The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-07
SESSIONS GREAT STRUGGLE.
FIGHT ON N THE HOUSE OVER
THE SCHOOL APPROPRIATION.

Bibb Wants IL Cut to S6OO.OOO-
Atlanta. Ga, Dec. 6.-The great fight OF
the session, that over the common school
appropriation. was begun in the House
this morning. and after being waged in
red-hot fashion through two sessions,
morning and afternoon, it is still on, with
the end hardly in sight.
A conservative estimate after the days
hattie is that there will be a compromise
between the advocates of the miliion-dol-
lar appropriation and the tax reformers
who urge the necessity of reducing the
common schools to the same basis that
they occupied up to the year 1898, that is
a direct appropriation Of $4,000. This
spirit of compromise was repeatedly man
ifested to-day by amendments proposing
$4,000 as the amount of the appropria-
ton. The fight in its present stage is,
however. between $500, 600 and 100000
The leaders on both sides of the extreme
propositions appear 90 be confident of sue
cess tonight. and as long as they hold
to this feeling there will be no compromise
Offered by the leaders on either side. But
il is among the silent members that the
conciliatory spirit is most manifested, and
when the time comes for action, it is be-
lieved that they will prevail.
No issue that has been before the leg
is,ature this session has so stirred up the
feelings of the members. A fight over the
liquor question could not develop more
Intensity of purpose, and until it is set
tied there is little chance for any other
business. Nearly a score of speeches
were made to-day, and there is no telling
how many more are slated for tomorrow.
Every member seems to be impressed
with the idea that it is necessary for him
70 make a speech upon this issue to clear
his conscience and square himself with
his constituents
After all the side talk upon the question
since the opening day of the session, il is
doubtful if any one hopes to change a
vote. The members have pretty well made
up their minds what they are going to
do. and the speeches are merely the blow
ing off of the steam that has been devel-
oped in the long firing up.
Mr.. Blalock of Fayette and Mr. Ellis OF
Bsbb made the two most effective speeches
of the day on the issue. the former as the
champion of the million dollar gift to the
school children and the latter as the rep
resentatiVe of the overburdened taxpay-
ers.
The speech of Mr.. Ellis, viewed in point
of logic and eIoquence, was without doubt
the most finished that has been heard this |
session and stamps this brainy young
Georgian as one of the coming men of |
the state During its delivery he was list
ened to with an attention that might be
described Every man in the Han and
gallery, whether ally or opponent gave
bis keenest faculties of ear and eve. to the
youthful representative from Macon. and
when he yielded the floor, the House
silently voted him 70 be the most eloquent
nan in their midst.
M Blalock's speech was the antithesis
o. that with which the Mr.. Ellis charmed
his hearers He struck out with sle.ige-
hammer blows, as if he intended to smash
the House into srnithereens. If il did not
take his medicine. He made a plea for
the children in his bluff, convincing wav
and aroused an outburst of applause. I
which the speaker vainly attempted 10
quell, when he declared that it was the
city members against the country mem
bers.
He boldly put the issue, town against
country, and it was this shaft called forth
the applause that is seldom given in leg
islative halls. Mr.. Blalock declared that
every man who had raised his voice
against the 81, 900 900 was a city man. while
it was significant fact that all who stood
up there fighting for it were the hornev
handed sons of toll from the farms. It
was, he said, an issue Of an educated peo-
pie in the towns, and an ignorant teople
In the country. The cities and towns
wanted 10 cut off the appropriation because
they ali have local system, and they would
be little affected by the reduction.
Mr.. Blalock's speech was the keynote Of
the opposition to the retrenchment recon-
mended by Gov. Gambler. and advocated
by many of the leading men of the state.
BY his arraignment Of the country against
the towns, he made an appeal to the rep-
IesentatiVes of all those III counties that
draw more out of the state treasury in
pensions and school money, to fan in line
behind the 100000 school fund, and If
retrenchment is voted down, 1t will be by
reason of this appeal.
Against this attempt TO incite prejudice.
The men who have been working with all
their energies to secure a reduction of our
taxes have only the argument that the
people are grooming under their burdens,
that their property is being confscated by
the tax gatherer
In the midst Of this appeal to the pre-
JUDGES of the rural members. however. it
is noteworthy fact that many of the
representatives, VINO nall from these cOun-
ties that cannot bear their part OF the
state expenses. are Outspoken in favor of
the reform. They say that 1t is not right
20 compel twenty counties to bear all the
burden of the state government simply be-
cause the country counties have il in their
power to do so. Among the leaders of this
class is Mclaughlin of Meriwether. His
county stands as the banner county in the
list of those that get an excess out of the
public funds. drawing in pensions and for
schools $1,000 more than she pays into the
state treasury in taxes. Mr. Mclaughlin
is one of the most ardent and consistent
advocates Of the reduction of the school
fund
It was Mr.. Adams Of Putnam who Of
fered the first amendment 10 the commit
tee report to-day. He proposed that $780,
900 should be raised to 10000 Following
this Mr.. Everett Of Polk amended with a
million. and then Mr.. Morris Of Cobb led
off with the debate. advocating the $780,
600. He came from the country and de-
clared that it was the country people who
were clamoring for the reduction of taxes.
Mr.. Rose of Camden and Mr.. Sloan OF