The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-30

tnr the changes in the new Constitution from the orxanic law under which Aia barna is now being governed. has iss"e1 the fcliowtrg;,
 TO the People of Alabama: The Convention lately assemoiea D. sof of xlabarna asks your considerate judgmen' 1rr,on fine new instrument, ana nag H1p pointe5 the undersigned deiegates u @ its before you the reasons wnich u'
 It is no ai Encouragement of the wisdom or or fidelity Of the Convention ot .t',,;on is.O is clare that the p5Sopossn .sr present. organic Problems Before the Convention or
 a 1875.
 . That Convention met when the psssHd psssiHonds of the great war had not i,s, ySt acute and sreressive. The Congress of the u%ni.ea % Ssstes. and pablic opinion In the aom, n. nant sections were still unconEinhG,eIh h.,na rma' sqvsGemen or directed M by the surrage of - African slaves, was neither Just- 6abIe nor possible. Our then Iunoann.e; ;, sa law framed by aliens asa nster oit its gejec- . ton at the polls. The state Mas sop p"nu msny rd with direct debt. and liable Ior man ;5 millions of dollsrs trnr,ses lost Gs our people had just regained control oa snSr Fro,o T the { eovernfnent, and were sunerlng rom the the miseriss of S.ssls long ysaes from Ge the readjust s,,sY,f nf our |eystems of labor and indus fry It could not be foreseen Wnesnea Congress rorld S .a dateftsrsf ef srfirase Above all thinEs, the State needed rest u.,on Tfysiler such conditions, the Convention of 1875 had little freedom ,,on Q, aS.ionf nf the Inassss of the people. that beyona ,1S rnS . adoption of a Constitution which shouie be the free act of Alabama, wi.n arv sari fo prevent excessive taxation. the crea- fion of new, debts. and to enforce econ. omy in the government; M rev orsanic n law Dreading Federal intervention. that Con vention did not disturb! the existing pasls of suffrage. but felt compellea 10 assSen Sah vond the Fifteenth Amendment; forbid ding '.any educational or property Quatnh, ficafion for suffrage or once: tsa task of that Convention was comparative iy simple. and could be speed'iS accom- Rhs G Greater Task of The Convention
 of 1901.
 The relief afforded by that Constitnuohn, hs in the nature of things could only nS transient since the growing cancer Ha the suffrage remained untoucneo' Mnne the State meanwhile vas rapioy in,nsS cnd,ns sng from agricultural pursuits to mining; misunderstanding and other industries. ana increasing from year, to year Tn popuniatt Eon and wealth: It was lnevitao1e ss tirae Hnae insistent demands would arise from ,in1 utne to time, for Censtitutionsl Convention to adjust the existing organic law to our present needs. The final response so Insse sss Semands was the act of the General AZ sersIbly of 1901, and the approval oy tnee people of the call for Consutuuon"' Convention. ,....o,. .,v ,hs nxfia which it's predecessors did not at- feonr,t to- solve, and confronted Dy new conditions, and faults dsveloped py the the s1orkIngs of the present Constitution, the Convention of 1901 fully. realized the mag; nitlIde of its task. the completion oi which did not admit of .,n the nasts exsstinr nm in Js75. The Convention felt 1t high duty; no less to you than to itself, to proceed cautiously, and to act nnSiy Snd ySspibsration. Ih The result is before you CareIui sSrgsimy and review of the many changeswiiisnow ther mportancs and PrSye yevitN aRel[ we eese set out these changes In substance, that you may judge of them by what they are' rather than by wnst & we say
 The years since. the adoption of the Constitution of 1875 have been one ione battle to prevent the undermining or our institutioTs by the participation in our Sicious voters. Daily. experience has brought home to you, Witn a Lorce to which no recital by us can ado, tne array struRGIe, and their fearful sweep m 9heS future. if we can not find other means to insure good government. Rehel o,,T. morals, our peace and our welfare Nothing could be worse than the inevl- table Operation of. our present suffrage Pe P!he eSdi must be improvement
 With the choice of means narrowed Dy Nhe Fifteenth Amendment, and compll- cated by the necessities, and conditions of different localities, the task Of fram- ing "a remedy which would meet your de eires and be free from obJection or attact ssr,on moral or constitutional grounds, has ,,s,f been San easy one. Your delegates have wrought as best they. could, anC gubInit the result of their labors. feeInt confident that the plan submitted vii nnrire- -the electorate of the unworthy an' Vicious voter who has so long debased ou
 rhe Suffrage Article of the proposed constitution provides for the registration of all voters under the present law wnt [ have honorabiy served their country 1T xnr: w@r: .ne and ' all who are of good charActel and who understand the duties and obi cations of citizenship under republican form of government IhiS provislon ssVes the privilege of suffrage for life. The result will be that the ballot will be left in-the hands of those of our present vot, their capacity to exercise the privilege in the interest of social order and progress; and the right to place on such perma-
 
 that mass of vicious or unworthy voters which has so long threatened our welfare The fact was recognized that the quail ties of good citizenship and the capacity and disposition to exercise the voting privilege properly, are so generally pos Sessed by5 that part of our present Vot. ing population which is composed of those who have honorably served in our wars and the lawful descendants of such per sons, that a due regard for the public welfarewould not warrant any lnterfer ence with that right as now enjoyed b! them All such persons. and all who ar khe duties and obligations of citizenship will have the unchallenged right to regis fer for, life. It Is confidently asserte that no worthy man, now ht elector, 0 who would become an eleeter under ex isting laws prior to the first day of Janu ary, 1908, can have any difficulty in res igterfng as a voter for life; or. once be ing registered. can be debarred from flu ture participation in the government Tn question of the consistency or this pro vision with the requirements of the Con stltution of the United States was full and patiently considered by the Conven ton. The only doubt developed was reference to the feature securing the righ upon the fact that they are descendant of men who honorably served in ou wars. This objection was made b four of the twenty-five members of tn frage was referred by the Convention and though the objection was concurre in by some other members of the Con vention. after patient deliberation an full discussion by the Committee and b the Convention, an overwhelming major ity of the Convention remains fully sal isded of the wisdom and validity of thei action in this particular. The delegate majority of their associates, (save onl fhe few who represented political idea