The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-01

......1............ erty, he cannot vote under this provis- ion. You say he shall pay taxes on three hundred dollars of property. and # the tax bool<s do not show that he pays those taxes. how will he voter It makes no difference whether it belongs to him or a man in Europe. if he does not comply with this provision. he can not veta.
 Mr. sanders--It has been said that this reduction in the qualifications for voting has been inserted in the inter- ests of the white people of North Ala bama. Az an humble representative of that section. desire to say do not believe that the white people of that section of the State are asking for this change in the suffrage clause. We have protected the living white voter by granting to him under the tempo rary clause life certificate. We have provided that the young man when he becomes of age after 1903 shall be vest cd with the right to vote If he pos sesses simply the easy qualification of being able to read and write. think. MT President, that that is an ample provision, an ample protection for the white man of Alabama, and all that we will require under our oaths to guar antee to him. In my opinion, the young man of Alabama, whether he can read or write now. who has not the ambition and aspiration to qualify him. self to vote after 1903, by complying with the simple requirement of being able to read and write. ought not to vote. I do not believe the white peo- pie in this state. in North Alabama; are demanding that these suffrage con- ditions and provisions be made any easier for them. The man who objects to the property test as qualification for voting, will not be appeased by the fact that you have simply reduced the amount of property which he Is requir- ed to own. I believe it would be wiser If we increased that property test.
 Mir. Pillans--Will the gentleman al- low sn interruption?
 Mir. sanders-When get through, then win be glad to answer any ques- tion. I believe it would be wiser to in- crease the property test rather than re- duce it, for we have protected the white man under the temporary plan, and we have protected him under the permanent plan. and we are merely lowering the standard to such an ex- tent and to such degree that great many negroes will qualify In Alabama, who could not qualify before, and am not ashamed to say that I came here for the purpose of disfranchising, so far as is consistent with my oath and within the limits of the Federal Con- stitution. every negro In the State of Alabama that we could possibly reach. fAppiause>. ! do not believe that is low ground. ! do not believe that is narrow l do not believe that is sell fish. 90 much believe in the God nua.. &>-Ak <.f hn white man In this country that I be- iieve 1t is his duty to rule and to take the reigns of government in his hands. (Applausel. I just want to say that speak for the people of my own county. I will not assume to speak for any oth- CT section, but l believe the sentiment of the Tennessee Valley Is pretty uni form throughout, and our people do not want this reduction. They believe in the plan just as it has been reported and adopted heretofore, and I believe you weaken 1t, and destroy the respect which has already been built up in that section for this suffrage article an d plan. by now lowering the stand ard so as to let in a great deluge of negroes who may put a mule and a wagon and little ten-acre patch to- gether, amounting in all to about three hundred dollars, and come in and vote, I heartily favor the motion to recon slider in order that this suffrage pro- vision may be restored as it was orig inally before the amendment of the gentleman from Lee (Mr. Harrisonl was adopted yesterday.
 Mir. Piiians--There is no member of this Convention, certainly on the dom inant side. who will yield one whit to the gentleman in his allegiance to the race. and it will not do to attempt to drive measures through here by mere appeal to the preJudices of the white race.
 ernmeht in the hands of the white peO- pie of Alabama. and want them to con tinue to rule over the destinies of Ala bama, and the gentleman does not diff fer with any of us in that respect, and when he extorted applause by his elo- Quent remarks, he was likely to mis- lead the other delegates into supposing that only the view he was supporting was the one that led to white suprem- acy. I deny that, and desire to call the attention of the delegates to the fact, that his was an attempt to mis- state the position of those who are op- posed to reconsidering. by the use of the expression, reducing the stand
  the standard, by the action of this house taken yesterday. There was al- ready property qualification put upon those unfortunates that have not had the advantages of my friend, of you and myself; and who, in consequence, have not acquired a knowledge of let ters. The property qualification put upon the ilMterates of the State, fixed a minimum of $30e of taxable property. Isn't 1t so? That is the substance of the report which was brought in by the Suffrage Committee, and that is the provision you thought that you had adopted. Now, when you come to weigh this property qualification, you find that if a man in North Alabama or South Alabama or Middle Alabama, for know no sections in this our dear State, dies, leaving two illiterate sons, and those two sons, with nothing but their good right arms with which to work out their future and their for tunes, so progress that when they ar- of them has acquired but a l forty acre tract of land worth but twenty-five dollars. he can vote. yet his | brother who has a farm and stock as- sessed at five hundred dollars, cannot | A forty acre tract owned by any negro | man in the State of Alabama, of what | ever value (and they all so up in the pine hills and buy land when they can) they all go up on the pine hills and nave their little forty acre tract enti- Hes this ilnterate negro to vote.
 MT. Coleman-I hope the gentleman | will give me an opportunity to reply.
 Mir. Pillans-I will ask if they do not | select the pine hills whenever they |