The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-03

ltnquent nor shall there bs any pfon cess for Its collection until Api.l 1st thereafter. 4s
 1t does not touch the other proposi- ton at all. It simply puts it In posir tion where man will have to pay his poll tax before February in order to vote. and if he does not pay 1t bs- fore February. then after the ntxt April he can be made to pay it. AZ not paid his poll tax voluntarily ha will also be disqualified e vote. and the enforcement o< the collection of the poll tax will not restore the right to vote but only add that much to the school fund. without giving any additional right of franchise.
 Mir. Williams lMarengo)--Under the law as it stands now. the members ofS military companies. are exempt from paying poll tax. What effect will this provision have on themf
 Mir. Snith--I have not really consid- cred that question and cant answer 1t. I have never belonged to the mil- itary. and I haven't bothered about it much one way or the other.
 Mir Williams--I think that C props osition that should be discussed by this Convention. ~
 Mir. Smith--I think anybody ought to discuss any proposition they see fit and am not trying to cut discussions 1t Is an amendment offered by the Committee. and do not desire to dis cuss 1t further. ~ <
 MT. Sollie (Dale)--Gentlemen, shah not attempt to detain you today in lengthy speech. I hope I shall get through before the ten minutes have expired. itr, I,1c,J
 The President pro tem-I will call the attention of the gentleman from Dals to the fact that the pending question is the amendment offered by the gen. lecting taxes by legal process.
 Mir. Sollie--Yes. sir; and as under stand 1t an amendment always brings up . discussion on the law which it purports to amend, and brings the two under review of necessity; because the law as amended, .Siil be the original law so much changed.
 Much has been said in discussion touching this poll tax question, as te the wishes of the hill counties and of the people Of the black belt. The hill counties of Alabama and the black belt do not make up the entire State. We have lying across the southern and southeastern portion of the State q tier of great counties known ae the "wire grass They may be the least populous. I know not as to that. They may be the smallest in territory. know not as to that. They are yegsrd- ed as the rural district Of the State to some extent. concede that, ana yet say to you. gentlemen of the Con- vention. that they are not a section whose wishes may upon any occasion, when the State of Alabama is cot- cerned, or when it's will is to be com suited be entirely overlooked or neg lected. The wire grass has the proud honor of having filled your Governors chair, of having led your. delegation in Congress. It has the proud honor to have borne its part in all the politi- cal strifes and contests of the state; and it's wishes and its desires may well be consulted. In my judgment. the whole of this attempt to raise the age of paying the poll tax from forty. five to sixty years. when sent abroad to the wire grass country for It's rati- ficatton, will find an unfriendly re- ception. When we think of 1t 1t Is not easy for the poor man who has passed the meridian of his lite and who has already worked as much as one man should work. and already be- gins to feel that the shades Of tne evening are gathering about
 MT. O'Neal-I rise to make . parlia- mentary inquiry. Is 1t in order to dis- cuss the original section as reported or the substitute reported by the Com mittee while the amendment is pend- ,ng7
 The President-The question under discussion is the amendment onered by the gentleman from Mobile. Tne Chair holds the point of order well ta--a Ken. and will confinc the gentIemaW loA af afIhQtftute.
 MT. Sollie-Then speaking to this amendment and it alone: I cannot see where there comes any relief to the voter merely by making 1t compulsory. If looks to me that whereas he was at first confronted by one evil, ne 10 now confronted by two. The proposa- ton. MT. President, as 1t comes orig. inaliy, is to say to the voter you must pay after you have passed the age cI forty-five a poll tax of $1.5o before you can vote. The point has been made that this Is a hardship upon him, ana has been contended for by some or the delegates on the floor of this Conven- ton. Now we seek to amend that py saving; Not only must you forfeit vour right to vote if you fail to pay this tax by a given time. but even at. ter that Is done. still you must pay the tax"
 That WHICH SeGulCu tO AAC ~ A"e ship, unjust and impolitic and seemed to threaten the document we are ex. pected to send from this Convention, ia made more unjust, q greater nafo- shin and is gathering unto the Ccnsu- tuition more of unpopulartty, ana l think that the amendment should nos be adopted.
 Mr Reese-Mr. President. the amend rnent of the gentleman from Moeue leaves this proposition in the shape Of the play of Hamlet with the cnaIacter of Hamlet left out. We are here tor the purpose Of purifying the sunraee in this State. We are endeavoring 70 exclude from the suffrage a large class thaf does not add te the purity ana safety of our government. Al sorts oL theories are urged upon this floor. m answer to the theories that are pre- scented here. I state fact. q oonoi- lion. and not a theory. The same nroposition presented here in the Ts- nort of the Committee has been sue cessfuIly tried in the neighoorins State of Mississippi. A few weeks De- fore the assembling of this Convention T had occasion to be in the state oI Mississippi, on business. made IL my h,ssiness to have a long talk witn T,jdre Calhoun who was President or that able body-one of the ablest pod lea that have ever assembled m the South present company excepted. Ano, MT President. discussed this mattsr with other distinguished Mississippl" N.oA ad in that COn-