The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-24

 Therefore. move the adoption of the amendment.
 The President-The question Is upon the amendment offered by the gentle man from Cleburne.
 MT. deGraffenreid-I move to lay 1t on the table.
 Mr. Proctor--I move that the amend ment be laid on the table.
 The motion to table was carried.
 Mr. Pitlans--I offer this amendment; Amendment to Section 2 was read as follows: Amend Section ? by strik- ing out of the first line thereof the words a citizen and insert in lieu thereof "a person
 The President-The question is upon the amendment offered by the gentle man from Mobile.
 Mfr Pilians-I regret that my voice Is not in very good shape for present. ing my views to the Convention. but am so persuaded that an error will be committed by the adoption of this section. If the first line is unchanged, that I offer this amendment. l know the Chairman of the Committee has stated in his statement here to the Convention that persons who are au- thorized to vote by the first section are declared to be citizens of Alabama. MT. deGraffenreid--l want to call your attention It has been adopted already by the Convention, under the Bill of Rights in Section 3.
 Mir. Pillans-I think if the Chairman of the Bill of Rights Committee is here. he will bear me out that We struck out that entire section. We had in the old Constitution, the exist ing Constitution of the State of Ala bama an absurd provision and an Grl- rnn ,,tf ol v,rnufcinn that r son who has declared his intention to become citizen was citizen of the United States and a citizen of Alaba- ma; that was absurd, because uncon- etitutional under the Federal Constitu- tion, which distinctly declares that Congress alone should pass uniform laws of bankruptcy and naturaliza- ton. wherefore the Alabama Consti- tutional Convention of 1875 erred griev- ously in attempting to make an un- naturalized re:son citizen of the State of Alabama. We'll. we have not done that today. We have been wiser than they. We have struck out that absurd proposition from the projected Constitu- tion, and we have no pretense tn this Constitution that a person who Is not a native born in the United States. or one who Is naturafized by the processes provided by the act of Congress can become a citizen. We have struck down any other idea. Now comes the suffrage report, harmopized as origi- nally written, and have no complaint of it as originally written. but we have amended it this very afternoon by de- claring that persons who may vote shall be male citizens of the State who are citizens of the United States. or foreigners not citizens of the United States who have declared their inten- ton to become citizens. so far as those foreigners have so declared prior to the ratlfica ton of the Constitution. Now, I undertake to say, and l say 1t without the fear of successful contra diction from the chairman of the com mittee or any other member ou the floor, that does not make of those per- sons so privileged. who have declared their intention prior to the adoption of this Constitution, citizens ot this State. They do not become citizens nf Alabama and they cannot be made citi- zens of Alabama until you strike down the Federal Constitute 1 heard an argument this morning that led me to suppose that some of the members of the Convention seem to think that we can traffic with the Constitution of the United States a,s vt will, and even re- peal LHe FhleGULH bhh . do not think this Convention Is of that opinion. Now as We cannot strike down the Constitution of the United States. and cannot make citizens out of aliens except by the power furnished by Congress their declaration of in- tention and five years residence. and adjuraction of their former allegiance to the foreign country from which they came, then 1t goes without saying that persons whom we have undertaken tn privilege as electors in this State. aliens. by the action taken on the amendment adopted this afternoon. are not citizens of the United Sta tes. anu therefore if this provision stands as if does, you win put burdens on your na- tive born and naturaltzed citizens that you do not dream of putting upon your unnaturali5ed citizens, who have simply gone through the form nt de- ciaring his intention to become citi- zen.
 MT. Blackwell-If the gentleman will allow a question, suppose citizen. q person, should come here and upon landing should declare his intention to become a citizen the day he landed, and thereafter he should come to the State of Alabama with that declara- ton, could not he vote immediately without staying here two yearsT
 Mir. Pillans--I think so. if you declare that all persons declaring their inten- tion to become citizens prior to the ratification are electors. Elector is the word used. and elector means entitled to vote. but, in the first section you put an additional burden on the citizens and do not think that is right.
 Mir Blackwell-I will ask the gentle man the additional question, if that would not be giving to the foreigner who has just landed and knows noth- ing of our government privileges we are denying to the citizens of Alabama.
 Mir. PilIans--Of course.
 Mir. Coleman (Greene)-This was written as a whole altogether, and l believe after hearing the gentleman from Mobile, the committee is prepared to accept the proposition offered by him.
 Upon a vote being taken, the amend ment was adopted, and upon further vote the section as amended was adopted.
 Section was read as follows:
 Sec. 8. All elections by the people shall be by ballot. and all elections by persons in a representative capacity shall be viva voce.
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-I move the adoption of the section.
 Upon vote being taken the section was adopted
 Section was read as follows.
 Sec. 4. The following male citizens of this State, who are citizens of the