14 



ALABAMA. 



tion be called, it shall not be authorized to make 

 any ordinance, rule, or law which shall be binding 

 on the people of this State, or any part of them, nor 

 to deprive any person in office of his right to said 

 office, as now held by him under the constitution 

 and laws of this State, nor to place any property or 

 educational qualification upon the right to vote in 

 this State, nor to do any act but to frame and recom- 

 mend for adoption a constitution, amendatory and 

 revisory of the constitution now in operation in this 

 State. In the constitution so framed, it shall be 

 the duty of the Convention to provide for a system 

 of common schools, as liberally as the means of the 

 State will permit, and to be enlarged as those means 

 shall increase. 



An active canvass was made on the question 

 of holding the convention. On the 7th of 

 April the Democratic State Executive Com- 

 mittee issued an address to the party, urging 

 a thorough organization in favor of the con- 

 vention, and appointing the times and places 

 for holding the county and district nominating 

 conventions. It also called attention to the 

 objectionable features of the old constitution, 

 and presented the reasons for desiring a revi- 

 sion of the organic law of the State. It urged 

 the nomination of the best men for delegates, 

 and declared its desire to be the promotion of 

 the best interests of all the people of the State. 



In May an address signed by Alexander White, 

 and proceeding from the Kepublican State Ex- 

 ecutive Committee, was issued, calling upon 

 Eepublicans to oppose the convention, and to 

 nominate no candidates for delegates. In this 

 address it was represented that the purpose of 

 the Democrats was to destroy the public-school 

 system, restrict the right of suffrage, author- 

 ize imprisonment for debt, abolish exemptions 

 of property from sale under execution, and ac- 

 complish other objects calculated to degrade 

 and injure the colored population. It was also 

 intimated that they would refuse to submit the 

 constitution when framed to a vote of the 

 people. Shortly after the appearance of this 

 address resolutions were put forth by the Re- 

 publican members of the House of Represent- 

 atives, and signed D. E. Coon, which repudi- 

 ated the policy recommended in the address 

 signed by Mr. White, and while urging the de- 

 feat of the convention favored the nomination 

 of delegates, and requested the Republican 

 legislative committee to issue an address on 

 the subject. 



The address mentioned was soon after issued, 

 and on the 17th of July the Democratic State 

 Committee sent out another address intended 

 to refute the accusations made against the pur- 

 poses of the Conservative party. At the elec- 

 tion which occurred on the 3d of August, 77,- 

 763 votes were cast for the convention, arid 

 59,928 against it, making the majority in favor 

 of the convention 17,835. Wilcox County 

 was excluded from the count on account of 

 failing to make return within the time pre- 

 scribed by law. The vote in that county was 

 1,190 in favor of the convention and 3,714 

 against it. Of the 99 delegates chosen, 80 

 were Democrats, 12 Republicans, and 7 Inde- 



pendent. A few days after the election the 

 Democratic State Executive Committee issued 

 a congratulatory circular attributing the re- 

 sult to " harmony, organization, and efforts of 

 the Democratic and Conservative party; to 

 the transcendent exertions made by the free 

 press of this State ; to the powerful canvass 

 made by our able and patriotic speakers in the 

 field ; to the patriotism and efficiency of our 

 party agencies in the different counties ; and, 

 above all, the intelligence and virtue of the 

 people." 



The convention met and was organized on 

 the 6th of September. It completed its work 

 in twenty-seven days, its deliberations being 

 characterized by the utmost harmony. The 

 financial condition of the State was a subject 

 of serious consideration, and a committee to 

 which all resolutions relating to that subject 

 were referred made a report in which it was 

 declared that the Treasury was almost exhaust- 

 ed, and the financial condition of the State 

 " absolutely appalling." The committee stated 

 that the indebtedness of the State amounted to 

 $29,000,000, and the total value of taxable 

 property to $159,000,000. The " direct debt " 

 is stated as follows : 



Five per cent, bonds, embraced in Auditor's report 

 of 1874 $3,295,600 



Six per cent bonds, embraced in Auditor's report 

 of 1874 770,500 



Eight per cent, bonds, embraced in Auditor's re- 

 port of 1874 2,212,700 



Unpaid interest, about 850,000 



Seven per cent, bonds issued, and to be issued, to 

 the South & North, Savannah & Memphis, and 

 Grand Trunk Eailroad Companies, under the act 

 authorizing the substitution of straight for in- 

 dorsed bonds ' 1,192,000 



State obligations 1,000,000 



Short bonds sold by Governor Lindsay, including 

 unpaid interest, about 170,000 



Total $9,490,800 



The annual interest upon this indebtedness is $638,000. 



State bonds hypothecated to various parties 

 to secure claims against the State amounted to 

 $1,700,000. There was also a large floating 

 debt, u the extent and validity" of which were 

 "undergoing investigation." One item was 

 $524,000 alleged to be due to the school fund, 

 and another $600,000 claimed by the South & 

 North Alabama Railroad " under an act appro- 

 priating the three per cent, fund prior to the 

 war. These with other claims made up a float- 

 ing debt of $1,500,000. The contingent liabili- 

 ty on account of bonds loaned to and indorsed 

 for railroad companies amounted to over $14,- 

 000,000, making up the grand total of $29,- 

 000,000, on which the annual interest would 

 be not less than $1,900,000. The committee 

 adds: 



It is only necessary to present this statement of 

 formidable indebtedness to convince the creditors of 

 the State that full payment is impossible, and that 

 the State can never resume the payment of interest 

 until the debt is adjusted and reduced, so as to cor- 

 respond with our diminished resources. But in the 

 face of this dark feature it affords us pleasure to state 

 that the commissioners are sanguine of their ability 

 to reduce the entire indebtedness of the State, exclu- 

 sive of the educational and trust funds, to a sum not 



