The age-herald., 1901-07-28
CONVENTION :. STILL TALKING
 OF SUFFRAGE Several Speeches Made in Favor of Grandfather Clause
 Yesterday
MORE ORATORY ON MONDAY
MT. Watts of Montgomery Made a Strong Speech Favoring the Mi nority Report-Defined Black
 Belt as to Alleged Frauds.

Montgomery, July 27.-(Special.) )-The convention only held one session today, and consumed that in debating the grand father clause. Speeches were made in favor of the majority report by Dr. Gun ningham of Jefferson, MT. Watts of Mont gomery and MT. Martin of Calhoun.
 MT. Spears of St. Clair, Republican delegate, spoke against the entire plan.
 The convention will devote all of Mon day to oratory on this question, and take 8 vote at 12 o'clock Tuesday on the grandfather clause
 Convention Opens.
 The fifty-fifth days session of the con- stitutional convention was called to order by President Knox at 9:30 o'clock. Roll call showed 72 members present This was not a quorum, and was the first roll call of the convention which did not dis close quorum In few minutes enough delegates came into the convention to make a quorum. The committee on journal reported it was correct. Several leaves of absence were asked for. and granted.
 MT. Beddow of Jefferson introduced a resolution to have 5000 copies printed of the speeches of Governors Jones and Oates and of Captain White of Jefferson. These had favored the minority report, and MT. Beddow thought they should be printed inasmuch as the convention had ordered printed the speeches of Judge Coleman and President Knox, who favor ed the majority plan. A motion to sus- pend the rules to put the resolution on it's passage was defeated
 MT. Barefield of Monroe moved that when the convention adjourned at one o'clock 1t adjourn to meet at eleven o'clock Monday. This was adopted
 MT. Williams of Marengo offered a res- olution that 300 copies of the speech of MT. Smith of Mobile be printed
 The committee then took up the pend ing question which was the consideration of the grandfather clause of the suffrage article and MT. Spears of stClair, a Republican member, who was speaking at the hour of adjournment yesterday continued his remarks.
 If the negro has to obey the law of the country he asked, is it not right and proper and just that they should have voice in electing the men who make and execute the law. I am white man and am proud of my race, proud of my country and my state. The white people own all the land and do all the business, they have all the education and a thousand years advantage of the ne- gro race. believe the white man is the superior of the negro and with all these advantages I am not afraid of the negro aud not afraid of negro rule. With all thesn advantages is 1t good policy to make enemies out of these people, to make them feel that the state of Ala bama is his enemy? Do you want him to look to Washington or Montgomery for protection?
 I understood the distinguished presi- dent of this convention to say yesterday that the Federal government had only such powers as were given to it by the states This is but a reaf1rmation of what Calhoun said in the United States Senate years ago and which Webster refIted. I don't understand it that way
 To my mind the grandfather clause is a miserable makesh!ft. It only lasts a year. If it is a good thing, why not let 1t con- tinue? claim that 1t Is clearly in con- fict with the fifteenth amendment. Sup pose instead of soldiers and their descend ants it should read former slave and their descendants? Would not the distin- guished chairman of the committee spring to his feet and denounce it as unconstitu- tional? It would be unconstitutional, but no more so than the grandfather clause. I have great respect for the decisions of courts, but I would have no respect for any court which would hold that the pro- visions of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments meant anything but what they said. I have planted my feet on the rock of universal manhood suffrage and I am not discouraged. This is the doc Urine handed down by Washington, Jeff ferson and Jackson. I stand where Jeffer- son stood when he declared that all men were created equal; that taxation with out representation was oppressive. stand where Lincoln stood when he said this was government of the people for the people. Is there greater statesman in this convention than Thomas Jefferson? If so point him out, that I may touch the hem of his garment. Have we a greater lover of freedom than Abraham Lincoln? If so, then the cradle of the Confederacy has become holy place.
 MT. Watts of Montgomery.
 MT. Watts of Montgomery said he fla y9rsa s9sa,, the ssa ma50siss sonst t was States. He belies scosd co- 7 any reasonable mase ke cGhstitutionals ity. He had not, SH Se..e1 eilegates. tlis happy fortune of,fN >s n soldier of the confederayN A q He was one of these Black B@kz sssts. whom it nernetuating M theESsa-,>s ,Tauds. Those who said this, did not KfiSSw-es whatsthey were speaking. He told of his experiences in reconstruction days of carrying elec- tions saying that fraud succeeded riot as being less hurtful physically to the negro. But the time has come when we are tired of 1t. We men of the Black Belt want honest elections. Was it not the Black Bell which helped carry the election, for this convention. MT. Spears and MT. Lowe have taken the position that this plan of registration Is but a new scheme for