The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-02

CdSS olu LlUL COTICGAht 8D6CAh SAfS hNW
 Upon Inquiry, the judge was told that
 the brief was written by Governor Jones, and he immediately replied:
 Pretty apt to be right" have heard, and I do not doubt it, that the Honorable Chief Justice of this State
 has said that the briefs of the distin-
 guished gentleman from Montgomery ever asserted the true principles of the law and the proper application there of. Knowing his honesty and integri- ty, I am constrained to take his view of that clause and believe that 1t Is at least of doubtful constitutionality. And in this am confirmed by the report itself. So. believing, under my oath,
 will vote against that provision.
 Mir. President. I am opposed to dis
 franchising white men, but, Mir. Pres ident. I favor disfranchising those not of good character. The vicious should
 not be permitted to vote, and 1T one cannot qualify under a good charac-
 ter. clause. I am here to assert that ne should be disqualified. We all know
 that the newspapers generally reflect
 the views of their constituents. With
 the newspapers, this grandfather
 clause does not seem to be In higr
 favor. and I may add that I have ye,
 to hear of a single person, outside ol
 this Convention that wants that clause The character clause. however. might
 well be the instrument of great m. justice and oppression, and In the
 hands of a partisan political board, no
 doubt exists that 1t would be So used For myself, I would prefer the word
 reputation, as take 1t that only those
 of known bad character are to be dis
 franohised, but I believe this provision
 is more for the purpose of turning voters in than turning them out. How ever. would suggest to the members of the Convention that, in my part oi the State, we send such men to the penitentiary. The great objection to the character clause is. as nave salo that it makes the registrars the judges of mems characters ana iE the hands of A politically partisan board of reg istrars, is widely open to fraud. Un' der this clause the registrars could un- deniably build up an electorate to then own liking Is this to be desired? Then why invite such fraud. especially IT the face of the fact that we came hert to purify the elections and the elector ate. to close the gates Of fraud ant bar and doubie-lock them? It ha' been argued that the men of the Blacl Belt are honest and intend to carry out the provisions and spirit Of this
 plan and disfranchse the negro ana him alone. Suppose 1t should be found necessary to have the negro vote oi the Black Belt to perpetuate the Dem, ocratic Party in power, think you moi
 the means will be found by which, and the men by whom, this negro vote will be secured? The Age Herald says:
 FIVE OTHER PROPOSITIONS. Congressman Bowie is mistaken when he says only one provision of the ma jority report of the Committee on Sui frase has been assailed. This Is
 mistake. The grandfather clause is as.
 sailed because of its un-Afnerlcan na. ture, In that 1t makes heredity tho basis of an electorate. But there arc
 others. several others, that have been | assailed. These are as follows:
 First-A Board of Registration that can create a life electorate at will there being no remedy that poor mar oan resort to against oppression or in. l justirc.
 Second-The good character clause
 which in the hands of politically ap- pointed registrars Is utterly indefinite and very open to fraud. It makes the registrars the judges of mef's motives
 and characters. This is also very un- American.
 Thifd-The understanding clause which requires a voter to understand "the obligations and duties of citizen ship.'
 FourthAA life electorate.
 Fifth-The lawful occupation clause and the naming of employers in fivt years preceding.
 l Ali of these in this singularly compli cated plan have been assailed and art daily assailed Mr. Bowie has nc doubt named the clause that is oft|si. | est assalled. but the grandfather clause ie by no means the only one. The other five have plenty of opponents ir 1 perhaps every county In the State, and one of them should be adopted under the impression that 1t stands approved Unanimously" among the people. Under the pefinanent plan, only those
 who can read and write any Section oi the Constitution and who have been | regularly engaged in some lawful bust. ness or occupation, trade or calling, foi | twelve months next preceding the time | they offer to register. or those who have $500 of personal or $500 worth oi realty in their own or their wife name are permitted to register. Right | here \ pertinent inquiry would be should we permit that man. who places his property in his wife's name for tht
 purpose of defrauding his creditors, tc qualify because his wife owns 4300 oi personal property? l, for one, do hot believe that 1t Is necessary for mar to be able to read and write to con- stitute him a good citizen-a citizen
 worthy to enjoy the privilege of voting True, under the grandfather clause
 many of those who cannot read and
 write are enabled to register. But this
 clause is only temporary and no pro-
 vision Is made for descendants of sol
 diers who come of age after 1903. If the grandfather clause Is s1od to 1905 why
 not always good? If the understanding
 and character clause is good until 1903
 why not equally good thereafter? By the adoption of the permanent plan we
 will certainly disfranchise many white
 men after 1903 We have heard many
 delegates get Up here and affirm thai
 they would have to keep their pledge to the letter-ths pledge not to disfran-
 chis any white man except for infa-
 nous crime. It seems to be, though
 that that pledge had regard only tc
 the first registration after the adoption
 of this Constitution, and not to any
 subsequent registration. Yes, you car
 tell your constituents that you have roi
 disfranchised any white man. But suppose they ask what about their soni who come Of age in 1903. Will youI
 answer not be "disfranchised, if they
 cannot read and write, and have not
 been regularly at work the twelve
 months preceding the time he offeri to register, or unless they own cer' tain amount of property?" Think yoI
 that your constituents care only as re
 gards themselves alone, and no thought