The age-herald., 1901-10-11
COLONEL DENsoN's SPEECH.
W. R. Houghton Defends the New Con
 stltution.
To the Edltor of the Ace.Herald.

To the Editor of the Age-Herald.
 According to the newspapers Colonel Denson's speech at Seals Hall was mainly directed against the mode of se- lecting the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, their numbers and personnel. The mill cannot grind with water that Is passed and we have now to deal with the work, not the workmen.
 No sensible man expected a perfect Constitution nor can such an instru- ment, which is necessarily the result of compromises, suit every one and 1t Is possible that 1t may be an excellent Con stftution and in all It's features suit no one person exactly. The same may be said of church creeds and laws, as wit ness the efforts now being made by two powerful churches to revise their law.
 The only question for decision Is whether the proposed Constitution is bet ter than the present
 Confessedly 1t Is better as regards pro- visions for public schools in limiting to lower rate state taxation; in limiting the power of counties and municipal corpora tions to tax; in limiting local legislation: In limiting to some extent bribery, by free passes; In fixing legislative sessions at four instead of two years: in lessen ing the number of elections; in electing some solicitors by the people; and in limiting the number of courts and judges that may be created by the Legislature.
 The point of attack seems to be the suffrage article, and General Shelley's fears are that opportunity Is given for fraud because the power is given to regis trars to judge of voters qualifications.
 In view of the fact that under the present laws there is room for unlimited fraud which if reports be true has often been availed of, it would seem that any change in that feature would be de- sirable
 It has been alleged that majorities of any desired size could be returned from certain beats and counties by simply sending word they were needed.
 The colored people, ignorant, of uncer- tain identity, and unreliabilty. who com pose the mass of voters in these sections, make 1t impossible to prevent or detect these alleged frauds, and the dead. the absent or the fictitious can be returned as voters with impunity.
 Under the proposed law this cannot be done. Next year every voter a soldier or descendant of a soldier or a man of good character can register. Perhaps the man of bad character may complain that he is excluded, but after next year even he can register if he can read and write or own some. property. Practically every white man, and some blacks who have fixed residences and are well known can register. The printed list of voters will be on file and a limit will ue fixed and certain as to the number of votes that can be cast or counted, as against the present unlimited license.
 Does not this promise some reform?
 Again it is urged that power is lodged in the registrars. Power is now, and has to be lodged somewhere, and it is pro- vided that If the registrars refuse to reg ister a citizen, he may without security appeal to jury.
 We are obliged to admit that if jury will say that a man Is not a competent voter he ought not to vote, and if there be such. the Constitution may deprive them of their votes, but the public will be benefited. w. R. HOUGHTON.
 Birmingham, Ala, October 10.