoming members of the General Assembly to disfranchise them, in effect to dis qualify them for any office. The Gen. eral Assembly is not one that Is so very attractive any way, and when man knows that on the acceptance cf a place in the lower house that he is disqualified from appointment to any office for two years, he would be very loath to accept it; and, on the other hand. if 1t was a place in the senate to which he might be the unanimous choice of his district, if he had any idea of succeeding the Circuit Judge or his Circuit, his Solicitor, his Probate Judge, In case of vancancy he would stop and think several times before he placed himself in the attitude of being ineligible to such appointment should the necessity for one arise. I do not think there is any very sood reason for the section as it exists in the report of the com mittee On Executive Department. It has been said here that we should be slow to make changes in the present consti- tuition ,and these changes should not be made without there existing very good reasons for them, and am unable 10 see any good reason for tho section as proposed by the committee. Tne amendment proposed by the gentleman from Limestone is all right, but 1t does not go far enough it does not put sufficient restrictions around the Gen. eral Assembly.
 MT. Sanders. May l ask the gentle man a question.
 The President-Does the gentleman from Bibb yield?
 MT. Thompson-Yes sir.
 Mr. Sanders-In what respect does 1t modify mine?
 MT. Thompson-Simplya adds no gen. N4Hv faG kA emoluments of which shall have been increased by the Assembly of which he was a member.
 MT. Sanders-I accept the amend ment.
 Mir. Thompson-And hope the con- vention will adopt this section instead of the section proposed by the commit tee.
 MT. Cunningham-Wisely or unwise- Iy this convention has been placing res- trictions upon gentlemen who have been elected to high office. A proposi- tion is now pending not to apply that rule to members of the General As- sembly. I believe MT. President that if we can not risk the Governor in the full and complete discharge of his duties, that he might be a candidate to succeed himself or go to the United States Senate, I cannot see any superior excellence in a member of the legislature that would prevent him from voting in 8 certain direction in keeping with the Executive idea. ], for one, believe that the Governor ot the great State of Alabama is equal in integrity and in patriotism to any member of the Legislature, and as We have committed ourselves to the policy oR hn CbinF ENyoNII tive nd other State officers, 1t seems to me that the reasons are still more urgent that we should restrict the members of the legislature. There are members on this floor, Mir. President, that have run up against this question, and have had experience upon 1t and challenge any member on this floor to point us to a single instance where the Chief EXecu- tive of the State had a question in mind that he desired to be enacted into law, that any member of either house who was at the time a candidate for office, where the appointment was to be made by the Executive, voted contrary to the Executives wishes. It sometimes happens that a Senator or member of the house is a candidate for Rail- road Commissioner. It places such a legislator in a very embarrassing posi- IlOn lO De 4OFCSQ OppOoS t2AC oP- pointing power if the appointing power advocates a certain line of legislative policy. If there should happen to be a solicitor or a judge upon whose life 1t would seem the Almighty had placed his hand and that in a short time he may have passed away from this earth to his reward, there might be Senators and representatives that would aspire to fill the position and for that reason would not like to run counter and op- pose the Executive idea. We have gone So far. MT. President, as l under stand it to allow the Executive to sug- gest amendments to bills which he has approve. It does seem to me that this is far enough, and while do not bring into question the motives of any Sena- tor or Representative that may have his district or county in the past or may in the future, it has been my observation that gentlemen of either house who are candidates for office usually ride in the band wagon of the Chief Executive, That being the case. I want to unite the hands of the General Assembly so there can be no cudgel either justly or unjustly yielded over their heads. hope the amendment offered by the gentleman from Blob will be defeated and move to lay it upon the table.
 Mir. Oates-Will the gentleman with draw the motion a moment.
 MT. Cunningham-I withdraw the motion.
 MT. Oates-I will renew it-perhaps 3 little enlarged. MT. President, this
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