The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-17
Montgomerian, in an Able and Logical Argument, Exposes the Danger to the Liberties and the Homes of the People of Alabama Contained in the Radical and Extreme Measure.

Al the great mass meeting at the Grand Theatre Friday night, Hon. Hay Rushton, in assuming the chair, de- livered . mastery argument m opposi- ton to the amendment. MT. husnton said:
 ~Ladies and Gentlemen--Before talk ing the chair have been requested to express to you my views on the ques- tion that you are soon to pass upon q. q special election to he held on the 29ti. day of November next The exacting demands of my profession. the dai.y grind of the courts at this season, anu somewhat heavy personal responsibih. ties. prevent my giving any great amount of time to political or pupil. affairs, and however much would iiks to speak at many places where havs friends who are partial enough to wana me, this Is probably the only speech will be able to make in this campaign.
 'sw6 have a great State--fertile soi.. . genial climate. vast forests. wonder ful deposits of minerals. and with 1t all we are . great people, with an ances- as any line of kings. The love of lib- erty, the protection Of the virtue Of our women. the separation of church and state, the sanctity of the home and the .right to worship God under your own vine and fig tree. according to the dic- tates of your own conscience. Is no new thing to us. but are well tired principles. bequeathed to us by our fathers, who maintained them vita their lives and at the expenditure or much blood and treasure.
 "There was a time in the history Of our race when all power ernanated rom sovereigns who claimed to rule by di- vine right, and by the power of might dictated to their subjects according 70 their own ideas of right and wrong, what creed they should believe in. what church they should belong 10, what religion they should practice, and to what priest they should confess their sins. Men and women, body and soul, belonged to a master, whose minions in- yaded their homes, confiscated tneir property and ravisned their bodies &C., corting to their own unrestrained will and desire. But more than SoO years ago, the English people began gradual ly to throw off this yoke of oppression, and at the time the colonies in America rebelled against the misrnle of King George and his minions, they protested and proclaimed that their contention was only for the rights of English freemen as defined by the common law. and when they had won their in- dependence and set about the establish ment of a government of their own. all though they established a government by representatives of their own selec- lion. they adopted consultations, set- ting limit to the powers of Lesisla- lures, saying to them: You have all the powers of a legislature of free state. except as limited herein,---there are certain limits beyond which you cannot go--there are certain things which even you can not do; there art certain rights which we reserve to our / ,use rrhks mi interfere: among which were:
 "First-The inaliensbie rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
 "Second-That no religion shall be established by law.
 "Third--That the people shall be se- cure in their persons. houses papers and possessions from unreasonable seizure or searches.
 .sFourth-That in all criminal prose- cutions the accused shall not be com peIed to give evidence against himself,
 "Fffth-That the right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate."
 Winding up with the declaration that "The sole object and only legiti- mate end of government Is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life liberty and property. and when the government assumes other functions Il is usurpation and oppression:" and. fur their, that This enumeration of cer- tain rights shall not impair or deny others retained by tbe people. and tc guard against any encroachments or the tights herein retained. we declarc that everything in this declaration ei rights Is excepted out of the genera powers of government and shall for. ever remain inviolate."
 The Hill of Rights.
 '"rhese things were substantially al found in the first constitution of Ala bamA adopted in 1919. and Is the par thereof generally known as the 'Bil of Rights Some changes have heer made In other parts of the constitu ton from time to time. brought abou largely by the results of the war, bu until this good day 1t has never ye been proposed that the fundamenta doctrines of the Bill of Rights should be in any manner changed or abridged