The age-herald., 1901-05-13
Says John V, Smith is Tfiae
 Too Prudent PEOPLE SHOULD BE INFORMED DiSfranchisement of Whole Me- gro Race is UnWise SOME OF THEM ARE GOOD CITIZENS General Oates Says the Convention Could Not Legally Dlsfranchise
 tho Negro as a Race If
 1t Were Desirable.
SOME OF THEM ARE GOOD CITIZENS

In response to a letter from the Editor of the Age-Herald, Gen. W. c. Oates ex- Governor of Alabama, writes:
 D. W. Barrett, Editor of the Age-Her-
 ald.
 In reply to your request for my opin- ion as to what the suffrage clause of the new constitution to be framed by the convention should be, I say that, al- though the vote for convention was smaller than was anticipated, yet the delegates should not be intimidated nor frightened from the manly performance of their duties. They should make, in every particular, such constitution as a great and progressive State should have.
 Chairman Smith may, by the smallness of the vote boiled, have been demoralized into giving to the delegates his advice to do as little as possible, and "the less done the better" says the prudent John V. That sounds like the voice of the trembling captain In battle when he commanded his company: Fire easy, boys, or you will make them too mad"
 I heard the speech of MT. Knox before the committee fin which he advised against a campaign of speech-making, and that If speakers were sent out they should be cautioned not to discuss be- fore the people anything but the restric- tions put upon the constitution, that Is, to tell them nothing except what the con vention was not going to do. That com tnittee acted on that advice, which in- stead of enlightening the inquiring minds of the voters as to why constitutional convention was desired, they were asked blindly to vote for it. which caused men to sulk and not go to the polls. The time was too short, and the season a very busy one with the farmers. But let the convention make a good constitution ana exnIain 1t to the people and they will rat ify it.
 The Suffrage Clause.
 you asked me last January what thought the suffrage clause or the ne" constitution should be; l told you, ana vou published 1t. Some of the delegates to the nominating convention made that letter a pretext for an unsuccessful er- fort to defeat my nomination, and now am reliably informed that some Of the delegates elected desire me defeated TOT president of the convention because ol the views expressed In that letter on the suffrage question. They say that have laid down a platform which they cannot indorse, and to vote for me would ba an indorsement of my views, very arroneous and unjust conclusion. Why don't you call on others, especially my
 fAr-t thaiT- vi the suffrage question? venture the pre- diction that if you were to do so you would find some difficulty in obtaining them for publication I am less prudent I have confidence in the capacity Of the people for self-government and never have any political secrets from tnem' Mine may not be the most successful way of obtaining office. Some men obtain po- litical preferment by playing owi-iooK- ing wise and saying nothing; thank Goo that I am not made that way. T had as lief not be as to live in awe of such thing as myself"
 have found no good reason to change my views I expressed in my letter four months ago. On the contrary. study ana investigation of the subject have confirm ed me in the belief that l was right and that the theory advanced is perfectly practicable That letter was as follows:
 "I am in favor of honest elections which are the basis of our governments -State and Federal-which cannot be uni formly had in Alabama except by re- vision and purification of the elective franchise. by extirpating therefrom dense Ignorance and corruption. This is a deli cate and difficult question to deal with successfully, and nothing short of the aggregate wisdom of a convention of our best and ablest men can accomplish 1t in a just and satisfactory manner.
 s'The suffrage clause in a state constitu- lion should not, in terms, exclude anyone from the elective franchise on account of race nor require an educational or prop erty qualification; but intelligence and good character should be made the test No felon, no man of notorious1y bad char acter, no man who has not paid his poll tax, no man who has ever sold his own or bought the vote of another, nor any, one who cannot read intelligently or un- derstand when read to him any section of the constitution. should be allowed to register as a voter. And in order that no injustice be done by registration to anyone legally entitled. an appeal should be given from such decision to the courts Those who are disfranchised for crime committed should be restored to their rights of franchise, if at all. only by the vote of two-thirds of the members of the General Assembly.
 Disfranchisement.
 ''The disfranchiseE,ent of the whole ne- gro race would be unwise and unjust. They constitute a large majority of our State population-over SO0,00O Among them are many honest, industrious and