The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-24

 question of Suffrage came up for con- sideratpn and the first three sections of the report of the committee were adopted The gallery was filled with spectators and over in its southeast corner quite a large group of negroes sat throughout the proceedings.
 Judge Thomas W. Coleman, of Greene, Chairman of the Suffrage Committee, made an elaborate argument in support of the report of the majority of the committee and was frequently applaud ed. He contended that the Article had been drawn to meet the requirements of the Federal Constitution as well as the Democratic platform, and that no white man in Alabama was to be dis franchised.
 The first objection to the Article cane f. om MT. Beddow of Jefferson, who SC up an amendment to Sec tion i. ais amendment proposed to ex- tend the franchise to foreigners who had declared their intention to become citizens and the amendment was adopted after considerable debate.
 The proceedings yesterday were tuli ef interest They are published else- where in The Advertiser.
 Section of the Suffrage Article, which prescribes the qualifications of voters. was reached just before the body adjourned yesterday afternoon. Ii Is expected that the Convention will cohsume all of today in the considera- tion of this section.
 Convention Proceedings.
 One hundred and one delegates were present yesterday morning when the Constitutional Convention assembled and was opened with prayer by Rev. A. l.. Andrews of the Dexter Avenue Methodist Church.
 On motion of Mir. Smith of Mobile, the body reconsidered the vote by which Section 59 of the Legislative Ar ticle was adopted Monday. This sec- ton prohibits the legislature from re- mtting any obligation to the State. Later in the day a minor amendment was attached to the section and 1t was readopted.
 On the call of the roll Mr. Graham of Talladega. sent up petition from citizens ot Talladega asking, that & provision be incorporated in the new Constitution providing for the election of Railroad Commissioners by the people.
 Nil. Heflin of Randolph, introduced . resolution granting a leave of absence to MT. Burns of Dallas, who will go to Mobile to encampment as an officer of the cavalry squadron. The rules were suspended and the resolution was adopted.
 Mr. Lowe of Jefferson. sent up a complete Suffrage Article which he de- sires to substitute for the report of the Committee. 1t strikes out the clause providing for Board of Reg islrars, eliminates the property and educational qualifications and substi- tutes a school contribution clause and a strict poll tax clause.
 Mr. Merrill of Barbour, sent up a petition from citizens of his county asking that provision be made for the election Of Railroad Commissioners by the people.
 General Sanford of Montgomery, in- troduced an ordinance which provides for the building of a canal from Bir- mingham to the Warrior River by con- vict labor. General Sanford also introduced an ordinance limiting ownership of lands by corporations except when author ized by the legislature. Over his pro- test the ordinance was referred to the Committee on Corporations.
 Mr. Whiteside of Calhoun, presented a petition from citizens of his county asking the Convention to make pro- vision for the election of Railroad Commissioners by the people.
 MT. Brooks of Mobile presented an amendment to the Article on Legisla- tive Department as a new section, which makes it a penalty for the rail- roads to grant a free pass to State of ficials and 0 penalty for State officials to receive pass.
 By agreement with MT. Brooks, MT. Sanford of Pike moved to table the amendment until the report of the Committee on Corporations is under c tabled.
 The Suffrage Article.
 The Suffrage Article was then taken up and it was agreed to consider the report section by section, and that sub stitutes to the main Article might be presented when it was completed.
 There was a big crowd in the gal lery when Judge Coleman, Chairman of the Committee. began his address on the suffrage question. He made an elaborate argument. and it wNs pro- nounced to be one of the finest speeches ever delivered in the hall of the House of Representatives.
 At the conclusion of his remarks, Judge Coleman moved the adoption of Section l. which is as follows:
 Every male citizen of this State, who is a citizen of the United States, s1 years old or upwards, not laboring under any of the disabilities named in this Article and possessing the quail fications required by it, shall be an elector, and shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people,
 Mr. Beddow of Jefferson sent up an amendment D insert the words. and who has declared his intention of be- coming a citizen of the United States, and addressed the Convention. He said there were 1.5O0 such men in Jef- Serson County and he did not propose to stand by and see them disfran- chised.
 MT. Lowe of Jefferson, spoke in sup wort of the Beddow amendment. He declared that the Committee proposed n dIsfranchise large number of white cjtizens in the first section of it's re- Dr Cunningham of Jefferson also made a stirring speech in support of Che Beddow amendment.
 Fr Long of Walker made a charac- seTistic speech in support of the amend roen+ He declared that he was ready 1o meet the issue squarely and say chat none but white men could vote in Aiabama. He cared nothing about re- duction of representation, lie did not believe in rlakeshifts. He wanted 10 Al4a v<AA1a lAnGth and disfranehise