The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-26

~star [s4NArAaat0a~s-s@e e@~r~ w - efN~~~~ VI order.
 The President-The gentleman will state the point.
 Mr. Cunningham-The Chair holds that the original proposition offered by the gentleman from Dallas is an amendment to the report of the Ex- ecutive Committee. He further Ioide that the substitute offered by the Chairman of the committee is an amendment to the amendment offered by the gentleman fro Dallas. I there fore make the point of order that tcr- ther amendment is out of order.
 The President-That point of order would have been well taken had it been proposed before the amendment of the gentleman from Montg gonery was adopted. But after the adoption of the amendment the Chair under stands the section is still open 10 fur ther amendment. If an amendment is adopted to a section. that does not cut off further amendment.
 MT. Burns-I rise to a question of ln- Quiry. Did or did not the distinguished Chairman of that committee move the adoption of the section as amended and call for the previous question?
 The President-The gentleman did not.
 The amendment of the delegate from Macon was read as follows: Strike out the words 'it shall be the duty and insert it shall be In the power of the General Assembly"
 Mir Cchb-The proposition offered by the gentleman nom Montgomery is in my opinion misleading. It has been asserted. perhaps by himself, that his proposition left it entirely with the Legislature to create tEis pension or not and yet in reading his amendment 1t is mandatory on the Legislature. They cannot neglect to perform that which in the Constitution is denomi- mated duty upon them. Therefore, if it is desired by the Convention 10 leave this question of establishing civil pension list to the Legislature. my amendment should be adopted.
 Mir. Hinson--What would be the ef- feet of your amendment?
 MT. Cobb-To leave the whole lues- ten to the Legi5lature.
 Mir. Hinscn-Wou,d it really have any effect?
 Mir. Cobb-It would leave it to the Legislature.
 Mr. Hinson-Has not the Legislatupre already that power?
 Mr. Cobb-I think so, and I am going to make that argument against the whole proposition. The gentleman an- ticipates me. I was attempting to re- inforce the strong argument made by the gentleman from Greene that this is matter wholly unSuited to go into the Constitution as part of the or ganic law. The whole question is leg islat1ve. The whole question Is in the power of the Legislature to deal with. and object here and now as I have objected before. to putting in this or ganic law matters which are now and will remain entirely within the powers and purview of the Legislature of the State.
 MT. President, it fatigues me to hear men get upon the floor, as they have done from time to time, and talk about the Legislature doing nothing and that 1t will do nothing, you cannot get them to do anything, that they are subject ed to this influence and that influence. l would like to ask what right have we to arrogate to ourselves superior virtue. We are the representative of the people and nothing more. The Leg islature Is composed of representatives of the people and nothing more. If half-that has been said upon this tioos with regard to the Legislature be true, we had better despair of repres satative government in the State of Alabama. The Legislature comes from the peopie. The legislators are supposed to repre- sent the wishes of the people. They represent the power of the people, and if. from time to time. as has been as. serted here, Legislatures assemble Nno are subjected to bribery and to mfid- ences in the nature of bribery. and dn nnfhiV1or m ha it1f nf "a people, then what becomes of cur boaSted institution of representative government?
 MT. President. I do not propose 10 make any argument in extenso :n re. gard to this proposition more than that. I would like if time were not pressing, to answer some of ;he queS- tions that have been propoundad upon this floor. Delegates have asked tIe question, what is the difference be- tween pensioning the soldier who gave his life for his country and pensIon- ing a Sheriff who gave his fife for his country, and my friend in an OK ca thedra style asks who has sail any thing about policemen. when some hing was said about pensioning them. The fact that nothing is said about police men Is all the worse for his prorts.- llOU. lle pOllSSIlCn Ol tue NIy OI Montgomedy are in more danger every night that passes than and Sheriff of Alabama was ever in from any organ ized mob.
 MT. Burns-Has any ordinance been framed for this Constitution that po- licemen should lay down their lives in discharge of their duty?
 MT. Cobb-No sir; no ordinance is re- quired to make a policeman lay down his life in the discharge of his duty. and no ordinance is required to make a Sheriff lay down his life. if need be- in the discharge of his duty. He takes the office cum onere. So does the policeman, and if in the discharge of duty he must sacrifice his life, it is duty he is performing for which we are not called upon as a government to compensate him in the way of a pen sion.
 Mir. Burns-Will the gentleman an- swer the question I propounded? Mir. MT. Cobb-I have answered it.
 MT. Carnathan-I rise to a point of order. The gentleman is out of his seat Indicating the delegate from Dal- las.)
 MT. Cobb rose from my seat and walked here. I will answer any ques- ton that the gentleman asks.
 A policeman is a quasi State officer, just as much subject for pension by the State as Sheriff.
 Now in answer to the other question as to the soldier. The cOncensus of opinion of the United States has here tofore been and continues to be, that We should make broad line of de- markation between military pension and a civil pension list. The Govern ment of the United States, as liberal as it has been in pensioning people. and