The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-14

ulGHL IO all dIuCHuUuchts but
 offer another amendment to
 part of the section.
 The original section, the amenl ot the delegate from Hale and amendment or substitute offered by delegate from Talladega were tho read.
 The President-The Chair will state 1t Is not free from doubt but will over- rule the point of order of the dele- gate from Mobile.
 MT Browne-I now desire to make an explanation to fire 1t from that doubt.
 The President-The Chair rules that you can discuss the merits of the Ques- tion.
 MT. Browne-I will simply call the attention of the members to my substi- tute. The amendment of the delegate from Hale is to strike out all of Sec- ton five from the word "his term" on line seven which is only applicable to the Governor. I offer as a substi- ute to strike out all after the words shall be eligible" in the first. portion of line six so that that includes all that is embraced in the amendment of the delegate from Hale and something in addition and insert in lieu there- of the following so as to make 1t read neither of them shall be eligible to an election or appointment to any office under this State within one year after the expiration of his term"
 MT. Long CWalker)-Your amend ment, if I understand it. makes the Governor, Lieutenant Governor. Secre- tary of State. Treasurer. Attorney Gen. eral, Auditor. Superintendent of Edu- cation and Commissioner of Agrisul- ture and Industries all ineligible?
 MT. Browne-Every one of them.
 MT. Long CWalker)-whereas the committee makes only the Governor ineligible?
 MT. Browne-That is right If there is any reason why the Governor should not be eligible to any office within one year after his term, the same reason applies with perhaps not so much force, but certainly with some force to all the other officers. It is within the power of every officer of the State to use his cffice to some extent to further his po- litical ambition looking towards ap- pointment or election to some other of- flee; and if we are going to so provide in the Constitution that the Governor shall not be elected to any State office, that he shall not be elected to the United States Senate within a year af- ter the expiration of his term, we might protect the people of Alabama further that the Auditor should not run for Treasurer or the Treasurer for Auditor or any of the State officers for any oth- CT offices. They can all get together and swap offices and the effect of this would be to put all officers in the same category as the convention seems de- termined to put the Governor.
 Mir. Ashcraft-I heartily concur in the reasons which have been advanced hIy tho from Talladn0Q for the amenment which he offered to that part of the section, or, rather, as a sub stitute to the amendment offered by the delegate from Hale. It having been offered in the way it has been, illus trates to us the necessity if we are to vote upon it as a whole, of voting upon two distinct propositions at one time- I think the convention ought to vote upon the question of whether or not 1t will add this clause to the Constitu- tion, and then also independently and free from that proposition have the privilege of voting upon the question of whether these various State officers may be elected to other offices than the one they are elected to at that time. think it is proper for us to have that privilege. I am not familiar enough with parliamentary usage to know ex- actly how to get at it, but 1t seems to me, as there are two QuCSIAOhSS it is a case where we can call for division, and I, therefore, move, if it is proper, for a division of the question.
 The President-The chair does not see how the question can be stated other than the adoption or rejection of the substitute offered by the gentleman from Talladega.
 Mir. Ashcraft-I think the gentlemen of the convention ought to have the privilege of being heard on that other proposition, If We are to vote on this as a whole. If there are reasons why the Governor should not succeed himself In office, and should not be eligible to any other office in the gift of the State in order that he may faithfully and impartially and diligently perform the duties of the office of Governor, the same reasons might pertain to the of flee of Treasurer, Auditor and Attor- ney-General. Merely to say that they are not to be allowed to succeed them selves will not reach the point we are striving after. If We are so unfortun- ate as to elect men who are tempted by politics to aspire to these other posi- tions, when they come to this State House at once there will spring up these combinations which will result in mere exchange of offices at the end of four years. These gentlemen will have excellent opportunities and great temp tations to form what might be well be denominated as a State House ring, and it is from such a result as this that we are seeking to escape. Therefore, think the provision suggested by the gentleman from Talladega to that amendment are eminently wise We certainly want our State Treasurer to discharge his duties with faithfulness and impartiality an dresting sorely up- on the proposition that all the honor he is to obtain is in the faithful discharge of his duty, and the same is true or each Of the other officers, and l, there fore. heartily concur in the views Of the gentleman from Talladega.
 MT. BroWne-I rise for the purpose of withdrawing my amendment tempo rariy to meet the views of delegates on the floor
 MT. Jones (Montgomery)-I move that we adjourn.
 General Harrison tendered an lnvl- tation to any of the members of the Convention or its officers who desired to attend the funeral of Governor Sanford transportation on a special train for that purpose.
 Various committee meetings were announced also.
 MT. Weakley-I ask unanimous con sent to offer a resolution.
 The consent was given and the res- olution was read as follows:
 Resolution 145. by Mir. Weakley:
 Be it resolved by this Convention that the proper officers of this Con vention be instructed to transmit 10 Nf