The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-13
NEW CONSTITUTION
 JOINTLY DEBATED
Large Audience Heard Hon. TenncyS L0max and Col. W. H. DenSOLS
 at McDonald'S Theatre. /

tuition and have it elected 0y the people, he said. It was framed by politicians and place hunters. They extended the time to nearly twice the number of days fixed by the Act and said God save the politicians and make them thankful TOT what they are about to receive" "The candidates for Senator must have a Constitution that would put them in office," said Colonel Denson in closing. Now, let's be honest with each other and not adopt this new Constitution" Speech of MT. Lomax. MT. Lomax was presented by MT. Graves as one who was well known to Montgomery audiences and the recep- tion he received clearily proved the aser- tion and showed very plainly what was expected of him and there was not a man in the audience who was disappointed when he concluded. Mir. Lomax said that the division of | time was unfair although he had furnish | ed the audienc in agreeing to speak with Colonel Denson. He said he felt that his course was so just and he | was so imbued with the spirit of justice and fairness of the new Constitution, that he was sure of convincing all who heard | him. Colonel Denson had gotten all that | he asked for and now he said that he | did not want 1t. | In his speech as temporary chairman | of the convention in March 1899 MT. Lomax said Colonel Denson had favored a property and educational qualification | in the suffrage clause of new consutu- ton and the very amount he had named had been provided in the property quail fcation in the permanent plan, and 1t | provided that no Confederate soldiers | should be disfranchised.
 | Colonel Denson, he said, had made speech in Birmingham the other night in which he said the work of the con- yention was dictated by corporate in- Auence and the Black Belt but when he gets in the Black Belt he forgets all about that and does not say 1t here to- night. The rate of taxation had been reduced under his leadership. Two years ago, he favored the better education of | the people and the convention had fol- his dictation In that by providing for the public schools In requiring that good portion of the revenue should be given to them.
 Taking up the statement by Colonel Denson that the new Constitution was an fllegitimate child, MT. Lomax exclaim- ed with great force: Thank God 1t Is a white bastard"
 This declaration was received with gerat N enthusiasm.
 | In 1878 MT. Lomax said the white people could not get rid of the illegitimates on account of federal domination and federal bayonets. The new Constitution l expressed the desire of the people to rid themselves of the burdens which now so heavily bear down upon them; to purity the ballot box and to make honest and fair elections possible.
 The White Man Shall Rule.
 I've will not keep our people longer in an atmosphere of fraud. but will have a convention which will adopt a constitu- ton that will say that the white man should rule forever in Alabama.
 This MT. Lomax said was the burden of his song and that convention adopted every suggestion made by Colonel Dem son in his great speech of two years ago. and clear solved the dlfnculty ol the Federal Constitution.
 Colonel Denson says We put title Of nobility on Confederate soldiers, said MT Lomax. My God how l wish we could do something of the kind for that grand ana noble band of patriots. He is great lawyer and must know that herSdlty IS that which only descends from father to son. Did I inherit my right to vote from my father? No. It is right confereo because my father was a Confederate soldier He must know that under the laws hereditary things are those traiis- mitted from one generation to another' The right of every white man Ill Ala bama to vote is preserved If he VIII go up and pay his poll tax and register. The grandfather clause will take all the other white men in and guarantee them the right to vote.
 Colonel Denson has lived under our form of government sixty years, dld ne ss y, and In all that time he haS never lc armed the duties of citizenship. and now he comes down here to teach us what they are. He has lost his skillet and comes to instruct you in things he con fesses he knows nothing about IT IL takes a man two years to prove he mas good character. he ought not to be al lowed to vote. Those men who made tFcse great speeches he speaks about in the Convention, and which the ConVen- ticn refused to print and circulate. said at the end. "I will stand with you and will favor the Constitution which the ma jorty has adopted" He had heard one of them say very recently that he did not know whether or not he would ever con vince anyone else, but he had become thoroughly convinced himself that 1t was right.
 voice here asked MT. Lomax why ffty-fve delegates were elected from the State-at-Iarge, al d MT. Lomax replied that they wanted to make sure that fifty five Democrats were selected.
 Guards the Lines.
 A good general always guards the lines of retreat said MT. Lomax. and if "the grandfather clause" is knocked out be- fore that is decided, it's effect will have been of the past and the permanent plan will have gone into force. They tell us that the negro boys are outlearning the white boys now. You look around and see the negro who can read and write and YOU will find one who Is loafer and an idler. He only works long enough to get money enough to loaf the balance of the year. They had said more negroes could vote in Pike Road Beat than white people under the property qualification. The tax books show that out of several hundred negroes in that beat only four of them have the requisite amount of property. His own exp&ience was that the negroes were not going to care enough about 1t to pay the poll tax.
 We have had enough of old ways, sald MT. Lomax. Under the new Constitution the white man will rule and fraud will no longer be heard of in Alabama. He would not say that any one opposed to the Con- stltution had the instincts of the negro, but he could say they were the worst mistaken lot ever heard of If. as Colo mel Denson says, the Black Belt has it as they want it, why shouldn't they all vote for it?
 He said he had heard of leaders in every body that assembled in Alabama,