The age-herald., 1901-07-31


 We will have builded anew the founda tions of morality in public and private life He closed with a picture of conditions in Alabama under the new constitution an, was greatly applauded as he sat down.
 Mir. Mac A. Smith, of Autauga, spoke in favor of the majority plan He praised the work of the committee and said we should honor the old soldiers and their de- scendants.
 Judge Coleman Speaks.
 Judge Coleman of Greene here moved that the vote be taken at l o'clock instead of P, so as to allow other members to speak. This motion was lost.
 Judge Coleman then continued by saying that he did not intend to discuss the ques- tions which had already been discussed but would try to supply some material to be used on the stump.
 He then referred to Captain Whites illustration of the SOW and pigs and said that if the pigs were let loose and SOW was confined in the pen because she was SOW, this was a discrimination on account Of race, but if she was confined for her bad habits this would not be such a dis crlminauon. (Applause) That was the case as to the negro under the suffrage plan. He was not discriminated against because he was negro, but because of his bad habits. He continued bv ci4ing several authorities to show that if one part Of the suffrage plan should be de- clared unconstitutional the rest would re- main of force
 Referring to the fifteenth amendment ne said that while you could not discrim mate aganinst a race, you could against lts characteristics. This had been decid GU III recent case of the Supreme Court of the United States. Fraud had been charged against the plan, but what court nao ever declared a law void even if mere was fraud in its passage He cited the onelpy County court house case as one where the courts could give no relief.
 He referred to some of the minority as men who could strain at a gnat and swallow camel. He spoke of Mir spears, a Republican delegate, who also opposed the plan, saying that he (Spears) had said the fifteenth amend ment was bright jewel. He would not express his opinion of any white man who would in view of all we had gone through speak in praise of the fifteenth amendment Great applause.) He hoped the minority liked his company (Ap- plause) He said that every case of as- sault on the fair women of the South was due to the fifteenth amendment
 Referring to the positions of Senators Morgan and Pettus he said that they had been m1srepresented and that Senator Pettus had recently stated to him that he would support the constitution (Ap- plause) He referred to a recent letter of Senator Morgan saying the the mere counting of the electoral vote of Louisl- ana and Mississippi without question was an argument in favor of their constitu- tions and said that Senator Pugh also favored the plan.
 
 Taking a Vote.
 At the conclusion of Judge Coleman,s remarks, MT. Sanford of Pike withdrew his amendment, and the question then recurred upon the report of the minority which was under the rules treated IS an amendment. Judge Robinson of Cham bers moved to lay the minority report upon the table. An aye and nay vote was demanded on this motion, which re- suited in its being adopted by vote of 109 to 23 The announcement of the vote was greeted with applause.
 Those who voted in favor of the minor ity report were Beddow, Dent Hey, Fer guson, Harrison, Jones of Montgomery, Kirkland. Kyle, Lowe of Jefferson, Mur- phree, Oates, O'Neill, Smith of Mobile Waddell and White Democrats, and Bar tlett, Mulcay, Porter and Spears, Repub- licans, and Cofer, Foshee, Sloan and Rev holds of Chiffon, Populists.
 Governor Oates moved to amend so as to except from voting soldiers who de- serted from the service. He said that in each regiment of Alabama there were from one hundred to two hundred desert CTS during the war. No man honored more than he the true soldier, but he was opposed to putting the deserters on the same plane with those who have done their duty. Deserters In the Federal army are never given pensions, nor do we give pensions in Alabama except to those who can prove that they serve faithfully.
 Here the convention adjourned until 80 o'clock.
 Afternoon Session.
 The convention reassembled at 3:30 o'clock with 116 members present.
 Governor Oates resumed his remarks in support of his proposed amendment. He told of the depredations of the First Flor ida Cavalry Regiment, which he said was largely made up of deserters from our army. He told of his own regiment, which he said was one of the bravest and best that ever went from Alabama, yet there were many deserters in this regiment.
 MT. Dent of Barbour said he fully sym pathized with the intention of Governor Oates amendment but he thought the words used in the article. viz, those who had honorably served in the army, accom- plished the same purpose. He told of an instance where Confederate soldier de- serted because he had to go home to hee about his wife, who had been robbed and plundered and was destitute.
 MT. ONeai of Lauderdale said that nearly forty years had elapsed since the civil war and it's passions had subsided. A man may have been a deserter but may have lived an honorable life since. Let us throw over his sin the broad mantle of charity. We want to say to the Confed- crate soldier, we presume that you have all served honorably. (Applause.) The war is over and this Is day of reconciliation, a day of peace. Do not let us reopen those old sores. He moved to lay Cover nor Oates amendment on the table, which was done by vote of 92 to TO-
 Judge Robinson of Chambers moved to amend section by allowing those who became 21 years of age by January l. 1905. to vote. He said the purpose of 1t was to give the poor young man IS years Of age who had had no opportunity to get an education the privilege of registering un- der the temporary plan.
 Judge Coleman said that every boy now IS years of age would have three years in which to qualify themselves to register. He moved to lay the motion on the table and demanded the previous question. He withdrew this temporarily at MT. Loves request.
 Mir. Lowe Speaks.
 MT. Lowe then arose to question of personal privilege and said 1t had been charged onathe floor that he had accused the Black Belt of fraud. He said that the majority of this convention and of the white people would need the minority. Here MT Weatherly arose and raised