The age-herald., 1901-08-01

plicable to conventions. This was tabled. 1 MT. Porter moved to amend by inserting the word felony for word crime in the first line. and to make it applicable to one who makes or offers to make false return of any election. A motion to table this was lost, and the amendment was adopted. The section as amended was then adopted.
 | MT. Long of Walker offered resolu- ton to strike out section g. and to leave to the Legislature the power to prescribe provisions of registration.
 Foreigners as Voters. The convention then under a previous resolution, took up the question of recon soldering at this time an amendment adopted to section one. and offered by MT. Beddow. The section had limited the l right to vote to citizens of the United States. MT Beddow's amendment all lowed all foreigners to vote who had declared their intention bf becoming citi- gems.
 Judge Walker of Madison, a member of the suffrage committee. spoke against the BeddoW amendment and said the section as originally reported should be adopted. l MT. Beddow said that he had hoped 1 the committee on mature reflection would decide to adopt his amendment. While Judge Walker had stated some points in his argument which appeared strong, still he (Beddow) would put his argument as he had done before upon the high ground of not disfranchsng any white man, and not violating the pledges of the Democratic platform. This amend ment would only let in those who had already been voting. He begged they | would not send him back to his people | where he would have to say that the | Democratic party had violated It's pledge s5 lee. aT,f | MT. Sanford of Pike said consistency was a jewel When the question of granting the franchise to sons of Con- federate soldiers was under discussion the gentleman from Jefferson had not been so anxious to extend the suffrage as he was now to extend it to foreigners. The section did not deny these foreigners the right to vote, it merely postponed IL until they became citizens
 MT. Brown of Mobile hoped the section would be considered in order that the Beddow amendment might be stricken out. He spoke of naturalized foreigners in Mobile and said they did not even un- derstand the language much less the ou- ties of citizenship. He moved the pre- yious question which was ordered.
 Motion 70 Table Lost. pr. Cunningham moved to lay the mo- tion to reconsider on the table, Ihls was lost by vote of 53 to 6s.
 Judge Coleman in concluding the de- bate, said that a man to vote ought 10 have the interests of the state at heart. The motion to reconsider was then put and adopted.
 MT Sanford then moved to strike out of the section that part inserted by the Beddow amendment. This was ruled out of order as the motion to reconsider ap- plied only to the section as amended ana mt to the amendment.
 Dr. Cunningham, in speaking or the mo- Hion to reconsider the adoption or the amendment said that certain foreigners who were white men would be disfran- chised without it and that the platform or the Democratic party said that no wnite man should be disfranchised. This applied to every white man, whether he was a Frenchman or Italian. He believed in con sistency and he wanted to say to these men that if they were disfranchised they had disfranchised themselves by failing to become naturalized. He hoped the convention would stand by it's record stand by it's pledges, and as he saw It, stand by its sacred honor. (Applause.] The delegates from his country pledged these people that they would not be dis franchised under the Democratic platform and it was under this pledge that they had voted for the convention
 MT. Jenkins or WILCOX Sdlu liIiS picubC had gone out all over the State. Every where you would find some foreigner who was good citizen The object of this con- yention was to perpetuate white suprem- acy. If you strike out the German vote the Scotch vote or the Scandinavian vote you endanger white supremacy in Ala l bam to this extent.
 Judge Coleman said the whole question was whether or not the convention was willing to allow a foreigner to vote sim 1 ply on his declaration of becoming cit gen. He moved the previous question or the vote whereby the Beddow amendment was adopted. This was ordered.
 MT. Wilson of Clarke explained that un. der the Beddow amendment only those foreigners who had already declared theii intention of becoming citizens could vote and not those who might hereafter de- clare their intentions. He did not think it the dangerous question that some l thought 1t.
 Judge Coleman said the question was a serious one, but sufficient time had been l consumed in discussing 1t. He would only say the clause did not disfranchise the foreigner. It only prevented him from voting until he became citizen.
 The motion to reconsider the adoption of the amendment was then lost by a vote | of 63 to 56.
 Section Seven.
 Section7 was then adopted, as folows | Section T. No person shall be qualified to vote or participate in any primary cleo tion. party convention, mass meeting or other method of party action of any polit- ical party or faction who shall not possess the qualificatins described in this article for an elector, or who shall be disqualified under the provisions of this article from voting.
 Section was adopted. This section pro- vides that no person not qualified as an elector should vote at any election subse. 1 quent to the general election in 1902 Sec. tion was adopted. which requires an cleo. tor where a vote Is challenged to sweal that the matter of the challenge is untrue before his vote shall be received
 Section 10, which provides for the board of registration. had just been read by the clerk when the convention adjourned. l