The age-herald., 1901-07-12
GREAT M|STRUST
 OF THE PEOPLE Shown in the Constitutional
 Convention. WICKED REGISTRATION Is the Plan That Calls Forth an Elm. phatlc Protest From a Leading Democrat and Veteran of
 Many Campaigns.
WICKED REGISTRATION

terances of an eminent Alabamian in an interview in the Age-Herald last Sunday, the Birmingham Ledger of yesterday printed an interview with "a leading Democrat, the veteran of many cam paigns."
 In part this man who is willing to trust the people-a trust that finds no sympa- thy with the majority of the Constitu- tional Convention committee on suf- frage-said to the Ledger reporter.
 '"rhe present Constitution is in many respects a good and satisfactory instru ment. The crying need of the day in Alabama Is the restriction of the suf- frage and the purihcation of the ballot. That, I consider, Is the greatest problem befoYe the Constitutional Convention and that problem has not been solved, in my Judgment. by the suffrage clause which has been reported. In fact the proposed plan Is worse than our present system"
 What are the defects of the proposed amendment? asked the reporter.
 Tt is a bundle of defects, I do not know that I can point them all out offhand. In the first place, the grandfather clause is very objectionable.
 But the registration provision is the one which Is not only fatally defective, but also menacing. The registrars are en- tirely free from responsibility. They have judicial powers in addiition to ministerial. They can register anyone they choose. The clause limiting the poll tax to men under 45 is capable of being greatly abused The registrars can say man is 45 and register him. They can pass on mans character and 1t may be good or bad as 1t pleases them. They can exact evidence of man having been employed for twelve months continuously preceding the election, or they can pass that over, just as they please. There are no penalties for false registration or for failure of the registrars to do their duty. The appeal clause Is practically imperative as 1t throws the burden of proof with the expense and de- lay upon the man who has been denied the right to vote.
 '"The grandfather clause does not amount to a great deal, however. It is only those who register under the tenn pSio pioih "AO 6Ct tiO oSiicht oL OCAH5 descendants of soldiers. Most of these have other qualifications which permit them to register, Possibly per cent of this class would be disqualified without the grandfather clause.
 "In my opinion a very large majority of the people will vote against the suf- frage amendment if 1t is adopted by the convention as it has been reported by the majority of the committee.
 "Of course men can criticise systems and provisions without much trouble, but is better he puts himself in the attitude of being willing to tear down without being able to build up.
 eff I were making a plan to qualify voters I would impose a poll tax of 8 a head on every man who proposed to vote, be he of the age of 21 or 100.
 ''The tax collectors list ought to be the registration list. The tax collector should be required to certify is list to the pro- bate judge. and the probate judge ought to furnish managers of elections with these lists to govern them in receiving votes. That would be simple, safe and accurate plan, for the reason that the col- 1ector Is elected by the people and he is put under bond in addition. He would be careful, therefore. not to put a man on the registration list who had not paid his poll tax. This would protect against fraud in the manipulation of the registration.
 "In addition to that. would fix a time in the future, reasonable time, and say that after that no one shall be permitted to vote who cannot, fin addition to paying this poll tax, read and write or who does not own property to the amount of $500
 ''This is a simple plan that everybody can understand and one in which there is no possible chance for fraud or false counting.
 Such plan would eliminate most of the negroes and at the same time would not disfranchise them if they choose to comply with the requirements of the law. I would not make the poll tax collectable by process. leaving 1t entirely voluntary, and require 1t to be paid in the first month of the year. so that nobody would have any interest in advancing the money to the voter, as nobody would feel safe in doing so.
 '"This simple educational qualification would furnish evidence of capacity to the duties of citizenship. The property qualification would give evidence of mans interest in citizenship and he would be impelled to vdte with judgment for the best men in order to secure proper protection of his property"