The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-29
KNOX SPEAKS FOR
 NEW CONSTITUTION

message reconvening the Legislature. this conversation came back to me with great force.
 The Deans Idea.
 In 1t MT. Deans advanced the idea that the people were opposed to interfering with the right of suffrage. and that Gov life, and said that if he would recon vehe the Legislature and repeal the bill authorizing the submission of this ques- ton to vote of the people, as he could would bring to his support, not only those of his own party who opposed the movement, but the entire Popuiist party throughout the State.
 It has been stated time and again in this State that Governor Johnston changed front on this great question, and, from an advocate became a bitter and implacable opponent of the movement, mated as delegates whom he did not think he could control.
 In my opinion, this was not the motive which actuated hinn-at least, not the tion. j
 I was in a position to know that Cover nor Johnston's great idea, at this time, was to absorb the Populist party in this so shape the policy of the Democratic party as to absorb the Popu1ist party, that the Populists, returning to the Dem ocratic party through him as the gate way, would become his adherents and his supporters. and. by using these new re- cruits, and adding them to the number of his own supporters in his own party; he saw. or thought he saw, an opportu- Senate, which he believed, if he could accomplish. would make him the biggest man in Alabama.
 Like the Third Napoleon.
 And thus it was that. under the infiu- ence of this vaulting ambition, like the Third Napoleon, he entered upon his great coup d'e tat.
 He reconvened the Legislature, he de- feated the will of the people, and post poned suffrage reform in this State for two years.
 It was upon this question, fellow citi- zens, that I parted company with Cover nor Johnston.
 have nothing to say against him per- sopally, and entertain towards him naught of bitterness. but could not stand idly by and, without protest or re- sistance. see this great reform movement trampled by him in the dust, only to be used as a means of gratifying his sell fish ambition. '.' '-7
 We all know that his plans came to naught. ,..<
 At this time I was not in his confi- to have counselled him, I think l might have caught something of the inspiration of Woolsey. and have said to him:
 Cromwell charge thee, fling away ambition. By that sin fell the Angels!'
 The people of Alabama were not pre- pared for such 8 change of front upon the greatest issue of the hour, and by this course he not only separated himself from those friends who had held up his hands during his long political contests, and had aided materially in his success, but contributed to destroy the, confidence of the people in the sincerity of his pur pose, and in the integrity of his motives in the service of the State.
 HavinS started in the wrong, he has consistently and consistently continued in the wrong. His opposition to the rati1- cation of the Constitution was prompted by no other purpose. In this movement he allied himself with the Populists, the Republicans and the negroes, to prevent and defeat suffrage reform and the estab- L,d1n, lishment of white suPremscy and honest
 To Absorb the Pops.
 And now. his only hope of success is in the accomplishment of his old, well de- fined purpose of absorbing the Populist party and being the gateway of their ad- mission into the Democratic party. through their support, and by their votes, to re-establish himself again in power in Alabama. and pave the way to Gen eral Pettus's seat in the Senate of the United States.
 In his coptest with Senator Morgan he failed, becaAse the Populists refused, not Withstanding the efforts of some of their leaders, to abandon their principles and return to the Democratic party. and, of those who did return, many refused to follow his leadership.
 In this contest he will fail again. be- cause there is no honest Populist who Is which he believes, and stultify himself by pretending allegiance to the party which he has long opposed, fin order that he may serve Governor Johnston in the qualification of his selfish ambition.
 I see a statement in the press to the effect that Governor Johnston denies that he is at this time a candidate to succeed Senator Pettus, or that he has any in- Senator Pettus.
 But fellow citizens, he may, in this respect occupy somewhat of the attitude which his friend and supporter, Mir. Stall ings, defined as his own. In joint dis cussion which I had with MT. Stallings at -Opelika during the canvass for the ratification of the Constitution, he de- clared, with great emphasis, that he was not candidate for any office-in fact. he said that he never intended, as long as he lived, to become a candidate for any office in the gift of the people of Ala peculiarly his own, q reserve the right, fellow citizens. to change my mind if real good thing comes along"
 Johnston Receptive.
 Now. I put 1t to you. fellow citizens, if governor JOnnston can be raped by his friends and induced, against his will to accept an office which he does not want, is 1t difficult to conceive, if the way be open, that he might be raped by his friends and induced to accept an office which he does want,
 Let me, in passing, say a word as to his statement that the issue in this cleo tiOn Is the right of the people to govern themselves and the maintenance of hon. est elections and fair primaries, of all of which he claims to be the sole eXem- plar.
 Fellow citizens. it is true that there has been and still is being waged in this State a great contest over the right of the people to govern themselves, and to establish and maintain honest elections In this State.
 So long as the ballot was being man. ipulated and elections were conducted officers instead of declaring correctly the result upon a count of the ballots actu- ally cast, the right of the people to gov ern themselves was a fiction and did not exist in truth or in fact.
 To correct this great evil, and to re- move a blot from the fair name of our State. the friends of the new Constitu- memorable in the history of this State; but in that contest Joseph F. Johnston did not appear as an advocate of the movement, but as it's most determined and implacable opponent
 Fellow citizens when I speak with fer vor and with feeling upon the evils which afflicted this State under the old system, let no man accredit me with a dlsposi tion to criticize the action of our friends in the Black Belt. Through all those troublesome hours, when the dark cloud and menace of negro rule lowered on