The age-herald., 1901-07-30

rights than he has today. He does not vote at all now, yet under this plan many of them will. He spoke of the evils of corrupt politics, how 1t broke down the moral barriers and blunted the moral sen- abilities. The black belt was tired of it, and this was one object of the convention to do away with it's necessity. We want an honest ballot. We want to count ballots and not dollars. He spoke of slavery, which he was glad to say no longer existed He had believed in it when boy, but he saw now 1t was wrong The slave owners, the old Con federates. had, 1t Is true, suffered defeat, but they had not lost honor and lived in the annals of fame.
 If the evils of this negro vote are re- moved Alabama will offer an attractive field to the immigrant. He was applauded as he sat down.
 Miller of Wilcox.
 MT. Miller of Wilcox said the majority plan had his entire support The only clause under consideration was the mi- nority objection to the temporary grand- father clause but there had been run ming debate as to the entire article IT this was permanent feature of the plan he would not support it, but as 1t was temporary he saw no reason to object to it, He would not, he said, make a con- stitutional argument, as that had already been ably done, but he thought it was constitutional.
 This soldier clause embraced wars in which the negro was a soldier as well as the white man. This showed there was no discrimination against the negro, as d negro We have allowed the federal sol dier as well as his descendants to regis ter and Yote
 Ix, tlpcr "a three grounds of the temporary plan he would suggest that the good character clause be placed first, as 1t would naturally be supposed the most important ground would be placed first, and this clause had larger field than the soldier clause. it would take in the sol diers as well as others. AS far as we can see the book of the soldier is closed for all the wars are named whose soldiers can vote.
 Giving the right to vote to certain classes Is not without example. Massa- chusetts did the same thing when, in 1874. she raised the standard of qualifications and inserted a proviso that those who could vote in 1851 could still vote. It has been objected that this soldier clause creates a life electorate. We have a life electorate in Alabama now under the present registration laws.
 The registration clause of this article has created some unnecessary alarm. This descendant clause was put in to remove any alarm that might arise under the reg istration clause. If a man can say that he is a soldier or descendant of a soldier, he can register at once without regard to what the registrars may think. No law Is entirely self-executory. There must be latitude somewhere. The registrars must have some discretion. They must be ap- pointed-there never was a case where registrars were elected. It would not do to let the probate judges or other county officials appoint them, for each county might have schemes of It's own and at. tempt to carry them out. Thus the com mittee proposed to have them appointed by the Governor, Auditor and Commits sioner of Agriculture. three officers elect ed by the people of all the State.
 At this point the convention adjourned until S:30 this afternoon.
 Afternoon Session.
 The convention reassembled at 3:S0 O clock with ninety members present.
 MT. Sentell of Crenshaw, offered reso- lution to limit speeches tomorrow on the grandfather clause to five minutes.
 MT. Miller. of Wilcox, continued his re- marks. After 1903, he said, the temporary registrars went out and the legislature was authorized to provide for a perma- nent board of registrars It had been stated on the floor that the registrars were to receive only $2 day, which would only provide third-class men. The committee had considered this matter and adopted the sum of $2 in the interests of economy. He believed that suitable and competent men could be secured for this sum, which would pay their expenses, and that they would give their services for nothing Mir DeGraffenreid of Hale suggested that the State only paid the constitutional dele gates s4 a day, out of which they paid their expenses Continuing, MT. Miller said the men to choose the registrars came from different parts of the State and that every one would be represented in their choice. Hence there was no ground to charge that the door was left open for fraud.
 The adoption of this constitution would work revolution in the black belt whose citizens had hoped and prayed for relief from the dire necessity of going outside of the law. The permanent qualifications of the franchise are intended to elevate the electorate. We have built by this ar ticle stairway to elevate our people We have step by step good character, the soldier and descendant of soldier, and then after 1903 we have said that he who can read and write an article in the constitu- tion. and who has been employed reg,i- larly for twelve months, can vote. Or any man who can own forty acres or real estate or hold personal prop erty to the value of $500 can vote Tak- ing the two plans together all soldiers or those of good character are safe and those