The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-23
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
A Splendid Speech Made by Former
 Governor Jones.


 vention, which was in session three hours. adjourning at o'clock, tn consideration of the report of the Com. mittees on Executive Department wal completed. The last Section No. 30 which empowers the Governor to sus. pend sheriffs from office pending i'm peachment proceedings for allowing prisoners to be taken by mobs and lynched brought out spirited debate and Governor Jones in defending the Section reported by the Committee made, speech which was pronounced to be the finest speech ever made in the Hall of the House of Representa- tives. *
 Less than 100 members were present when the Convention assembled at ] o'clock. The body proceeded to con- sideration of Section 26 of the Execu- tive Article which upon a close vote was defeated together with all amend ments.. It sought to create a Board of Consolidation. =,
 Later in the day Mir. Browne of Tal- ladega, presented an amendment to the entir, Article which sought to make a State Board of Equalization, but the proposition was overwhelmingly de- feated.
 s After some discussion and amend ments, Section 27. which provides for lending surplus money in the State Treasury was adopted practically as reported by the Committee.
 Section 2s, prescribing the. duties of executive officers, was adopted without debate
 MT. Watts of Montgomery, present ed an amendment to Section 29. which relates to fees of executive officers. fn tta. clue the Superintendent of Education. Mir. Graham, Chairman of the Com mittee on Education, explained that the fees of the Superintendent of Educa- tion would be regulated by the Article reported by his Committee, ana MT. -wATtg NllndfeW his Amendment. Seo- tion 29 was then adopted.
 Section 30 precipitated a warm fight. It provides for election of sheriffs for four years and ineligibility as success sor. It provides further that when ever a prisoner is taken from jail or from the custody of a Sheriff or his deputy, and is put to death by mob owing to the neglect, connivance, cow ardice or other grave fault of the Sher- if, such Sheriff may be impeached by the Supreme Court. and the Governor may suspend him from office until the impeachment proceedings are decided.
 MT. Wilson of Washington, presented an amendment allowing Sheriff to succeed himself, and addressed the Convention. He saw no reason why the Constitution should discriminate against a Sheriff. Tax Collectors and other county officers could succeed themselves.
 Governor Jones defended the Section. He said 1t was in the present instru- rnent, and he saw no good reason for departing from the faith of our fath- CTS. was lost.
 MT Sanford of Pike, submitted an amendment to strike out the words re- latinR to impeachment of Sheriff. He made an elaborate argument Tn fa- vor of his amendment.
 MT. Espy of Henry, said he dld not think the Section went far enough. II if took the office away from every Sher- if who allowed prisoners to De iyncheo' mob violence in Alabama would cease
 MT. Fitts of Tuscaloosa spoke Tn favor of the section. He said that It was proper that while the convention was seeking to take away from the negroes the right of suffrage 1t should throw around them every protection from mob violence.
 MT. deGraffenried of Hale made a conservative and able argument in favor of the adoption of the section.
 MT. Jenkins of Wilcox spoke in favor of the Sanford amendment. He said that there were crimes so heinous that nothing could stem the tide of indigna- tion which was aroused. He said he laid down the deliberate proposition that the only remedy for lynch law was to improve the morals of the peo- pie and give them proper laws for the speedy conviction O fcriminals