The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-03

strike out everything in the Sunrage Article. you should say there shall De no educational or property quahtica- ton. you ought to say good character should not be a test because 1t would create two classes one of good ana one of bad character in Aiaoama. That argument is unworthy of place in a great Constitutional Convention engaged in framing the fundamental law which will preserve the ballot In the hands of the virtuohs ana intei- ligent and take 1t out of the hands or the vicious and incompetent. The courts only denounce that class legis- iataon which favors some and discr,m- mates against others similarly situat- cd.
 Mfr Tayioe-I have listened to the able arguments of the gentlemen who have preceded me. have steadily voted with the Committee on all prop oSitions that they have advocated. and Nave thought that their work was very complete one. l realize the fact that the work of the Committee has been very thoroughly and ably done. but believe the relief sought by my section of the country depends large ly upon the poll tax. and that 1t IS the one remedy that would make 1t com plete. On the other proposition l was very well satisfied 1t would reach large number of the class we wanted to exclude. and I have taken those ports of it on faith. because l was waiting for the final refuge Of the poll tax. and would have been willing but for the position of my friends m North Alabama, to have voted even for an increase of the poll tax beyond one dollar and fifty cents, because l realized that was our protection If we were to have any protection at all. Now when we come nearly to the close of it the point Is called fully to my attention that it is the vote or the negro between fory-five and sixty years of age that we would have to particularly guayd against and the 1ur- ther fa6bdthat very few years eiapse 3betMeeA the time when a negro IS twenty one and the same negro is for ty-five years old. Now unoef the proposition that the gen tIeman from Tallaaega offers to us, we wohld have to go to the Leg islature' for relief sought instead or having 1t plainly written in the con stitution as the committee desire II. II we cannot get relief here how can we ret it from the Legislature? The same objection on the stump would apply 10 the proposition of the gentleman rom Talladega az would apply to the propo- aition of the committee, and that is the reason we should support this amend ment of the committee as it stands. Mir. Oates-As understand the argu- ment of the delegate from Perry he Is in favor of raising the limit to sixty years.
 MT. Tayloe-From forty-fiva to sixty years.
 NEoI fWantv- one to sixty years of age, straight out, subject to poll tax from twenty-one to sixty years?
 Mr. TayIoe-Yes.
 MT. Oates-I am in accord with that | idea.
 MT. Tayloe-That is the proposition that I argue from twenty-one to six | ty years. In all of those years from | 1874 to this day the black belt 'has had | to do things that it did not want to do, | and what 1t did was in obedience to | the dictates of the white people of AL abama all of whom wanted relief and ! all of whom looked for big majority l to the black belt the same as was done in Mississippi and other Southern l States. This movement to reform the
 ballot in Alabama is in the heart of those politicians who have carried the l SIAyG TOT CSdIo III OdHRCio0S VilASA- l gencies and they ask for that relief. I | tell you that they are satisfied with the work that has been. done. what l North Alabama has done for her citi- | zens but for us this Is the one measure | of relief that we want. I am sorry to | hear so often this talk of North and | South Alabama. the white and black
 belt. That is the position that Bar
 bour county occupied as one of the | three great divisions of the State. We | should remember that we are white | people and come hcre to perpetuate
 white supremacy. and that the purpose | for which We have come here is to
 eliminate the negro vote as far as pos
 Sible, and we ask you now to come 10
 our assistance and give us the only
 thing that We deem efficient to elimin-
 ate 1t. and when we eliminate it we
 can have fair elections, and as far as
 I am concerned l do not care what
 counties win. or where the power lies,
 so that power lies with the Anglo-Sax- on race, and hope it will lie with them forever and that you will help them in this matter and carry it on to its le- gitimate conclusion.
 Mir. Duke-I have followed faithfully
 the lead of this committee that has
 been so highly compiimented by the | speakers who have taken their seats.
 think that their report Is as fine
 document as could have been gotten
 up by any set of men. I believe that
 1t is our duty to adhere to the re-
 port of the committee unless we are
 satisfied that the committee is wrong.
 am still in favor of adhering to the
 report of that committee made delib-
 ePately after being in session for some
 thing over thirty days. but ] am not
 in favor of that committee when It.
 tie, dIsturbapce comes up over the ques-
 tiof on tke evening before, meeting at
 night and changing their report and
 bringing it In to us and say adhere
 to the report of the committee. pre-
 fer. and would have preferred had it
 not been voted down. to adhere to the
 report of that committee that Wa:
 made deliberately after they had stud
 jed the question for so long. Mir. Presi-
 dent, I am not willing to take the re.
 port of a committee made in twenty.
 four hours, in preference to one made
 after deliberation for thirty or forty
 days. I appeal from Phillip drunk tc
 Phillip sober. Now, Mr. President. the
 report of that committee IS originally
 made was substituted by way oi
 amendment to the report of the com mittee as last made. but it was voted , down. Then the next best thing to il consider is the amendment offered bS
 the gentleman from Talladega. A
 great deal is said here about the blacE belt. would not say anything to dis.
 parage that great section of our coun
 which has been our shelter in thu