The age-herald., 1901-10-25
JOINT DISCUSSION
 NOW IMPROBABLE Affair Scheduled for Wednes- day Night May Fall Through ALL EYES ON .BESSEMER MT. Bowie speaks There Tonight and Is Expected to Do Much Towards
 RattfIoaton--Mr. Lowe Will
 Accompany Him.
ALL EYES ON BESSEMER

From present indications there will be no joint debate in Birmingham between the advocates and opponents of the new constitution Arrangements for the dis- | cusson have not progressed favorably, and 1t is highly probable that the affair scheduled for next Wednesday night will fall through.
 l J. Hambrick claiming to represent a committee or club of laboring men, called at the Democratic campaign headquarters yesterday and told Mir. Underwood that the opponents of ratification were ready to make arrangements, or were inclined to, and he asked that the matter be taken up by the advocates of the new constitu- ton. A communication was imm ediately sent to General Charles M. Shelley re- garding the matter and 1t Is understood that Captain Frank s. White was sug- gested as the ratification speaker. At the headquarters 1t was later announced that General Shelley had replied, saying that the matter would be left to the laboring men and to Colonel w. H. Denson, who recently asked for division of time with MT Knox. MT. Underwood conferred with Colonel Denson during the after noon. but it is said they reached no definite understanding in the matter
 It is understood that the opponents of ratification are anxious Tor meeting between Colonel Denson and Mir. Knox, and that they are disappointed at failing 1 to make such an. arrangement. When the matter was first brought to Mir. Under- woods attention he and Chairman Gray 1 of the county committee agreed to a | joint discussion of the subject. They pro- posed to pay half the rent for a hall, and were willing to any reasonable division of time. If the meeting was definitely ar- ranged they said they would send a speaker to represent their side and the opposition could do likewise. It Is said they were unwilling, however, to adver- tise meeting, assemble a crowd, pay the expenses and then give the other side part of their time.
 MT. Bowie at Bessemer Tonight.
 Today interest in the campaign is cen tered on Bessemer and the section of Jeff ferson County surrounding it. Hon. Syd- ney J. Bowie, Congressman from the fourth district, and one of the ablest ad- vocates of the new constitution in Ala bama, will speak there tonight. MT. Bowie has been close student of the suffrage question, and as the situation in Besse- mer is said to be uncertain, his argument in favor of the new constitution is ex- pected to do much good towards ratifca- ton. He will be accompanied by Hon. Robert J. Lowe, chairman of Democratic executive committee, who will make an
 
 Lowe's first appearance on the stump since the adoption of the constitution. and what he will say is expected to prove very interesting, inasmuch as he vigor- ously opposed certain sections of the suf- frage clause before the recent convention. Mr. Lowe is now an earnest advocate of the new instrument and says notwith- standing the fact that he disagreed with his friends in framing some of the clauses he thinks the constitution as a whole will be a great blessing to the State of Alabama
 Situation In Calhoun.
 In Calhoun County, where the situa- tfon has heretofore been regarded as doubtful, members of the Democratic campaign committee say the voters are rapidly coming to the support of the movement to disfranchise the negroes. Chairman Underwood yesterday received the following communication from the lawyers of Anniston:
 We, the undersigned members of the bar at Anniston, Calhoun County, Ala, hereby state that we have carefully ex- amined the provisions of the new consti- tuition with reference to the suffrage In our opinion, neither the suffrage arti- cles as an entirety nor any part thereof is in conflict with the constsitution of the United States or any amendment thereof. Finder the provisions of the new con stitution every white man in Alabama not convicted of crime can, and we be- lieve will, be permitted to register and in the event any white man or men not convicted of crime should be denied regis tration we hereby agree to represent such person or persons on any appeal he or they may take to the circuit or city courts. or to the Supreme Court, without charge of any kind
 "A trial by jury is guaranteed to every applicant for registration without securi- ty for costs, who may be denied registra- tion, and who desires to appeal
 KNOX, BOWIE & BLACKMON,
 MATHEWS & wHITESIDE.
 "LAPSLEY & MARTIN,
 "A. F. MGHEE.
 "A N M'LEOD,
 ROSS BLACKMON. nv. P. AKER,
 I'll. D. M'CARTY,
 BLACKWELL & KEITH, CALDWELL & JOHNSTON, 'E. l.. c. WARD, JAMES T. GREENE, 'J. F. GREEN,
 ''T. C. SENSABAUGH, | HARVEY A. EMERSON"
 SCHLEY FIGHTING COURT BATTLE, AS | rnUDAnpnuu 10 upDn nm | umrron