The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-23

&tate5 l.-S s5akf-...els -.,...'. {. . s..~S ~.~.- court of impeachment, but 1t does not necessarily follow that that is right be- cause 1t is so.
 The only difference of opinion be- tween us is the court before which these matters shall be tried, and in order for us to adopt this section we have to say to the citizenship of this State You are not worthy of trust in the administration. of the laws of the land" and whenever you do that then you make long step in the direction of worse things than we have ever ex- perienced in this State. And when this convention makes such an affront to the people of the state I fall to see how they can go back and ask them to ratify the constitution that we are now about to adopt. do not know what the sentiment of the convention is upon 1t. but it is wrong in principle and have done my duty, ,as I conceive it. by my State in raising my voice against 1t. s
 Mir. o'Neal--r had not intended to add anythins,in favor of this provision after the very eloquent remarks of the distinguished gentleman from Mont gomery. but I cannot refrain from say ing word in reply to the gentleman from Pike. He says the adoption of this provision will be an affront to the people of Alabama. Does the gentle
 man believe that the people of Ala bama favor lawlessness in this Com- monwealth? s
 Mr. Samford-Allow. me. Mir. Presi- dent. to set myself right with the gem tleman, The people do not favor law fessness, nor do I. and do not favor
 mob violence. l simply said, and l correct the gentleman now by saying shall never endorse the docrtine that
 the people of this State are not capable
 and worthy to administer the criminal
 laws of the State.
 Mir. O'Neal--I understood the gentle
 man to say this. but thought 1t was
 not his meaning. but the idea was that
 there was a large and infiuential class
 of office holders who would oppose the
 ratification of the Constitution If we
 adopted this provision. If there is class of office holders in this State who are opposed to the enforcement of law and order in this Commonwealth I
 would let them understand now and forever that we propose in this conven- tion to see to it that every man who is in the custody of the law, every help less prisoner, is protected, and that II the ratification of this constitution cannot be secured except by our pam dering to such sentiments as that, ] would rather see the constitution go down in defeat.
 Mir. Barefield-In the sixth line of this section it says And the Governor when satisfied, after hearing the sheriff that he should be impeached, may eus- pend him from office for such time as
 he may think proper until the ini- peachment proceedings are finally dis- posed of" The Governor then could
 order the sheriff suspended.
 MT. O'Neal--Yes,
 MT. Barefieid-Until the Supreme Court passes on the cases and they nouldsheId the matter up for the full term oftthe eheriffs office, four or six years, no matter how innocent the
 Sheriff may be.
 MT. O'Neai--This section simply pro- vides that any Sheriff who, by reason of cowardice. connivance, neglect, or other grave fault of the Sheriff per-
 mits prisoner to be put to death. when the Governor Is satisfied of that fact. can be suspended by the Governor from office. Does any delegate deny that a sheriff who, by reason of cow ardice or neglect of duty. permits s prisoner to be put to death ought to he suspended pending trial?
 I MT. Samford-Who is to pass on that?
 on it pending trial by the Supreme Court. The Governor who is the Chief Executive officer of the State. The Constitution clothes him with the duty of seeing to 1t thet the laws are faiths | fully executed. What folly would II
 be to clothe him with that power and
 yet say to him you have not control Al t,aR aNACtHtiVA nftiCATG of the commonwealth, the inferior execu- tive officers can permit murder in the l jails of the State and yet you be pow erless to enforce the law!
 me Presidential it ts the pleasure of the Convention to dispose of this article this evening. it wtl be neces-
 sary that some motion to suspend the
 rules be made.
 The delegate from Lauderdaie yield ed for a motion in this regard. Mir. Fitts-7I move that the rules De
 suspended and that the Convention
 stay in session until the pending see
 tion Is disposed of. - Leaves of absence were given MT. Jackson and MT. Jones for the remain der of the afternoon.
 A division being called for on the motion of the delegate from Tuscaloosa
 MT. Samford-I rise to a point of
 order. There is no quorum voting. It appears there Is quorum present. Mr. Samford-I give notice, that on the adoption of this section will make a demahd for the yeas and nays ana make tie point of no quorum.
 The fi6tion to continue the session
 was declared carried.
 MT. 'O'Neal-The statement Is made by the gentleman from Pike that the sheriffs are not responsible to the Chief Executive of the State in the performance of their duty.
 The President-The Chair will ask inc doorkeeper to notify members not to leave as the point of no quorum will be made and the Chair would like to retain a quorum. ,, Mr. O'Neal--Just a word and l shall conclude. The paramount purpose or this Convention is to remove rom our
 suffrageo asaeE&ain element m tnis
 Stata.nthe idle and the unworthy ana
 the purchasable vote. Wnne that ID our purpose, and it is for the best in- terest of, the State and for the good of au its cItizAna that we, undertake to purify and, reforIn our suffrage by re-
 moving this eleTent from our electo-
 rate. let us say to those whom we de-
 prive of the elective franchise by this
 Constitution. we will do 1t and we do
 1t because 1t Is for the interest or the
 people of the State and of good gov
 ernment and for the purity of the bal
 lot but we intend to see to it thaS
 the strong arm of the law will protect
 you in all your rights of person and
 property in this commonwealth. we
 will extend and accord to you that Jus
 tice which the strong always owe to
 the weak That Is the purpose of this
 dh dn-