The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1905-11-09

THE CHATTANOOGA CONVENTION
The Main Trouble That Its Best-Mean-
ing Delegates Will Have to Face.
IInivaraifv of the South.
or the south,
Sewanee. Tenn. Nov. Z.

sewanee. Tenn. Nov. Z.
Editor The Advertiser:
1t is to be hoped most earnestly that
the results Of the Immigration and
, Quarantine Convention" viii fruit in
to something more practical than have
others that preceded 1t.
point must be kept steadily In view
by the best and most conservative men
among the assembled delegates. They
must keep before them the fact that
they are not an elective body of law
makers; that thew come merely to voice
what they believe to be the real views,
and friends-not their own prejudices
knowledged that may be. illus
onese t anG Wifi rHS Seie
sible usefulness it might evolve.
TIE convention Should constantly and
conscientioCsly remember that it is the
South on view before the world. 1t
should consider Its points and make
them by action rather than blunt them
the patent fact that it will be criticised
at home and abroad, either as a DELHI
erative body or as nero mass meet
ing.
It is rowise pessimistic to say that,
at tie best, it can only suggest, not act.
1t can not possibly do more than line
law making powers TO concrete into
mandatory and effective statute; thai
ii can foreshadow only some course
Most Of ali it should see past. and
similar conventions. by the experience
lamp OF ore Patrick Henry.
1t should note well that ITS predeces-
sors on the selfsame road have made
pie-crusty pacts, that crumbled into
notningness at the first intruded finger
of infraction. 1t should read the min
"a Qua tine convention" that held at
Mobile, just after the epidemic of
1897. Fer, wher all is said and done
gotten into print and gone nome--the
convention will remain one-tSsue body.
1t will then have been 4 quarantine
meeting for conferssnee: only THIS Leans a1d
bend all of energy and of intellect and
of influence 1t may prove to have, to
calm and unprecedented suggestions TO
the one law making body effectual; and
these suggestions should be as plain
ana perspicacious as they are unsec-
tionai. ~,
tariff. the negro problem and the poor:
"Thes shall we have with ye always!
That matter of immigration has been
tioo, ever since the colonies became
one. 1t Is too deep and too wide for
anv aggregation of wisdom ana states
manship to discuss in the brief span OF
II the Chattanooga convention essays
to spread its two-day pat OF mental
butter over the SiASO anu
the quar- antine loaf. 1t will not leave
a grease spot on eitner. 1t Will go
hungry for result and leave only dry
Speaking only for one Southern man,
who has watched convention work
amoaE us for neatly half a century. I
feel that the great work-posstbly the
only real wo, k-the convention can do,
will be TO discuss and concrete the
many ideas AID suggestions already
ma lie there anent and to urge them
mon the attention and action of the
next Congress, in the formulation and
| passage of real, plain and equable
law for national quarantine.
into such work of the convention
should intrude no bubble as to States
rirhis, no buncombe about paternal-
ism AS Senator Morgan has shown, no
compact between the States" ever can
become active. unless ratified by Con-
qrressional enactI1e MT" And this con-
yention-non-rerre senta' i've in so far
as IL is on-elect.ve-could not make a
Compact between the States. Then,
let us hope, it will do the one practical
thing left to It, and spend its two days
and its energy in making dignified.
detailed and cogent appeal to its home
legislatures and to Congress, in favor
of actual and speedy national quar-
sntine T. c. DeLeon.