The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-13
Huddlest0n's Defense Brings Forth Violent Criticism
 at Bar Association
PENDING REVOLUTION
 DISCUSSED BY THOM
Opposes Initiative, Referendum and Identification Pelham Dis cusses Reform and Revision
 of the Judicial System

Montgomery. July -(special.)-George
 H. Hunddleston' defense of negro suf- frage brought violent criticism and oppo- sition from Governor O'Neal during the session of the Alabama State Bar associa- ton Friday afternoon. The governor de- clared that he could not by his silence approve an assertion that the constitu-
 tional convention of 1901 did wrong when it disfranchsed the negro. T consider it the greatest thing ever done for the people of Alabama" shouted Governor oNeal amid cheers from 200 lawyers.
 Wood Favors Woman's Suffrage Huddleston's remarks were brought
 about by a paper read by Clement R.
 Wood of Birmingham. MT. Wood de- clared himself in favor of womans suf- frage. Huddleston said that he not only
 favored woman suffrage, but that it Is foolish of the people of Alabama that they have denied suffrage to such a large part of our population. The negro is here to
 stay, and when you deny him suffrage you have taken away from him the great
 est factor toward making him a good cit izen."
 The gentleman from Jefferson would grant the negro the ballot and would give women the right to vote" replied
 Governor ONeal. Tt would mean that the
 voting power would be placed in the hands of the negro washerwoman It would
 mean that negro women would vote while your wife and mine would stay at home, and then another constitutional conven- tion would be necessary immediately The governor asserted that he was not a reactionary. "I think the prin- ciples of Jefferson are as good now as they were in olden times. l am against trying progressive methods" He as- serted that progressive ideas of Roose- welt would never make a successful government, and declared his opposi- ton to popular theories that would overthrow the liberty of the people, The controversy featured the associa- ton meeting Friday and brought about the one exciting moment of the con-
 vention. Scores cheered Governor l ONeal as he excoriated Huddleston
 while the Birmingham lawyer received
 band clapps from many parts of tho lbuiiding-
 Addresses were delivered by Presi 1 ldent John Pelham and Col. A. P Thon
 of Washington, D. C., during the meet
 | ing. Colonel Thom discussed The
 Pending Revolution. and announced himself as being unequivocally against the initiative, TeIefenOum ana recall Papers were read by the following lawyers. Virgil Bouldin of Scottsborc on Law and Procedures" j. T. fletcher
 of Montgomery. on "Reversals in Grim l inal Cases, and Clement R. Wood of Birmingham.
 Reports were filed with the associa- ton by the following committees: Cen l tral committee, executive committee committee on Jurisprudence and law l 4,,1t t-t. .l .t.t- | tration and remedial procedure, com
 mittee on legal education and admis- sion to the bar and committee on cor lrespondence.
 l The second days session will be held
 at Jacksons lake, where a bas)ecue | has been prepared. During the after noon officers will be elected and pa. pers on several subjects will be read Governor O'Neal will read a paper or Law Reform
 Morning Session The gavel fell at 1o:3o o'clock Friday morning for the first session of the as sociation. More than 300 attorneys crowd ed into the Senate chamber during tht morning. The features of the first ses sion were the annual address of Presi dent John Pelham, the address of Col Alfred P Thom of Washington, gen. eral counsel for the Southern railway
 the report of the central committee
 which was made by Henry Upsom Sims
 of Birmin gham and the central commit
 tee, by William T. Seibels of Montgom-
 cry.
 Virgil Bouldin of Scottsborc delivered
 an address on the subject of Law and
 Procedure'' He reviewed methods of
 procedure in this state and other states
 and gave statistics which will probably
 be considered by the judicial commission
 before 1t recommends changes to Gov
 ernor O'Nea1.
 The convention adopted two important
 amendments to the bylaws of the asso-
 citation. One regulates the appointment
 of a committee on legislative enactment
 and the other prescribes representations
 of local bar associations at state meet
 ings.
 The central committee report showed
 that six accusations against lawyers for
 alleged inethical practices were investi-
 gated during the year. No action has
 been taken on any of them, but one at
 torney voluntarily surrendered his license
 to practice. The committee recommended
 that the statute of limitations for pros
 ecution for inethical practices be widened
 and referred to a prosecution against g
 Birmingham attorney
 One of the features of the central coun- cil's report was the statement that the efficiency of the council has been greatly impeded by the limitation upon prosecu- tions for disbarment to one year after the acts complained of, which limitations was imposed first in the code of 19)7 The central council in 1911 proposed to the legisla ture an amendment of that section containing the limitation; section 4S and 70 of the code. but the legislature
 did not act upon our memorial" says tht report. "and so the limitation still re- mains.
 time by the code of 1917 was the new matter in section 293, by which accusa tions brought against attorneys at tho prosecution of the Alabama State Bar as
 sociation, must be accompanied by se curity for costs. just as if brought by in. dividuals. This indignity upon the eff
 forts of the association as public servants to keep the bar clean was deemed so i'm
 portant by one member of the counci that the council prepared a memorial tt the legislature together with a bill tc amend section 2996, so as to relieve the ef
 forts of the association and character oi its council from such stigma. But this bill also the Legislature refused to pass Treasurer Alexander Troy submitted his annual report showing a balance on hand July l. 1912. of s1.e51 ,55. There was s1. .4o6 | expended during the year. The report was received and filed.
 1 In the absence of w. T. SeibeIs. chair.