The age-herald., 1897-10-05
The Citizens Committee Backed
 Down Gracefully.
EVERY ARGUMENT REFUTED
Capt, Bush, Spokesman of the "Cits," Said He Was Sorry He Had Been Con-
 nected With the Affair.

zens' mass meeting to confer with the board of education upon the school question had the conference last night, and were forced to admit that the board had done all that lay within it's power to give Birmingham free schools.
 The board held it's usual monthly meeting at the High school last night at o'clock. The committee, by invi- tation, was there also. They were ask ed into the meeting room. and looked very much bored while the school board went through it's routine business. When that was concluded President Ullman asked the citizens to talk.
 Capt. J. W. Bush, the spokesman of the committee, made an address of over an hour in length, in which he quoted freely from the constitution of Alabama and the state laws in support of his contention that under the constitution all public schools should be absolutely free. He also quoted several supreme court decisions endorsing his position.
 If child were to refuse to pay tui- tion fee and were refused admission, he could obtain mandamuss was his strongest point. One of his arguments was that the constitutional law meant that public schools are without tui- tion, while all others have tuition"
 At that Professor Phillips smiled, for there is @ difference between "tuition" and "a tuition fee"
 Captain Bush also claimed that under the law only per cent. of the funds de rived from state, county and poll taxes could be used for other purposes than paying teachers. He wound up with the decalration that if the funds from state county and poll taxes are sufficient, tne public schools must he kept open free for three months, and said that he had heard that 1.-The state money would come into the hands of the board next month, which would enable them to dispense with the fee system.
 Sheriff OBrien denied that and said it was more likely to come to hand In May, 1898. ai
 A wNangde seemed imminent, when B, Steiner threw oil on the troubled waters by gently insinuating that it was his understanding that the committee had come to tell the board of education how to raise funds to run the schools freje.
 Captain Bush facetiously remarked aha,t MT. Steiner needed no telling how to raise money.
 That brought Steiner to his feet with the retort that it didn't follow that be- cause he cou1f always raise money Tor his business he could raise it for tine school board.
 Sheriff O'Brien in turn smootEi;d the waves by admitting that the board knew and mad studied all the law quoted by Canta6u Bush ''We know the law" said he, "but We wish to know how we can get money to comply with dt and vet keep the schools open eight months in the year."
 Mayor Evans by a slxilfully put ques- tsor1 obliged Capt. Bush to admit tlhait it was better to charge tuition fees and keep tlhe schools open than to close them.
 F,lom statements of Steiner a1Id Ev- aims fu -transpired that if no tuition fees we're charged Ithe schools must be closed untfl the state appropriation was paid, and that fin IIlIe last school year they were mot received urfil May.
 President UIlman explained that only by the present. system of guaranteeing am engagement of eight months could first-claxs teachers be obtained, and showed that the school system of Blr- mhngham hald been protnpunced by com patent judges the best in the United S5altes.
 Then Calpa Bush realized his position and began ito back down gracefully by N,toH cr1Ixr In 1aa conference to expound Itlle law alid was sure the bdard had done the best they could.
 Mr. Newaorn, of the commitdee, ad- m6tted that it was Impossible ito run schools free, and said he was sorry that he had been placed on the committee. However, he 0fad gone inlo the move ment because he had heard that cfJl-
 dren were last year turned away from the schools because they were unable l to pay the dues demanded This every | member of Ithe board de,llaed. Capt. Bush then seriously made a very funny suggestion to the effect that the children now paying dues should be rf- qured to pay for eight months in ad- vance, which, he estimated, would pro- duce an immediate sum of $1O,OOO. EVeryDOQy iduSneu, dllu Sdpt. V DllSi | told him the parents would not pay eight months in advance if th+y could. President Ullman asked Capt. Bush if he objected to the payment of rent for school buildings, to which Bush replied that the board had better teach tn children in log cabins than incur the expenses of rent. When asked for another proposition Bush suggested that the board should raise fund by charging scholars S2.50 apiece for two months. Individually and ! collectively the board told him that he had better try to work that idea alimsef. Thereupon Bush announced that he
 had no further suggestions to make and
 thanked the board for their courteous | attention.
 A. O. Lane assured the commission that it was almost certain that the con- | stituHonal amendment authorizing in creased taxation for school purposes