The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-01

and in the country. the negroes have and i've acres. not worth ssoe. but they have got those little places worth from s6o to Hs. I doubt not but what there Is hundred of them in my own little town. When you confine them to $500
 worth of land, they have not got 1t. 1T you hold them down to $500 worth of personal property they have not got It. But if you let the two be united they have got 1t, and notwithstanding GU that may have been said about the Black Belt. they are as scrupulous in pie. and they vsill enforce this law
 precisely as you adopt 1t here. Now personal property is changeable. It b in one mans hands today and some others tomorrow. It is not q safe cri- terfon. We prefer the $500 of real es- tate, but to satisfy the demands of other sections of the State. we con- ceded to $500 worth of personal prop erty. Let 1t be one or the other. and If you are not satisfied with the pro- visions by which all your people can tive franchise. for goodness sake. write out something and we will sign 1t, We have asked for two things. We wanted relief and We wanted representation. You have given us one and a thrill of gratitude and satisfaction went all through our section of the State, but now you propose to enfranchise sum- cient number Of them to take away from us our power. our dominion of the elective frApchiss in our section of tho country. and it h wrong. It is not whft we waut. say to you, MT. Pres tdeht, it makes no difference with ws, svhnt pe0utnfny1 xxass x-velfA nssk fnp va,aP people. we will sign 1t. we will indorse It. but sive us relief from that great burden which rests upon us. and has for 70 long time, and which we ex- pected to obtain from this Convention. It 10 ali that we ask. We will ratify your Constitution. No man need be afraid of it's ratification, # you will alve us the relief that we want and the relief we ought to have. We are entitled to t and we asoS nothing more. It was mistake. That provision was purpose. because by an estimate, these parties were not In sufficient numbers to own either the one or the other to materially interfere with the majority of the white voters la these counties. If there Is anything here by which any white man is disfranchised, would like Co see it pointed out. We thought we had them all in. Some gentleman said yesterday that we could not 60 on the stump and defend 1t, as 1t was. Why. fellow delegates. you cannot de- fend many thinss If you take the whole people into confederation, but you can understood that by this provision, the ignorant end venal vote will be eiimi- mated, and she white man continued In dominion in tfia State.
 Mir. Graham of Talladega took the chair.
 Mr. coieman--I know the dificuities under which am addressing this Con- vention this morning. l know 1t is late in the session. but had supposed that all these questions were finally fixed. We have voted with this in view all the way through. You cannot md demanded by, and necessary for. the white counties, that we have not conceded. and conceded freely, and why not cOncede to us the protection which Is necessary for us. I feel 1t Is my duty % call your attention to this. I would not have discharged my duty conscientiouely to my people and to the State of Alabama and it's best in- terests if I had let 1t so without call- ing your attention to 1t again, and l ask you to reconsider this vote by which this amendment was put in there. and if you desire any other amcplment. care not what 1t is, If you think 1t Is necessary for the benefit of the white people of Alabama, we stand ready to support It. 1t Is our pelitt- cal creed that the white man Is fitted to exercise the elective franchise, and that the other race is not. There Is where we have stood and there is where we have voted all the time. That is what we desire and 1t would be ef- fectually done but for the provision of the fifteenth amendment which re- ouires us to be very careful in how we frame 3s.e organic law touching the question of franchise, and l hope the delegates out of consideration for us and our position, and the condition we are In, will reconsider the vote that 1 may move to strike out just that linR and nothing more.
 MT. Rogers-I dislike very much to take issue with the distinguished gen. tieman from Greene County. but he does not speak for all the Black Belt when he speaks this way. I am from the Black Belt myself. and when this movement came from North Alabama to make 1t in the aggregate $500. of both real estate and personal property, voted for 1t. and I shall vote for 1t again this morning There is not a considerable per centage of negroes Tn the Black Belt who own $500 worth of property, when you take 1t in the ag- gregate. Therefore I do not fear that this provision will give us any con- siderable trouble,
 MT. Coleman-How many negroes, take your own place, have you sold mules to. who still owe you for them.
 MT. Rogers--I can answer the gem tlenan in this way. I do my business a little different. l do not sell those negroes my mules for the simple req son that 1 am forced to pay their poll tax. I hold their property in my own name. and I say to them. when you are able to pay me for this property. 1t is yours. and 1t does not 70 upon the Assessors books. That is the way I do my business. and that is the way men do who do an advancing business in the Black Belt.
 Mir. CoIsman-That may be yours. hut don't you know 1t Is the general rule that they do do 1t.
 MT. Rogers-I do not believe 1t is. sir.
 MT. Coleman--It Is in my county.
 Mir Rogers-It Is not so in mine. We hold the property when we sell 1t upon a credit. taking under the law passed in 189s-before that we were not forced to do so.-a paper saying that this property shall remain in my name ana shall be assessed in my names and If the gentleman will examine the books of Greene County in which my lands lie. he will find from year to year. there will be assessed against J. A. Rogers, so many mules. from 20 to SO. do mt uanf LA be harasaad hV pOli tax,