The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-07

pcODl6 want, anG we Cdh h0NS Aa r,aintaired and can abolish the thir- teen Circuit Solicitors, we will save that much money to be used for other needy purposes in the State of Ala bama. and will bring the administra- ton of the affairs of the people nearer to them. As has been said, and suf1- ciently, probably there is no question but what the County Solicitor is more fe miIiar with what is done in the county and knows better how to look after the administration of the law where he stays constantly than man who lives somewhere else, or have his time divided. For these reasons. know ing my people are practically unani- mously in favor of this matter. favor the substitute offered by the gentle man from Lauderdale.
 Mir. Sanford (Mont ntgonery)-Many of the gentlemen have remarked upon the idea that the circuit system of solici- tors was established to get rid of the County Solicitors under the domina- ton of the Republican Party. Is it not a fact that the system of Circuit Solicitors existed long ago before the Republican Party had an organization?
 MT. Blackwell-Yes sir. l think that is so
 Mir. Sanford tgomery)-It Is an OH system that we nave dlN hhN'
 Mir Long (Walker)-I desire to make a parliamentary inquiry. The Journal says that Section 2s and the minority report was adopted as amended. I want to know what is before this Con- vertion Notice was given by the gen. tleman from Talladega that on tomor- row he would move to reconsider vote by which Section 2s of the minor ity report was adopted.
 MT Graham (Talladega)-I did not make that statement.
 Mir Long (Walker)-The Journal Is the best evidence.
 The resident-The Chair recollects that the minority report, there was first an amendment offered by the gen. tleman from Jefferson to amend the minority report. That was adopted or accepted. The Chair does not remem- Der which. Thereupon the minority re- port was substituted for the majority, but the Section has never been voted upon by the Conventon.
 MT. Long (Walker)-Well. the Jour nal says differently, and my recollec- tion is different.
 The President-The Journal is wrong. The Chair has never submitted to the Convention the question on the adop- ton of the Section as reported by the Committee as amended.
 MT. Walker-The situation of this matter as I understand it Is that the amendment proposed by the minority was adopted so that to put before this Convention the propos .tion that the Cir cult and County Solicitors should be elected by the Legislature for a term of six years, then amendment as pro- posed by the gentleman from Madison and while that was pending the gentle man from Lauderdale proposed as a substitute for the amendment proposed by the minority and for all pending amendments a proposition to make County Solicitors elected by the people and that they should be compensated by salary alone. Now submit that as between these two proposition, the Convention certainly should hesitate before in the first place they adopt a proposition to make all solicitors in this State elected by the Legislature for a term of two years, and that hesitation should have in view the fact that we are to have quadrennial sessions of the Legislature, and this provision would. of necessity, require the election of these solicitors at least | every two years before their duties shall commence. Now is this Conven- tion ready to put that provision in the | Constitution. Do you think that would be satisfactory to the people, to require that every session of the Legislature, | solicitors over the State should be se- | lected for term commencing at least two years from the time of the session 1 of the Legislature. Now I submit that we should also consider this proposi- tion in view of the circumstances, that ! as the population of this State in creases, solicitors will, in the course of | hn nefd fAh ,L. l county in the State-that Is inevitable unless our growth and development is stopped that in a few years, every county in. the State will have its own 1 separate solicitors, and that official of | the county is not to be elected by the people of the county. but in the Leg islature here. Now let every man in l this Convention consider which is better | to pass upon the fitness and qualifica- tion of the several candidates for this | Convention, the members of that coun- | ty or the members of the Legisla .ure, sixty-f1ve counties being represented l by strangers, who are strangers to the county. Now is that local self govern ment? Do the reasons which induces | the constitutional Convention of 1875 | to establish this system of Circuit So l llcitors exist now. The reasons for | that were that ct that time this State | had not been entirely reclaimed from the domination and possession, in cer- tain localities of the power in politics as prevailed eight years before. And that was done in order that through out this State these officials should he | controlled by the dominant parties | That condition of affairs has passed away. The people have long since come to their own and one of the things they ought to own is control ot their local affairs. The reason for arresting and stopping the power of the people to control their own local af- fairs that existed in 1875 do not exist now In any part of this S'ate. so far as l am concerned. Unless this Con venttOn is of the opinion that the DOW CTS of local self government have been ] plraiyzed in this State, and that the several localit es need guardians to ! look over their interests. I cannot see | how they would hesitate as between l the two propositions that arc now be fore us.
 MT. Oates-I understand YOU wo,ld
 be in favor of the substitute or as a, first presented by the County Solicitors
 to be elected hy tn" people in the coun- tes
 MT V'alker-T would s'ata to rhe gentleman l would prefer proposition that would read thus. as between the
 two propositions I favor the suhsti.
 tute. l would prefer a proposi. i.ton
 which is emholiod in tb :.
 Sc ton which will b, offered i, opportunity is presented. Section 2s
 Sec. 2S. A solicitor for each Judicial 1 b,.r