The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1901-08-04
consent to introduce short ordinance

Il
to be referred.
Ordinance NO. 4s7 read as follows:
Be Il ordained that Section z. Of the
article on Suffrage and Elections be
amended by adding the word at the
end of the section as follows: PRO
vided. that ministers of the Gospel who
are legally engaged in preaching shall
be eligible to vote by a residence in
the county three months. provided, he
has been citizen Of the State. for two
years and Is otherwise qualified.
Referred to Committee on Suffrage
and Elections
The President pro tem.-The question
IL upon the amendment to the amend
ment offered by the gentleman from
Morgan.
The Clerk will read the amendment.
The amendment was read as follows:
Amy Board of Registrars, or a ma
jority OF any Board of Registrars, who
shall knowingly and corruptiy register
any person who is legally disqualified
from registering. shall, upon convic-
ton. be fined not less than two hun
dred and fifty dollars for each member
of the Board of Registrars, participating
In the registration of such person or
persons. and shall forfeit their Office as
registrars"
Mr.. Blackwell-Now, Mr.. President,
the section as amended leaves out the
only suggestion of objection that has
been made to IL by any one. Now IL
We intend to have parties who are to
conduct elections fairly. and who are
to have the power of the law behind
them. to require them to do 1t honestly.
then 1 can see no reason why any man
should vote against this resolution
Out of the 200 registrars necessary 20
be appointed under the plan which is
proposed land l have supported that
pian), there will necessarily; We may
expect, no matter how much care or
caution is observed, that men will be
selected who under differing condi-
tions and under partisan excitement.
may attempt to do wrong, and we want
to say in connection with the authority
We give them. IL you do wrong. you
are not the sort of men we want to
discharge these duties. and you shall
be removed; We will put the stamp of
our disapproval upon anything that is
disclosed to he corrupt or wrong.
Mr.. Spear-Would you be willing to
accept an amendment providing for
the punishment Of the majority of the
registrars, in case they refuse to regis
ter man who is entitled to register?
Mr.. Blackwell--No, sir, would not.
because you have g remedy. He can
go to the court and have that right
adjusted in the court If he is refused
and denied. If man Is denied the
right to register, he can go to the
court and have that right settled and
adjudcated.
Mr.. Walker (Madison)-It seems to
me that provision of this kind in
view of the character and term of Of
flee of the Registrars, provided under
the article as passed, is wholly, unnec-
essary and would attain no good object.
These Boards of Registrars. under the
article as it has been adopted are to
be appointed by the three Chief Ex-
ecutive officers of the State. who are
to select suitable and compe-
tent men for the discharge of those
duties in each county. We certainly
have no reason to assume that the duty
imposed upon the Chief ExecuN
tive officers of the State will be disre-
garded, but that there will be selected
suitable and competent men in the va
rious counties. By amendments. pro-
visions have been introduced into this
Article by which any person improp-
erly and fraudulently put upon the list
can be removed. The provision now
oHered by this amendment. 1 submit,
would be abortive In it's operation, The
convention will remember that this
board VIII complete its iabors in seven
ty or seventy-five days If a charge of
his kind was made, it would have to
De tried in the courts, and there Ia not
a court in the State of Alabama in
winch a case of that kind would be
reached for trial before the term of the
BOARD had expired. 1t would be practi-
,ally a dead letter. Now, having made
provisions in the amendments that have
already been made for purging the list
IT any name fraudulently and improp-
erly entered thereon. so that the cleo
crate of the State of Alabama will he
Sept as We intended, that 1t should be
established. l submit that there is no
necessity for a provision of this kind.
t is simply holding a threat over the
Board of Registration, so that they in
every case which may come before
hem, will act under the idea that tkey
nay De brought up and made the sub
ect or partisan criminal prosecution
n the courts of Alabama,
Mr.. Sanford (Montgomery)-Is there
my more threat to the Registrars In
his provision than there is to the Gov !
'rnor and other officers of the State I'm |
impeachment proceedings? 1t is no
more of threat to the Registrar than
I - " lHOSe Officers.
Mr.. Walker-Would it accomplish the |
Would 1t do any good to put |
in there? The very same man would |
70 along and complete the registration, |
md II charge was made, it would |
ave to be tried after the registration |
vas completed. The men serve for pa |
riottc purposes, only getting 50 a day. |
8 there any necessity under the cir |
of their appointment for |
'utting threat of this kind over
hem, when the proposition is so franz
d that it could not possibly have any |
operation to keep the cleo
crate pure? As first written. there
vas proposition made to punish these
men who knowingly registered any
erson. Well, every person registered
) knowingly registered. So, If it
appened that any one who was regis.
ered-and everybody is registered
nowingly-should afterwards turn out
OF to have the qualifications prescrib-
d. these men would be subject to pun
'hment.
Mr.. ONeal-I desire to ask IL these
egistrars are not quasi judicial Of
GERS? r..
Mr.. Walker-Certainly. ..~
Mr.. O'Neal-And if 1t Is not against
he policy of our law to punish judicial
Ulcers for errors OF judgment?
Mr.. Walker-Certainly.
Mr.. BLACKWELL will ask if we don't
rovide to punish our judicial officers
)r knowingly and corruptly--
Mr.. Waiker-Deciding a case.
MIR. Bla STRAIGHTFORWARD and cor
lptly doing wrong.