The age-herald., 1901-07-31
CONVENTION TABLED MINORITY
 CLAUSE BY VOTE OF 1O0 TO 23

| ton plan was designed to perpetuate l fraud. He came from section where the
 negroes were numerous, but where the | people had worked out their salvation. If
 this convention should disfranchise the
 negro even at the cost of the loss of rep
 resentatives in Congress, his people would
 rally to Its standard They of the black I belt were afraid of negro domination. He
 spoke of the political conditions in his | county and of the necessity for ballot box
 stuffing. It was time now to teach the | youth of the country the sacredness of the ballot box. There need be no fear that the | black belt will not ratify the work of the | convention. He drew glowing picture of the prosperity of the State under the new Constitution, and was applauded as he sat down.
 Bulger of Tallapoosa. Mir. Bulger, of Tallapoosa, said there were two propositions to consider: First, was the grandfather clause constitutional? Second, was it right? These questions must be answered today. The committee is hopelessly divided; they have presented two reports, both ably represented. One says the grandfather clase Is right, one says 1t is 1t wrong. What is a layman to do?
 Unlike the distinguished gentleman from Jefferson, have every confidence in the honor and patriotism of the committee. This committee did not come from any one place, but from every section. He re- ferred to cases cited in the argument and said that In his opinion they settled the constitutionality of the grandfather clause. The fifteenth amendment only prescribed three reasons for which a State could not discriminate against citizen In the matter of suffrage In all other ways the states retained their DOW CTS.
 Was this suffrage clause right? He thought 1t was. Here in this hall forty
 years ago your fathers picked up their
 hats and walked out of the union, and
 the most bloody war of modern times followed. The soldiers of the South. fougnt with heroism for four years. These
 are the men whom I would exempt from the educational clause. I would make it
 principle which would outlast this his-
 toric building that such men should be reverenced. (Applause)
 If the negro Is allowed to vote he will vote against the interest of the state There are but two ways to control his vote, either buy 1t or count it out I am
 opposed to both. I like the grandfather
 clause; it Is a white mans clause (Ap- plause.) This is no experiment, 1t Is in
 the constitution of the states of Louisi- senators and some of their representatives and
 newspapers opposed 1t, but when the peo- pie speak, Senators and representatives are in the minority (Applause) You must have the toiing masses, the common people behind you and when you have these nothing can stand in the way of it's ratification. (Applause.) If the minority had their way and had suc- ceeded in striking out the ATandfather qt a1It ha white mans clause and we would be handicapped before the people He closed by thanking the convention for their at tention.
 Lomax of Montgomery. MT. Lomax of Montgomery said that when he learned that there would be a minority report which he thought struck down the best feature of the majority report, he had hoped there would be some suggestion to take it's place. But he had been disappointed. It contained nothing but predictions and forebodings of calam- ity.
 This great movement which has taken place already in Mississippi, Louisiana
 and North Carolina and South Carolina and which Is now being considered in Virginia and Alabama, must be founded on some great cause that needed remedy. This is the unwillingness to continue
 
 the morals of our people When we hay,
 prevented this we will be sustained by the world powers of the world and no
 finite power will dare to disturb this de-
 cree.
 My distinguished colleague, Governor Oates of Montgomery says the grand father clause Is unconstitutional. do not propose to go into a legal argument, but I think it is not unconstitutional. No court n a that there is any discrimination against any man on account of his race, his color
 or his slavery.
 It has been said that this Is great
 scheme on the part of the black belt to perpetuate itself in power. Who started the call for this convention? It came from the black belt. They wanted to put
 a stop to fraud, and they are here today
 begging that this incubus be taken off of them It is said we put in this scheme, the grandfather clause, to temporarily catch the white vote of the State, know ing 1t will be stricken down. But If It is
 what court can say whether these men are registered under the good character clause or the soldier clause?
 This class of voters is not permanent, because, in the nature of things, they will soon pass away. It will not insult the sol- diers or their descendants to register un- der this clause. It will be distinction felt by the young men as much as you old men are proud to wear on your breasts the bronze badge of courage placed there by the women of the South. (Applause.)
 He replied to Governor Jones' statement that capital would be timid if we adopted this grandfather clause When did capi- tai ever become timd, he asked. in country ruled by the best men and the strictest virtue? Universal manhood suffrage does not exist in many of the states. If Alabama abandons 1t, can they reduce our representation and not theirs? And if they do, reduced representation Is a poor price to pay for honest and fair elections. (Applause)
 We have been threatened with recon struction and commercial paralysis of the State. Will they attempt it? The still small voice of Wall street will stay their hand. We are told the negro will leave inc State. Where will he go?Will he go to Illinois? Some went there but recently and they had to be guarded with shot- euns until the engine could be fired up to bring them back. (Applause.) Will they go to Africa? The Republic of Liberia IS the failure of the nineteenth century He will not go so long as he Is well treated. If the discontented go 1t will be better Tor the State.
 I have been surprised at the distrust with which this convention has regarded the officers of the people. It is said we can't trust the registrars. Is republican government failure. It must be if we can't trust the men chosen by the peo- pie for public office. don't believe that free government Is failure. He referred to the history of the State since the war