The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-03

taiker of the bribe. or the party guilty Of the corruption.
 Twenty -hrst-The Legislature is re- quired to provide by law for the reguia- ion. prohibition or reasonable restraint of corporations, associations and combi- nations of capital, so as to prevent them making scarce articles of necessity, trade or commerce.
 All of these provisions are new and are decidedly beneficial, and other good changes could be mentioned.
 Suffrage.
 Another most important provision is that regarding the suffrage. The neces- sity for some provision of law, whereby intolerable conditions. which have surs rounded the exercise of the elective fran chise in this State could be relieved and guarded against, was one of the main motives for a Constitutional Convention. It has been charged that first force, and- afterwards fraud, were repeatedly re- ssorted to in portions of the State, to carry elections. Complaints have not been wanting. In this regard, from other sections than the Black Belt.
 So long as it is necessary to maintain white supremacy in the counties having negro majorities, and to prevent the in- fiction upon any of our people of negro domination, there has been a disposition, In other parts of the State. to condone the methods necessary to suppress the negro vote. But to do that, involved the doing of things which the white men in these counties have never desired to do, and which. if done at all. were done only because of what they regarded as a ne- cessity for their own protection and good government. They have continually cried out for relief against the conditions, which made these things necessary. The call for a Constitutional Convention was 1 in great measure the answer of the State | Democracy to this cry for help. The new Constitution offers a plan which will se- cure white supremacy anG will, under | the guidance of white men. purify our l politics and secure honest elections. Two plans are proposed, one known as the | temporary plan and the other the per- | manent plan. Under the former, during | the year 1902, all voters are to be regis tered who come within the term of the temporary plan, by three registrars, ap- pointed in each county by three State officers, namely, the Governor, the Audi tor and the Commissioner of Agriculture. On January 1st, 1903. the temporary plan of registration will cease and the per- manent plan will tken be in force.
 Reason for Two Plans.
 The reason for adopting two plans-one temporary and the other permanent-is best shown by the difficulties which the Convention had to meet. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution was the principal barrier, but there was another condition. which good faith re- quired the Democratic members to ob- serve. as fully as possible.
 The act of the General Assembly hav- ing submitted the call for the Convention, the Democratic party, in State Conven- tion, indorsed the call. and under an elec- tion, advocated by that party. the Demo- cratic members of the Convention were elected.
 Party Pledge.
 The party platform pledged that white men should not be disfranchised. To frame provision that would observe this pledge, and eliminate the mass of vicious negro votes, and yet be Const- | tutional, was no light task. but to 1t, the Democratic members of the Convention addressed themselves. They realized | that there are but three ways of elimin- | ating the vicious vote, namely, first by | force. second by fraud and third by law. | The first two of these methods were not to be thought of. and the effort of the Convention was to put an end to them
 It adopted the third method and has pre- sented plan which will accomplish the object in view, namely, the elimination of | the vicious element from the electorate. | And we unqualifiedly renew our party's
 pledge that under the operation of the | registration feature of the new Constitu-
 ton no white man who can now vote will
 be dlsfranchised.
 Temporary Plan.
 That plan, in brief, is, first. under a temporary plan, to register during 1902
 all soldiers. the lawful descendants of
 soldiers and ''all persons who are of good | character and who understand the duties | and obligations of citizenship, under a
 republican form of government" twenty one years old and upwards. It will be
 observed that each, and all. of these per
 sons are entitled to register and vote un-
 der our present laws. No privilege or
 right is conferred on any person, there fore, which he does not already possess,
 under existing laws. For under existing
 laws. all soldiers can register and vote; | all descendants of soldiers can register
 and vote, and all men of good character | can register and vote, provided, of course, | they are of age and have resided within | the State and county the requisite length l of time. But under existing laws the vii
 cious and ignorant negro also is entitled | to register and vote, whether he under
 stands the duties and obligations of citi-
 zenship or not.
 Most Negroes Cannot Register. | CHuSI tHS LhC puih OL | the negroes cannot register. The regis tration will be conducted by three rep utable and suitable persons" in each county, appointed by three Democratic State officials, and whose duty it will be to visit every precinct in the county at | least once, and oftener if necessary, prior to August 1st. 1902. to register qualified electors, and they shall also hold ses- | sions at the court house of the county
 to enable persons to register. This regis | tration will continue until in December,
 1902. They will give at least twenty days
 notice of the time and place they will
 attend In a precinct to register the cleo
 tors. by posting notices at five or more
 public places in the precinct and by ad-
 vertisement published in the county pa
 pers.
 White Men Can Register
 When a man applies for registration, he
 will not be asked to specify under which
 class he is entitled to register. The list
 will not show under what clause he is