The age-herald., 1899-02-22

that county that we are not carrying out our burdens of taxation. The senate of of Alabama may vote to raise the taxes of the people of Jefferson county by a power appointed by the governor of the state of Alabama, they may do that. Who are these men to be? The bill does not say that they are to be citizens of Jefferson county: the bill does not say that they are to be citizens of Alabama even. Who are we up in Jeff ferson county under the provisions of this bill? We are placed upon a par with Porto Rico, FilipinoS and Cubans. The people who pay the taxes are deprived of local self government, because we don't pay more. But they say, you can do that little later on. Let us try it this other way a while. Let us try it until the next general election and see what these men will do. If under the present you pay one-sixth of the taxes, maybe you will pay one-half under the new plan. Then, if you behave yourselves and be good boys-it is a mere opinion now or the general assembly-you may elect the commissioners court in 1900. If you are honest, why, then you can have this board of revenue elected by the people but for the present we are to disfranchise you, Tor the present we are going to govern you by the other counties of the state, you are not capable of local self government, you are dishonest, you are all intimidated, subJu-. # gated and controlled by corporations. If you are decent, and don't take up arms against the state, and pay your taxes, then we will let you elect the successors of these men at the next general election.
 Mir President, by the God that made me | may be annihilated before consent 10 reiinquish the rights of Jefferson county for a single day or a single hour in local self government Mir President, there is an- other thing to which call attention. The business interests of Jefferson county has contributed In the neighborhood of S20O 0Oo a year for state and county convicts. It has been recently asserted upon this floor, nd ind of the senate has SuS- tained it in defeating bill that looked to 70 diminish this work. You are not only un- willing to allow us to elect men to assess our takes, but you are unwilling even 10 wipe out a little bit-to the extent of 10 per cent of the competition of convict labor and when the commissioners of Jefferson county, the people of Jefferson county, pro- vde dogs for the purpose Of running down' your ex-convicts who rob and steal from our people, then these men are to be held up and traduced and abused because Of the fact they protected the people. l say, MT. President, that the people of Alabama, in- stead of condemning these people for that fact, should uphold them, or keep your own |, criminals in your own midst want to s say that the state of Alabama should not with it's legislative power, undertake to con- trol the local affairs of Jefferson county. - If that county were named for Hamilton, if 1t were named for some cZar or some king or other, if it were named for some; great leader of those believers In that po- , ltical faith that believes in central Zed gov ernment, then 1t would not be so bad; but in this county that is named for the father of democracy, and the author of the most famous declaration ever made by the lips Of man this county Is to be d'sfranchised upon this question. In 1776 the people thought they had a right to fight because F they were taxed without representation, but you say you have elected a governor and so in part we did in Jefferson county, they are proud of the honor and the record made by her distinguished fellow citizen; but I am here to say that the people of Jefferson county differ with his method and your method in this matter. If we make a mistake in electing commissioners, we might also in electing a governor.
 MT. President, let us look at the thing a moment We have back tax commits sion law; that back tax commission law is a good law I think. I voted for 1t and supported it, and am not ready today to vote for it's repeal; I believe 1t to be " good law. But that law provided that the back tax commissioners could only recom- mend certain raises, but that the boards of revenue and county commissioners, sit- z ting as a court, were to pass upon these recommenda tions, having, of course, the right of appeal How are we going to be situated in Jefferson codnty? We are go- ing to have a back tax commissioner ap-
 pointed by the administration. After the back tax commissioner raises us more than r we think we ought to be assessed, we will appeal to board appointed by the admin istration. It is tweedledum here and tweedledee there. Is that right? Is that fair? And is that honest, and is that just? In any other circumstance or relation Of life 1t would be looked upon as an absurd
 farce.
 Now, in conclusion. MT. President. hold in my hand a petition containing 70o0 names from the county of Jefferson, vot-
 oire hn some twenty-five thirty letters favor.ng this bill. I have perhaps a dozen letters saying they signed a petition in opposition to the commissioners court bill, but since the reading of the report, say, Please take my name off; am for the bill" I have not received exceeding one dozen of let ters, and many of them are typewritten, carbon copies, in precisely the same lan- guage. If any of you have anything to do with getting up petitions, you know what that is. have in my desk letters from a number of the executive committeeman of Jefferson county saying that they don't
 want this bill. Now, what am to do as
 the representative of the people of that county? Ignore 1000 people, the majority of the executive committeeman of my party and follow the advice of my core. spondents to the extent of thirty or forty letters? I should say not! In many let ters there is a postscript, If the bill passes, 1 am an applicant, and want you to recommend me-"
 I state it as my candid opinion that there are not today in the county of Jefferson, among democrats. populists, republicans. white men and negroes, corporations and 2 individuals, 800 men who favor this bill, and the fellow that tackles that issue in Jeffer- son county hereafter will find out the truth of that assertion Now, MT. President, I have to say that if the purpose is to re- form things in Jefferson county, want to . show you how we are reforming them; how this general assembly is reforming them in Jefferson county, and I ask the attention of the senate to the fact. The commissioners court, according to the examiners report, drew from the county treasury some $6,55) that Is, all four of them. Well, nobody denies that they are entitled, leaving off the road duty, to $S40, so that even leaving out the road duty altogether, they could not have stolen more than $500 each
 Therefore, the people of Jefferson county now have conducted their county affairs at