The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-01

MT. President. say that the impress sion has gone. out all over AiaDaHa that those in cullman County and Jet- .erson County. and all over the state because they are all over the otate: You can not go into a county haroy' out what you will find some Scotchmen or Canadians who are good citizens. and as true to the principles or our government as we are ourselves. let we would disfrsnchise those people. Now. Mr.. President. differ from some of the gentlemen on this floor. we are not here so much to raise hiSh stand ard of citizenship and for the purili- cation of the ballot. as we are to per- petuate white supremacy in Alapaind. tApplause.) And when you striAe down Q single white voter who IS now enlisted under the white plume or white Democracy of Alabama, you strike down the very principles TOT which we are here. Now we should stop a moment and think. You strike out this German vote, you strike out this .Canadfsn votes you strike out this Swiss vote, you strike out this British vote. this Scottish vote, now voting with the white people, and you endan- ger in that measure white supremacy in Alabama.
 Mir. Samford--I would like to ask the gentleman how many Canadian votes 1t would disfranchise--citizens Of Can- ada. 1 'l tr -
 Mir. Jenkins--I want to say that I cannot answer that question.
 MT. Samford-I would like to know how many German votes it would dis franchise.
 MT. Jcnkins--I will say in answer 10 the question: of the gentleman. that m Walker county alone you would dis- franchise perhaps five hundred. MT. Samford-"Perhaps"- ask the gentleman---+- fA
 Mir. Jer.kins--I want to state to the gentleman from Pike that am not walking dictionary of statistics.
 Mir. Samford--I would ask the gen. tleman It he got that information from a page" Uaughter)
 MT. Jenkines-Now I want to say this. that the great evil in Alabama today is not the few Germans in Cullman c:clnty or the Italians in Mobile. or Scotch in Jefferson county. but the great evil that hangs like black cloud over Alabama Is negro rule and black domination. I want to say, MT. Presi- dent, that every--
 Mir. O'Neal-L understood you to say that there were large numbers of for eigners all over Alabama who had de- c,ared their intention to vote. and are now voters. hold in my hand the cen sus of 1900 which shows in the whole State of Alabama only 619 foreigners who declared their intention to become citizens.
 MT. Jenxins-Who declared their in- tentions to become citizens. There may he next year 600.000. We do net know. daughter.J
 Mir. Samford-In that case we want to stop this thing.
 MT. Jcnkins--T want to say that we want to open the doors and invite the German Americans that are now filling up the States of Illinois, Wis consin and Michigan 10 come to the South in order to do away with this negro system we have. and we can have these foreigners. these independ- ent Germans and foreigners to come here and divide up these great plan- 1 tations and get the yeace. the pros perity and the civilization we have in the Northwest. and 1 want to welcome | ther1 here. and we ought to invite | them. but how can you invite them If you are to put them on the plain lower than the negro that lives here. A great | IldHy eau nut SDedh tue IlSH ldll- | guage. How can they register under the first clause? Now, I say We are 1 losing sight nf the main proposition The main proposition Is white suprem. acy in Alabama, and every German | American that you disfranchise, ol | Scotchman or British or Canadian ir 1 that proportion you break down the l very principle we met here to pu | upon it's passage. 1 want to say an- | other thing, MT. President. people 1T | this country vote by parties, and the few little votes in the primary or ir | the Convention that is foreign will moi control the policies of a primary cleo tion, but the German vote in the cleo | ton in August may control the results
 MT. Coleman-Mr President. the com mittee has presented its views as i regards the best interest of the State oi | Alabama. We are no more interested than every citizen who Is member of this Convention. You have the sam responsibility upon you. The question | Is whether or not you are willing tC admit these men to exercise the fran chise upon their simple declaration oI an intention to become citizens of th' United States. That Is the whol' question. Whether they can speak thu l English language or not, whether the! have been here without regard to th' length of time, whether raised unde republican form of government or un der a despotism; whether they cam to this country. imbibed the correc principles of love and life andr lioert! and happiness and security. and tn rights of persons and of property, in terested in securing proper representa- tionS, 1t Is for you to say, and not To gentlemen who feel somewhat depend ent upon a small constituency at hom composed of person who are not citi zens of the United States. l place th responsibility where 1t ought to be. Tn committee has done what, in It's opin ion, it thought best for the whole State Now decide for yourself. MT. Presi dent 1 move to reconsider the vote b! which the amendment from the gentle man from Jefferson, as amended, wa adopted, and upon that 1 call the pre- vious question:
 MT. Wilson, ask the gentleman L yield to me one moment. You have tn
 floor after the previous question ordered.
 MT Presl1ent-Has the gentleman yielded?
 Mir. Coieman-You put me in posi-
 tioh l do not like to occupy, but
 withdraw.
 The Preside nt-The question Is ol
 the motion to call for the prevlol
 question. The question is. shall tn
 main question be now put?
 Upon vote being taken the motio
 was carried.
 The President-The question will b 1 upon the motion to reconsider.