The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-06
LOOK BEFORE YOU JUMP.

 When Hamilton urged the reproduction of the English form of government in America rather than the creation of a Federal constitution. and the corruptions that "Junius' had so recently exposed were offered as objection. hts -epiy was that protested corruptions of that kind gave stability to the political system. The ultimatum of the Johnston opposl- ton in Alabama now is. recovery of the corrupting negro vote for the selfish ends of the agitators, or more properly speak ing, the main agitator. It is not forgot ten that In one of his meetings with Sem ator Morgan. two years ago, in Limestone County. rhe Senator turned to the ne- groes of the audience and said to them, plainly. that 1t would be better for them as we'll as for the entire population if the right to vote should be taken away from them; not only that the right should never have been given, but that it should be now taken away. In reply, the Governor turned to tho negroes to express his own contentment with the situation as it was Johnston spoke In one of the rooms of the courthouse in Montgomery and Hefiin spoke in an adjoining room the same evening, during the campaign for ratifi- cation, Nc. negroes appeared to hear Hefin but negroes were part of John- stohisa audience.
 In Hhisu crisis. the ex-Governor steps into tths 'sarcna with a chip on either shoulder lie dares the State Committee of the Party to meet him as a Demo- crat; he dsres the organized Party to a trfai ot s9pgth with his own independ- ent drgaiization, already in position un- deF Abf, Wetfnore confidential instructions. He holds his own Party in reserve.
 There has never been at any time, the reconstruction time included, political movement so radically revolutionary as Johnston's present effort to restore the negro to the electorate. The movement has no foundation in right; no excuse in wrongs of the State. The movement has no respect for the fundamental princi- ples of self-government It is a move ment. pure and simple. to arrest the mo- ble ambition of Alabama to grow in the art of self-government. It is move menf as devoid of generosity toward the urging of the people for better things, as milk cart is free from sympathy with the starving babe that awaits its inanimate coming.
 The ex-Governor's disguises are shrewd and various. The Constitution of 1875 suits him, as he has only lately discov- cred. He would, as he now beholds the emergencies of the hour upon his for tunes. let that Constitution continue. He Remembers that an election was held un- der 1t that was not conducted under Sun day school teachings or rules obtained from the repertoire of ths w. C. T. U.,I but according to custom. Dallas gave 5,s96 votes for Johnston to 110 for Good wyn in a perfectly natural and modest demeanor; Wilcox shook herself loose from every tie that binds white to black and returned, with a light around her countenance, n votes for Goodwin to 3, AIS for Johnston. Johnston scored s. 61 majority over Goodwin and permit ter eex pressive silence" on the ethical aspect of the elections, to stand for his individual acquiesence. When ratitfca- ton by a majority below the triumphs of Johnston over Goodwin comes up for recognition the ex-victor of 1896 exhibits signs of distress and sounds notes of alarm. He is alarmed. He may well re- main alarmed.
 The ex-Governor wants a third term and constituency, now disfranchised, must be restored or his game is up. It is natural that the ex-Governor should aspire to a new constituency in Alabama. We have had great men for Governors. Great men as Governors have done for us gI eat work. Houston reduced our State debt from. say. SsO.ooO,OOO to- say, $10.O00.0O0. But the constituency, so con tumacious as to limit Houston and the others to two terms, does not suit John- ston. He has been a great Governor and he needs a third term. He needs a cer- tain constituency and he intends to have 1t by overthrowing the reform of 1901. It Is natural that the defeat of 1890, the defeat of 1894, the rout, pell-mell, of 1900, repeated twice in 1901-flve examples of unlocked for results in dozen years of tireless enterprise-it is natural that the ex-Governor should turn over for a change"