The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-30

| Montgomery for today; to MT. Fergu- son of Jefferson for today,
 The President pro tem-The next | thing In order is the regular order-the
 censiderati ton of Section of the report nf the Committee on Franchise ana | Election.
 MT. Perter-Mr. President,
 ! The President pro tem-The Chair
 recognizes the delegate from ceesa,
 Mr. Porter.
 | Mir. Porter-Mr, President, it is with
 some reluctance that rise from my | seat to address this Convention after l listeHing to the many able arguments | delivered on the floor of this hall upon | the subject now before us, am satis,
 ned at this late hour that anything l
 should say in my feeble way would be
 like pouring water upon a ducks back, | I was taught in early life that small people were to be seen and not heard.
 am still trying to stand by my early
 education. This debate as understand I has been prolonged for the purpose of
 allowing each delegate to be heard My
 duty to my people demands that ] no longer be silent. am not in the attt-
 tude of the majority of the delegates | of this Convention, who are under
 party pledges not to do certain things. | 1 am here as q delegate with small |
 ing $, 900 voters from North and south l Alabama, who were opposed to the holding of this Convention. am pledg- cd only by my good conscience to do l right, as I see 1t, and I am satisfied I that my people will be satisfied with l nay action and that will receive when | return home their plaudits: Well done, thou good and fatthful servant"
 Suffrage Is the allvahsorbing question | W.. &n.n arlxc | I shall make hope to speak the truth, and nothing but the truth, as l under
 stand 1t. Why this perplexing aues- tion before us todays It Is some of the fruits of Democratic partisan felly and ! secession. In this historical hall and Capitol in 1861 there was body of men
 assemblf l. majority of whom were
 led astray by sentiment by leading politicians. against the better judgment
 and supniioations of small majority, l The result-war and blood. destitutien
 and ruin, reconstruction. Thirteenth, | and Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend l ments to the Constitution. We were l left in the attitude of sick patient. l The deetor was sent for he came and prescribed the Thirteenth Amendment upon his first visit. We refused the
 medicine. He came on the second visit and offered us the Fourteenth Amend
 meHt. We refused. He came with the
 Fifteenth Amendment little larger
 and 2 little more auinine, and says l | will stand by you and see you take It, | together with the Thirteenth and
 Fourteenth Amendments. We have
 lived and prospered for quarter of q century after taking that medicine. l Here in tfe early dawn of the TWen- tieth Century we are assembled again
 in Constitutional Convention for the
 purpose of seeing if we can devise some plan whereby we can get around
 the effects of this medicine, We are
 here offering new inducements. l fear for more reconstruction. Are we so l fergetful as to be carried off on senti-
 ment again? Let us bring halt. and
 see whither we are drifting, Mr. Presi- dent l am 8 believer in the doctrine
 that whatever man soweth that will he reap. If he sews to the wind he
 will reap the whirlwind, This applies
 both collectively and individually. We have the proposition under discussion
 in the way of minority report versus delegates are divided, It should be 8 friendly division. It behooves us as delegates to this Convention to do eur
 duty. in trying to get the best thing possible for cur people, and send 1t to 1 them for their approval or rejection. We should be consistent, MT, President, and not hypocritieal. When this Con ventien met in May, there was a reso- lution offered providing for the seating of members by lot--a page was to he
 blindfolded, the names of all delegates
 were to be placed in a hat, and a page
 was to draw therefrom and hand the Secretary one by one, as he called 1t,
 the name thus drawn, the member
 whose name was called, was to come in and choose his seat, That resolu-
 tien was fought an the floor of this
 House upon the ground that 1t gave Republicans and Populists the same
 the Democrats. The Journal will show that 41 votes were recorded against
 this resolution in opposition to allow
 ing their brother delegates the same
 chance as themselves, simply on the
 ground that they were Republicans and
 Populists. The Republican and Popu-
 list delegates of this Convention, some
 oE them at least, are old Confederate soldiers and sons of Confederate sold- iers. It is not necessary for me to go out of this House to prove my record as q Confederate soldier. I see some familiar faces now present listening to me whom l have met in places as hot as the place we meet today, the only difference in those faces Is that the plowshare of time has plowed furrows, and the frosts of many winters have whitened their heads. In nay breast there beats a heart that goes out with love for everyone of them. For the last three OF four days we saw some of those delegates who voted against the resolution that I refeTFed to biistePing their hands and skihning their threats applauding speakers who were speak ing In favor of giving us preferred seats as cid soldiers and sons of sold ieFs, We don't ask iti we dent want it. Section 2, as passed upon, does great injustice to immigrants coming to Alabama. It disfranehises them for six years before they are allowed to vote. Ataxpayer all the time veter after six years, The enabling act call ling this Convention and the Democrat ic platfarm in my judgment, has han dieapped this Convention in its work. The Constitution was partly made be- fore we came here. The Capitol was not to be removed. The tax rate was not to be increased. The basis of rep resentatien was not to be changed. No white man was to be disfranchised. All ef these are provided in the pres ent Constitution, and we did not need a Convention for that purpose That reminds ma of a story, Pat was in the lockup. The judge came along and said: Whakhave they got. you in there for? Pat related hIs troubles and the judge said, They cannot put you in there, Pat, and Pat replied,