The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-14


 ing solicitors. we should have hao some notice at the time that the call for the Convention was adopted. Why should we not select them in the old way? If they are permitted to be selected by the counties.we will very probably have in the nature of things. a rather meas ly set of solicitors. No man Is great to his valet: the people seem to regard with far more consideration and re. spect the Circuit Solicitor on his rounds who Is not subject to the play of local influences:.lgho is not in daily contact with malefac.ors. whom he will be called upon to prosecute. suggest that from every consideratioa and every standpoint it would be un- wise to select the solicitors by the peo- pie of the several counties but the crux of the matter which presents it. self to my mind. and which desire to present to my fellow Democrats is this: I insist, as a matter of policy, we ought not to permit the opposition to the Democratic party to dictate the course and line of policy we should pursue; and desire to register my opposition to the new fashioned mode of selecting prosecuting attorneys, because in the past, those officers have been gallant, high h-minded, chivalrtc capable meni and the way to test system, the way to pass judgment upon 1t. Is to look at the results in the past. ask those gentlemen who favor the overturninS of the present system, to consult the records and say to this Convention whether or not the solicitors we have had in the past were not capable ana trustworthy men. to whom the inter- ests of the commonwealth of Alabama could at all times be safely entrusted. 1 shall heartily favor any parliament. ary method of reconsidering the vote by which the time-honored and enec- tive system has been decreed to be al- tered. and am quite unable to perceive che necessity for a change.
 Mir. Graham .Talladega)-I regret that 1t Is necessary for me to make Q personal statement on this subject, but am glad of the opportunity since 1t has been thrust upon me. On the question of Democracy, I desire to say that the Populists and Republicans of the State of Alabama have felt the thrust of my blade whether it be keen or blunt, since before I was twenty-one years of age, because it was my privilege and my pleasure to make speeches in behalf of the National Democratic ticket in 1884. before I was entitled to vote under the laws of Alabama, ana there has been no campaign since that time that have not been on the stump in Alabama in behalf of organized De- mocracy. The gentleman from Cham bers refers to the fact that I was once a candidate for solicitor I was can didate and I was defeated. and l went home and dictated an interview to my home paper which was sent out over the State that I was defeated by . clean competent and an honorable man. and that I had no scars from the conflict, and l want to say further- more, I want to say. where the theory may come home to the other side. tnak I am not myself candidate for soiic. iter and that there is no memoer or my family who Is candidate
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-Will the gen. tleman permit question?
 Mr Graham-Certainly.
 MT. Coleman-I have been trying to refrain from personalities. but since It has gone 90 far will Ask the gentle man to state whether or not he went tD Governor Stamford and tried to get a gentleman that occupies that place appointed to judgeship. that he might become solicitor as the gentleman successor. Now answer that.
 MT. Graham-I c2n answer that, but I wish that the dead were here with me that 1t all might be known. l want to state that the first suggestion of such a thing came from a man very close to the delegate from Greene in the State of Alabama who wanted the tudgeshtp of a city court-if the gen. tleman wants me to call his name l will do 1t.
 MT. Coleman-I have no objection. because your remarks have been so personal. want to know If you did not write letters?
 ho I write ter to the applicant for the judgeship who. himself. originated the entire matter so far as I have ever known. I have never said aught to reflect upon the solicitor of the circuit and 1t was he who first suggested that he would like my endorsement fcG a judgeShip, and I promised it. It first came through a man whose name I'm not at liberty to use. The gentleman can get at the correspondence and see what IL is: I am willing that it should come out since he has gone into private mat ters without consent. The gentleman seems to be very s6e. I was replying to the gentleman from Chambers AR stated in the outset l paid a tribute to the solicitor from the. Seventh CIT cult I want to say further that pre- sume that the gentleman's (Mr. Henlh' estimate of the relative merits of gen tlemen as lawyers in thls state Will he considered along the line Of ms reputation as an attorney himself, ana nobody will be injured by his opinion. Now. gentlemen. you can see why per sonal matters have been brought Tn here. l want to come down to dis cussion of the merits of the case; l did not intend to be personal in tms matter. this morning, if the gentleman had not used my name. want to state in reply to the gentleman rom covinxton that on the first vote on this question we had more than two to one and I would like to know II the Ponulites were the balance or nower on that vote of two to pneq What has happened since that ,,ntep | do not know whether gentle nen of the Convention have been ap- nroached or not, but l can testlIy tnat nine Circuit Solicitors have been III tnis Convention or in the lobby. and l can further testify to four county or clty Solicitors who have been In this con vention. Thirteen of them in all. don't know what they have been oo-
 MT. opp-May ask the gentleman question. .,.on yield? ,,..
 Mir. Graham-The gentleman declined to yield while ago, and they nave taken up SO much of my time that must decline to- yield further. Ihey have referred to the vote where le stood 50 to 50, and the gentlemen Will remember that there were about sew