The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-16

renee was across the river on the oth. CT side." The speaker turned from Governor Oates to Former Governor Cobb, to whom he referred as the pa. triarch" "It means something to this conference to see every living ex-Gov. ernor of Alabama upon this platform. | Passing from past glories of Ala. banea in legislative fields. MT. Stallings came to the consideration of tho acts of the recent legislative session. IT. | mock desperation he exclaimed, q would like to see the Legislature call. | ed together for one more session, jus, | to see if they could pass one bill 10, the interests of the people of Als. bama. But peace to their ashes
 tcries of. Yes, they're gone. They're gone.D
 "when I see with us today against this amendment, ministers of the Cos lpel. lawyers of distinguished ability Governors whom you have trusted and the most substantial merchant of the State. am convinced that there Is something behind this movement" In again paying his respects to Brooks Lawrence, leader of the Anti Saloon League in Alabama, Mir. Stall iings referred to him as the political person to be consigned to some other place."
 If my strength shall hold out" continued MT. Stallings. T hope to meet you men in many places over the State in this fight for constitutional rights. I'll never be party to put ting this amen njment in the Constitu- | tion.
 Plea to Organize. Organize yourselves into commit tees of one, organize your beats, or- ganize your counties. and we will re- l buke this attempt to control the State | of Alabama with foreign influence" Again there were calls for Senator Spragins when Mir. Stallings had con- cluded, but these were stilled upon | the recognition by the chair of For mer Governor Oates as chairman of the committee on permanent organi. l zation and rules of order.
 Immediately after the speech of Mir. Stallings. the committee or organiza- tion made its report, with itsi tenta- tive arrangements for permanent or- ganization.
 The report named Senator Frank 8. Moody, of Tuscaloosa, as permanent chairman; O. P. Gaut. of Birmingham, as permanent secretary. It was de- cided that each county be entitled to a number of delegates equal to the num- Der provided for in the last state con- vention; that the usual parliamentary practice govern all proceedings: that all resolutions go to the Committee on Resolutions without discussion.
 The order of business as mapped out by the committees report was: Con- sideration of report and installation of permanent officers recess, report of the Committee on Resolutions, nomi- nation of executive committee, ad- tournment of conference.
 The report of the Committe on Or ganization was adopted
 Secretary Gaut named. as his as- sistants, during the conference, Charles L. Harold. of Montgomery. and Judge s. Williams. Representative from Bar bour county.
 The report of the committee was adopted with ringing unanimity. A motion was then made and car ried that the chair appoint a commit tee of three to notify Senator F. s . Moody of his selection as permanent chairman of the convention, and es- cort him to the chair. This commit tee consisted of Senator Perry Thom- as of Barbour. Senator Max Ham, burger, of Mobile and A. c. Smith of Birmingham.
 To the strains of Dixie" played by the Thirteenth Cavalry Band and amid wild cheering of the delegates. the new chairman was escorted down the center aisles to the platform. Mir. Moody was introduced as permanent chairman by Temporary Chairman Henderson who then retired.
 After expressing his appreciation for the honor of presiding over the con vention, Chairman Moody said: Chairman's Address. 'srhfs, indeed, is a notable gather ing. It is one of the largest that has | aak MnN. .k.wN It is notable on account of the per- sonnel. on account of the wisdom rep resented and on account of the sobriety among the delegates in attendance"
 Senator Moody called forth the names of a number of men who have figured prominently In the history of Alabama. and then narrowed his brief eulogy of the leaders to his own county.
 T wish to refer to the delegation from my own county. We have brought sixteen or seventeen men here. Among them is President Mur- phy. of the Marion Military Institute Another member is pr. Wyman, for more than fifty years president and professor at the University. Because of their high standing. the motives of these men cannot be impugned.
 This is an unusual assemblage for another reason. We are not here for the purpose of pecuniary profit. We are not here to nominate candidates for office. But we are here to con- slider the adoption of an amendment to the Constitution.
 'In this body are to be found men ! of all creeds. There are temperance men, there are non-temperance men there are dispensary men and there are non -dispensary men; there are prohibit tionists and there are nom prohibition | ists, All have a right to be here" | As a note of warming to those favor l ing the amendment who are trying to divert attention from the main ques- l ton at issue. Mir Moody declared.
 This Is a question of putting an i amendment into the constitution All I else Is not important.
 This Is crucial point in the his-
 tory of Alabama. A vast number have
 not yet made up their minds on this
 question, and 1t Is this class that we wish to address.
 we're denunciation. There are some | fanatics on the other side. but there are good, strong and wise men among them; although l think they are wrong | on this subject.
 This amendment Is not to the stat 1 utes of the State, but to the constitu- | ton of Alabama. The people have been taught to respect this constitu- tion. And this constitution Is intend- ed to embrace only a few points for the government of the people. Constitution Is Good.
 we have a good constitution, and it should not be changed without some serious cause. If we change 1t every varr xaara inc neoDle will Caaaa to ra