The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-08
JOHNS TONS RECORD ON CONSTITUTIONAL
 REFORM RECEIVED BY JELKS COMMITTEE.


 | to met this issue now, honestly and fairly, and with a courage which comes only to those who have unbounded confidence in 1 the patriotism and intelligence of the 1 freemen of Alabama
 Committed ito Reform. No stronger language was ever enl- | ployed by any advocate of Consti.u- tional Convention, and no stronger con l demnation of the Constitution of 1875 | was ever uttered by any man who be- l lieved that it had outlived its usefulness. | He said that the Constitution of 1875 had served its purpose and embarrassed, 1, rather than promoted, the objects 1t should su5serve; that reform by amend ment was impracticable: that the Con- l stitution of 1875 contained iron bands pre- l venting our growth and development, and l that they should be struck off; that the l fear of improper restrictions of the right | of suffrage should not be allowed to stand | in the way of relief demanded more strongly each year; thus committing hi:u- | self fully to the need for reform upon 1 the suffrage, and he recommended not l manhood suffrage but provision re- auiring a substantial poll tax to be paid by all who vote.' without any age limit 1 whatever.
 | Referring, as was well known, to the l black belt, and conditions there, which he perfectly understood. because he had l begun his political career In Dallas Coun- | ty. he said. that "a large and fruitful sec l ton of our State has had constant ], menace to its growth and to the security | of life and property that should be moved with such moderation. wisdom and | justice that even those deprived of the l power to imperil these things would in the | end find a blessing for themselves and l their children in the restrictions inn | posed And what was this menace to | which he so eloquently referred? It was l the manhood suffrage of the Constitu- tion of 1875. which placed and retained | upon the poll lists thousands of negroes in the black belt. who. if their votes were cast and counted as cast, would have destroyed the last vestige of white supremacy in that large and fruitful sec- tion of our State
 Attitude is Surprising.
 ''1s it not most surprising that the pub lie man and official, who thus condemned so emphatically the Constitution of 1875. subsequently arrayed himself on the side of that instrument. against the Consti- tuition of 1901 although the latter, with moderation, wisdof and justice remov- ed the very menace to which he himself | had called sharp attention? And Is it not further surprising that the public man and official, who never at any time pre- scented any scheme of suffrage reform, | except a provision for the payment of | substantial poll tax by all who vote without limit as to age, Is now criticising and condemning the Constitution of 1901, because. by reason of tis poll tax provi- sions, applying only to those between the 1 ages of twenty-one and forty-five years, | some white men have disfranchised them- selves by failing to pay the small sum of $1.50 to the public schools of the State?
 The blll introduced at the session of 1S96-'97, providing for a Constitutional | Convention, if the people should vote in favor of the call. passed the House of Representatives. but failed of passage in | the Senate by few votes. This did not discourage the friends of the measure, and they went valiantly to work to | strengthen their forces for the next ses- sion of the General Assembly.
 Advised Against Tsmporizing. At the session of 1S9s-'99, in his first message, Governor Johnston again | brought the subject to the attention of the members of that body, by using the | following language. under the head of | Amending Constitution:
 "'The fact that our Constitution needs | some revision is conceded by almost cry intelligent and patriotic citizen. There are many who would like to see some
 
 tensions as to the work of a Convention having no restriction upon it's powers Our State is now enjoying a political re- pose, most grateful, after years of bitter division and strife. and, if possible, we should wisely avoid any issue that would disturb this condition. Looking at the result on the amendment submitted at the last election. it may be we'll for you to consider whether such revision as may he ha had u,it certainty and less expense, apprehension and discord than by general conven- tion. I submit to your patriotic consid- eration the selection of the wIsest course to pursue, but l must insist that we shall be recreant to our duty if we tenn porize with conditions that are pregnant with evil. "
 "It is noticeable that at this time, his ardor had somewhat abated, and that his words were not so forceful and emphatic as in his first message. He conceded the necessity for some revision,' but ex- pressed grave apprehensions as to the work of a Convention having no restric- tions upon its powers. and showed a de- cided preference for revision by amend ment; he was much pleased with the grateful political repose then existing which he did not desire to disturb; yet he did not then undertake to dictate the
  ted to the patriotic consideration of the General Assembly the selection of the wisest course to pursue, closing, however with the insistence that he and they would be recreant to duty if they should temporize with conditions pregnant with evil z And what were these conditions? They were the same that had been specified in his message of 1896. and which existed by virtue of the Constitution of 1875.
 Reversal of Position.
 ''The patriotic consideration which the Democratic members of the Legislature bestowed upon the subject led however. to the conclusion that the constitutional reforms demanded by all could only be obtained by calling a convention and at this session they passed a bill submit ting to the people the question, whether a convention should or should not be called This bill was approved by Gov ernor Johnston. Under the provisions of this law, the people of the State began to prepare for the selection of delegates to the Convention which 1t was proposed to call, and those delegates were selected by the Democrats throughout the State. in their primaries and conventions in the various counties. and in their State Con- vention
 '"rhereupon. Governor Johnston called the General Assembly of Alabama in ex- traordinary session. for the avowed pur- | pose of securing the repeal of the bill providing for a Constitutional Conven- session. he sent in a message most re- ,arlya h Ia fy,; ooha