The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-10
der and tha cbair r,ll so hold.

| Convention that this is vital to us. "
 is vital to the preservation of the gs- mccracy of Alabama. You strike tne power of the Blsck Belt. you take aWe9 | from it the right of representatfon ac- | cording to population, and you VIII eoe
 in a few years what wfil be the ccndt. | ton of Alabama. You will ind thae | q wonderful change will take place. am a Democrat. I believe in the doc- trines of the Democracy, but I want fo say, gentlemen of the Convention. that while 1 do that, do not want 10 0e unfair to anybody. I do not want to | treated with injust.ce myself. and te
 strike down the power of the Black Belt Democracy in this State, to take
 away from them the right of represent- ation according to population, would
 be to destroy that which has preserves | Alabama which has preserved the
 Democratic Party, and which has en-
 abled the State of Alabama to rise t0 | the position she now occupies among
 the States of this Republic; and hops | the substitute offered by the gentle- man from Greene will be adopted. | MT. Greer CPerry)-Mr. President, ' have just been thinking of the remark
 O. gentleman In a little conversation had the ether day. My people seem | to think now that there Is question
 of integrity existing between the pec- pie of the white be,t and the Black
 Belt of Alabama. Only forty-efght
 hours ago was talking with them on
 this same quest on, and little express | sion from an old gentienl.n impressed
 me very forcibly. He said: T hope
 the gentlemen composing that Conven-
 ton will adopt Constitution that we
 can support, and we hope that he di- vid!ng lines between the White Belt
 and the Black Belt may be wiped out.
 and when the day comes to ratify 1t.
 instead of reckoning, 1t will be a day that We hope that when that day | comes that it will be the hill billies
 mingling with the gopher diggers of the | wire grass and the crawfishernen of l the prairies." That s the sentiment of l the Black Belt now, and when you ques-
 tion their fidelity, and come up here
 and say while they do protect i've dar-
 kies to one white n an. see that they l pay their tsxes, protect them in the \ law, see that they are made good cit-
 izens and are educated, that they shall
 not have representation according to | population, with tEeir record behind
 them, they will doubt you, and in jus | tice ought to doubt you. Some of them
 may use the same expression, possibly
 as you hear among your people. and
 they say which is the worst, to have the l | or have the negroes upon our right | arm? Thee want to do away with this | fraud. They are anxious for 1t, and | all you have to do is tc place out your
 hand and beckon and uphold them, and | I guarantee you that the Black Belt Of | Alabama will ratify thic Constitution. | I believe if you will support this amend
 ment that it will be the opening key.
 It may be a little premature, and it I ha hat | vt,HI in "A
 port of the Committee on Representa-
 tion, but it is the opening key. It
 seems to rise spontaneously and ex- | pectantly in the minds and hearts of
 the White Belt of Alabama. They fear you as you fear them. and say if this
 amendment If adopted. 1t will go out
 over the Black Belt of Alabama. and
 it will be the key to unlock the door | for the ratification.
 MT. deGraffenreid--I move the previ-
 ous question on the adoption of the | amendment.
 | MT. O'Neal Withdraw
 that, I want to speak on this matter. MT. deGraffenreid-I will withdraw the motion.
 MT. o'Neal-T heartily favor the
 amendment offered by the gentleman from Greene. There is no disposition
 on the part of the people of the white counties of Alabama to interfere with
 the present basis of representation; yet l must say that I take exceptions to
 the remark made by the gentleman
 from Barbour when he lntimated that
 unless thlis amendment was adopted | the Constitution would be defeated.
 While heartily favor th,s amendment. 1 yet I do not like to have threats made
 that unless I do a certain thing. ths
 Constitution will be dereated. l dc not | think that style of argutnant should | beAused fin the Constitutional Conven.
 tioi.
 The gentleman, too is mistaken in | fact of history. lie says that whei l the State of Alabama was under tho
 control of the negro and the carpet bagger. it was the Black Belt that came
 to the relief of the Democracy and
 drove the pundel CTS from power. If
 rec all the facts of history correctly, when Alabama was under the control
 of the Republican Party, and when | the worst set of thieves in history | were In the control of the State Gov | ernment, 1t was the ceople of the white counties. led by the Bald Eagle of thf
 mountain. that came to the relief of
 tho people of the Black Belt, and re. stored white supremacy in Alabama It was the people of the white coun. | ties who said to the people of the
 Black Belt. We will give you relief | from your oppressors,' and they did do it. From that day to this white
 supremacy has continued in Alabama. We know that in every great crisis in
 the history of the Democratic Party.
 we turn to the Black Belt with con- fidence that 1t will roll up the neces- sary Democratic majority. They have
 always been true and loyal, and we of the white counties propose to you that you cut down your voting population
 by eliminating the great mass of ne- gro votes. We do net say to you that we intend to reduce your representa- tiol to your voting strength. We in- tend to let the representa- on be what 1t IS today, and I. for one am in favor oi p,.tting i: in the constitution. so that it can no; be changed except by the pc C pie Of alabama In Conve ntitn as- setnbed. That Is the sent ment of the pee pie of North Alabama; that is their unbiased sentiment. bu. don't tell us we have got to do 1t, be ause we can not be forced.
 MT. BuIns-In 1872 d'd1't North Ala bama send down into this section of the country and call upon Morgan and PuSh, Clanton and Lewis, and those men to come through that country and
 canvass NoIth Alabama, and didn't they do it? And afterwards didn't they all give credit to John T. Morgan as the saviour of the Democratic party in 1872?
 Mr O'Neal-No: we gave credit to