The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-17

that we have adopted with reference to other officers do not require any offer to be over twenty years of age ex- cept the Governor of the State, and cannot see why this Constitution should require that State Senators should be twenty-seyen years of age. Under the Constitution man twenty-five years of age may be elected Secretary of State and perform the duties of that off, flee. Under the Constitution. man may be elected Auditor of your State at twenty-five years of age and perform the duties of that office. Under the Constitution, a man may be elected Treasurer of your State and take charge and have control of the funds of the State. and yet 1t does not re- quire him to be over twenty-five years of age. According to the sections of the Constitution that we have thus far adopted, Justice of the Supreme Court need not be over twenty-five years of age. A man may be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State at twenty-fi years of age; and yet. Mir. President. this committee, with its report framed after the old Constitution, says that a man who is elected to the office of Senator of this State must be twenty-seven years of age. Now, I cannot see why this diff
 
 be considered competent to fill all these offices at the age of twenty-five years that he should be sufficiently mature to fill all the officers l have mentioned at twenty-five years old. and yet not be SO mature as to fill the office of Sem ator of this State.
 MT. Willett-will the gentleman al- low me to ask a question?
 The President-Does the gentleman consent to be interrupted!
 MT. Duke-Yes sir.
 Mr. Willett-Does not the gentleman recognize the difference between cler- ical office and a representative office!
 MT. Duke-Yes, and in reply to that I will ask him if he thinks the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama is a clerical office?
 MT. Willett-To some extent, yes.
 MT. Duke-Well. we differ about that. Not stopping there according to the Federal onstitution man may go to Congress and be but 25 years of age, and yet we say If he goes to the State Senate he must be 27 years old. Now, MT. Chairman, I have no interest in this personally, everybody here knows that I am over 2 years of age, and l have no friend under 27 years of age that wants to be Senator, but I do not think this inconsistency should appear in this Constitution; it is unreasonable. Mr. President, to require 1t. While l say I have no friend that I know of who wants to fill the office of State Senator, yet in the language of the dis tinguished and eloquent gentleman from Montgomery, Governor Jones, this morning in his remarks on an other Section of this Article, I say give the young men a chance, they are the hope of the country.
 Now Mr. President, in youth, while @ man i5 young, is the time that he is qualified to perform the duties of life. You take for example the men that have made their impress upon the worlds history, and 1t has been when they were young men. Napoleon Bo- naparte was at the very hegiht of his glory when he was 25 years of age. Caesar almost conquered the world, yet died young man. Alexander had the world at his feet. and wept because he could find no other worlds to con- quer when he was young man, and do not see, MT. President, why it Is that we should not make this amend ment and allow a person who is 20 years of age to be elected to the office of Senator in this Subsequently, in view of the fact that we have other provisions that only require other off, cers to be 25 years of age. which are more important than the office of Sem atCe.
 M:. OateS-1 believe the amendment is to strike out "twenty-seven' and insert "twenty-five?'
 MT. Duke-That is all.
 MT. Oates-Well, I have no special objection to 1t. It stands that way in the present Constitution-twenty- seven, and that is the only reason why we retained it that way. The Com mittee passed the Section as they found it in the Constitution. notice. however, in the copying, either by some words omitted, which I will ask presently to have reinstated. It don't affect this question. however, of chang ing the age from 27 to 25. I have no special reason to favor 1t one way or the other. Either put 1t 27 o3 25 as you desire.
 MT. Heflin (Chambers)-Do under stand the Chairman to say that he has no objection?
 MT. Oates-I have none. I just as leave put it at 25 as 27. The Com mittee voted 1t 27. and for that reason 1t Is in there.
 MT. Boone here took the Chair.
 MT. Heflin-As a member of the Committee, I opposed that majority re- port in order to allow the young men of 25 years of age to come to the Sen ate. 1 see no good reason when the Congress of the United States al- lowed a member to sit in that body at 25 that the State Senate should re- quire a man to be 27 years of age be- fore he could sit in legislative body at home.
 Mr. Chapman-May l ask the gen. tleman a question?
 President pro tem-Does the gentle man yield for question.
 M:. Heflin-Certainly
 Mir. Chapman-Do you compare a Senator in the State Legislature of any age with a common Congressman of any age?
 MT. Heflin-I admit the point of or der is well taken.
 MT. Stanford CPike)-Will the gentle man permit a question?
 M. Heflin-Certainly.
 Mir. Samford-How would the State of Alabama fare with thirty three Sem ators 25 years old, and in the House 100 Representatives Fl years of age?
 Mr. Duke-Ask him how Congress would fare with all the Representa- tives only 25 years of age?
 MT. Heflin-I will ask the gentleman ii he thinks in the course of human events that it would ever occur while the world stands, that the Senate would be composed of thirty-three Senators of l the age of 25 years each, and the House be composed of 100 Represent a lives Of the age of o1 wears or hetNeen