The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-02

Of property witain this state Thor M no comparison between this period e08H 1891. That was Ia period knou4 a4
 boom days, such boom, Mfr. frsstQenk a never swept over this country eex fore, unless 1t were tine boom dnye ~
 lSss-H. I believe I have the de1@
 right, don't know. some time in W& thirties. Let us look at all thea nse
 tie towns, Mr. President-Ft fexn&
 Piedmont. Tuscaloosa. whers e4<t0&
 fields, were cut up into first avenue of4 and you saw the sisns of streetf ey1 there without any street, and they rQ@4 at Finet Avenue lot fgurea Well wne3 the crash came they simply eonyAg{@4 back to their actual value. theE nqrl came cotton fields again, and they weTNI taken off the market as cprper iof4 4n4 put upon their actual basis uPn4 W4 tax books of the State. There they H4 today upon that actual basis of velun- tion. So say that there ie nos any imitation in the tax values of Aianamas and If the time does come. tnek4 should coIne time at the end ~ nSe years when the State deht Is to be re@ funded, that a period of depreesio1 should again come upon this State. the
 tax yalucs will by that time nave arisen we may safely estimate, t4
 over three hundred million dollars
 think Mir President, that geptlenen arc unnecessarily alarmed about t1e credit of the State. The igure4 show that we may give to the scsooh sn4 Confederate soldiers every ooliar we
 now give them, pay the interesf on sne
 public debt and keep up every apptQ- priat1on that the last General Aslam- ply made, and yet have a surpi1e
 the treasury even at basis of D eeas*
 Mr. O'NeaL Hauderdalel--Mr. Prssi- dent. U would not trespass pHs on the time and patience CT this Convention but for candid conyiev lion that this Is the, most impertank question which has been submitted 1sf our consideration aimee our orga14e~ tion. ii ts with profound reluctance that feel impelled from 2 eense CT duty to oppose the report of the Sem. n,ittee. | fully appreciate the eRilt and patriotism of the commiftee e9e recognize that they have gsven tes
 subject their most carelul S~> lion and have reached their conoln, s;on eonscieatiously after thoF0ufh st,,av. When the report was hrst slap- noftted was inclined to accept ft, pux after listening to the debate ana rf- viewing fully the arguments sh " support I am convinced that the res ducfion Is unwise and unsafe.
 There are few delegates in this GeHs vention except those whose optlmle Ia imperyious to argument, Wno 19 deny that after all that has peen pe.4 in support of this reduction, aftef ceRr alteration of every estimate ana esssx array of figures with wEaon we nsts been furnished, there still remains nc nodest doubt. Like Ranauo's ehosts the doubt will not down at our niaalaes and hence see no alternative nut to resolve that doubt against the redue- tion and in favor of maintaining un- imnaired the financial credit and honor nf our state. It has been urged that we are pledged by the platform of the nartv to reduce the present Huaitetlon on the taxing power if possible. Inak is true, bus We were nor pisa8eu " make 8 reduction which miens eneee the splendid credit which this state no,v s,staIns In the commercial canteE of the world.
 We were equally pledged to take 10 backward step in the cause of educa- lion or to impair the ability of the General Assembly to continue to dela ant that small mite which we justly owe to that splendid body of men. whose ranks Cisease and age are rap idly thinning-the survivors of tpeS band of heroes whose blood fresiy flowed at honor's call and new stands
 It is urged that this reduction will be popular and will bring votes to ratify the Constitution.
 MT. President, if an overwhelminG majority of the people of Alabama, ths people to whose gracious confidence we are indebted for seats In this Conveh- ton. and who have vested us with such grave responsibilities. should with one voice demand this reduction and we, as their representatives, knew they were mistaken, that obedience to theiF commands would prejudice our credit, impede the proper administration of our State government, CT letter our progress, we should vote against the reduction, and disregard the demands, or prove unworthy of their coHfidenoes and false to our conseiences and our oaths. I warn you who may be intiu- enced by such appeals, that If you are as I believe mistaken, if the effect pf these reductions will be to 1eopardtze the refunding of the State bonded debts or impede the progress of education. or in any way impair the edicienc, oK our State government, CT cause q halt in that career of progress on which our State has entered. that instead of 4he approval you will receive the coR- of the people of Alabama.
 The distinguished Chairman of the Committee stated in his argument on the floor that no ether extraordinary expelse could be made for the next fiscal year. His estimate of surplus of $59.000 is based on the supposition that we will not have any extraordt- nary expenses except those he enumer- ated. let, Mir. President. In less than twelve hours after he concluded his ag- @lment, the report of the CQmmittee on Suffrage and Elections was submits ted to this Convention, and if the Ar- ticle on that subject which they report is adopted we will be confronted with an extraordinary expense of at least $10o, 900.
 Under the suffrage plan poll taxes are voluntary-the payment cannot be coerced. We collected in the fiscal year ending September, 1900, Sl50. .0e0 poll taxes. We can eonservatively estimate a reduction of $50.0o0. And to this the expense of registration, about s30.O0f or $40.000 mere( and We have alone in this item $s0.000 extraordinary expense, which Is not embraced in his calculs- tion.
 So the surplus with which the dis tinguIsred Chairman has dazzled our magination-like snow flakes on the wateF-seeR but once and gone forever. The distinguished Chairman in his zeal has gravely argued that a reduction ok our tax limit Is necessary to indnca capital to invest in cur borders-thaf industries will not locate In a State