The age-herald., 1901-07-07
EQUAL RIGHTS TO ALL,
 SPECIAL FAVORS TO NONE

Goodwater, July e-Speclal) )-Judge Bridges of Wedowee says: "The suffrage question is an exceedingly difficult prob lem In my county a large number of white men-good citizens-can not read and any provision which would disfran- chise them would insure general opposi- tton. Upon the whole I can not see any better solution than that proposed by the committed"
 P. A. Jackson said: "It is a hard mat ter to be honest with ourselves regard ing suffrage. We are so prejudiced to- ward the negro that it has become second nature to think any discrimination against him is just But every man has a right to fair treatmet and honest deal ings No government can stand the test of fraud. Any law not based on the eternal principles of justice, equal rights to all, will react with It's curses upon the people. Nothing Is surer. The lead ing argument for a new Constitution Is to purify our politics and eliminate neces- sary fraud. No fou1ed cleanser will cleanse politics. No fraudulent law will remove from Alabama the ballot box stench. Purity can not come out of cor ruption The grandfather clause Is not only tinged with an undercurrent of fraud, but licenses and encourages ignor- ance among the white people and makes franchise the reward for education among negroe. Alabama Is now among the low est in the scale of education. The pro- posed suffrage plan will invite the Hitter ate and people of the lower idea of gov- ernment to Alabama. It will encourage socialism and agrarianfsn and all the evils of illiteracy. Instead of advancing in the art of government 1t is a step back toward the darker ages. The third clause of section 4 should be narrow enough for the smallest man in Alabama. Why should sovereigns be not required to be of good moral character and understand the principles of government? In corpor- ations and ordinary business enterprises we want our best talent to manage and steer the business. Good government has ever taxed the wisdom of man. Success ful business, prosperity and happiness all depend on wise government. Then should government, the most material thing affecting all men, be left to any people or class of people without regard to competency or qualification?
 'rn regard to keeping pledges every moralist advocates and every Sabbath school child Is taught in the lesson of John theBaptlst being beheaded by King Herod that a bad pledge Is better broken than kept. A dishonest pledge should not be made and should never be kept.
 Mayor D. M White, member of the State Democratic Executive Committee said "The suffrage question has puzzled the South generation on account of the unwise Fifteenth amendment. In my county a large number of white men, though as good as the best in Alabama, are iIliterate, and I am not In favor or any law which will disfranchise any one of good moral character. But I heartily favor disfranchising every negro because hls suffrage necessarily endanger our government and corrupts our politics They are neither competent or worthy of suffrage. heartily approve of the report of the majority of the suffrage commit tee''
 E. V. Jones of Rockford, Ala, the countv seat of Coosa, says: 1T favor the report of the committee as 1t stands and am sure that it could not be bettered ufl- less the poll tax was raised. Every Democrat in my locality views the mat ter in the same light"
 w. J. MCLEOD.