The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-01

the town of Cullman in North Alaba- ma, where if we all had done as they have done. looked upon the inferior race, If we had looked upon them AS Cullman has looked upon them. we would not be here today, trying to dis franchise MT. Cuffey. because they have always kept him out of their town.
 Mir. Sanford (Montgomery)-Will the gentleman yield to a question?
 Mir. Beddow-Certainly. -''-
 Mir. Sanford-When that pledge was made by the Democratic party not to disfranchjse any white man did 1t not have reference to citizens of the United States, because 1t could disfranchise nobody except citizens?
 Mir. Beddow-No sir. did not under stand it so. I understood the pledge to say just what it said. and when 1t said white men I took it white men, that Is what told my people and that Is what our Democratic platform says. the white man who was at that time entitled to vote. They tell us that there are only five States in the Un- ion that have a provision similar to the one we have authorizing a, ,sor- eigner to vote. If that be so. that is not our fault. It is not our fault tha the Constitution of 1875 allowed men upon declaring their intention to be- come citizens, to be admitted to the elective franchise. Eut it will be- our fault if after they have been admitted by this other Constitution and after we have come here under sacre1 and solemn pledges to say at this late day that they shall not further exercise the right we pledged. that We would not deprive them of. Now, MT. Presi lent, I don't care to take up the time Of this Convention. have made one speech heretofore upon this question and you understand it as fully as I do, but I beg you, don't send me back to my people to ask for the ratification of a Constitution when they can stand up In my face and say. Did you not say that you would rct disfranchise any voter?" I would be compelled to say, yes, and he would say to me. You have violated that pledge. because in the first line of your suffrage plan. you have disfranchised me" I beg you do not reconsider this amendment that has already been put into tue lsuf- | frage plank. let 1t stand. So far we have not violated our pledges. and I beg and I pray, gentlemen. don't let us do it. but let us so back home with clean hands and clean consciences In this matter.
 MT. Morrissette-Do I understand you to say that the men in Cullman who are voting are not citizens of the United States?
 MT. Beddow-No, sir, I referred to Cullman to show the class Of citizens coming to this country and that have been allowed that privilege. presume most of them have become citizens.
 Mir. Morrisette-You said in the town of Thorsby. they have peen voting 8 year. .'-. , -.a
 MT. Beddow-Yes sir. ...,
 MT. Morrisette-Did understand you to make the statement that the gen. tlemen voting are not citizens of 'he United States?
 MT. Beddow-I mean to say that without this amendment that I pro- pose putting in the suffrage plank, that they will be disfranchised.
 Mir. Morrisette-Apd, they are already citizens of the United States and have been voting for year, |, and this will disfranchise them? ..,r4
 MT. Beddow-No, sir; they have .de- clared their intention to become cdti- zens and are thereby entitled to vote under the present Constitution and they have been voting for a year.
 MT. Morrissette-Under the laws of the United States they are required to be here five years before they can be- come citizens, but they are here and already voting in Alabama? Be,
 MT, Beddow-Yes sir .44. ...,,-- ...,s-4.e MT Morrisette-And they are not citizens of the United States? "r-. 9 Mir Beddow-Not citizens of the United States, but are entitled to the franchise under our present Constitu- tton.
 MT. Morrisette-And have voted?
 MT. Beddow-Yes, and those are the ones We promised not to disfranchise
 MT. Oates--I think the gentleman from Jefferson unintentionally made q wrong impression. If the clause of the Constitution should remain as it Is reported by the Committee it would not disfranchise those gentlemen, but only postpone the time up to the date of their qualification. In five years they could qualify. Some of them might qualify before the Constitution is ratified. It does not disfranchise any of them.
 MT. Beddow-I understand the gen. tleman. but I say if you prevent him from, voting in any, election until he can qualify under the present law, you prevent him from voting In any eiec- ton. You disfrlnchise him and in7 our platform we made TO exceptions what ever.
 MT. Sanford (Pike-)Consistency is a jewel. At a former session of this Con ventlon when the question was being submitted to the members of this Con Vention as to whether or not the sons of Confederate Veterans who had fought on the bloody battle fields of this country for the preservation of our liberties should be permitted to cast a vote, the gentleman from Jefferson was not so ready to remember the obliga- tion that he made, but. forsooth be- cause the people of Alabama in con- vention assembled desire to restrict the franchise to citizens of the United States who know something of repub- lican forms of government and repub- lican institutions for some reason not made known, perhaps, to this Conven- tion, the gentleman from Jefferson Ob jeots ard calls our attention to the pledges made. MT. President. I. for one did not pledge myself that would not postpone for time the right of any man to vote who was not a citi zen of Ala abama and who was not d cit lzen of the United States. I desire to impress upon the Convention the point made by the gentleman from Mont gomery, that is. that we do not even now intend to disfranchise these peo- pie We do not even taking the pledges made by. the Democratic Party and made by the delegates upon this floor to the people of Alabama in it's strict est construction, we do not intend to diSfranChiSe the foreigner who has de-