The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-03

Mir. Lonlax--certainly they ehouId Then look at it in another way. The State of Alabama contributes-I beg your pardon--pays to the Uni- versity of Alabama on the debt it owes it. s24.0o0 a year and pays to the University of Alabama on the Aebt it owes it, 324,000 a year and contributes out of the general fund sl0,00o a year to support the instisu- tion. Where is the sense, as suggested by my. colleague from Montgomery, dMr. Oates). of paying $s6.oo0 out of your treasury a year for the support of an institution and then taking back half of it in the way of taxes? The same proposition applies to the A. and M. College.
 MT. Cobb-It has no application what ever to the University or to the A. and M.
 MT. Bulger-For information, suppose one of the religious denominations own ed six or eight hundred acres of land and established a school on it, could that be taxed?
 Mir. Lomax-Under this amendment 1t would be taxed. And If the A and M. College at Auburn owns land, the effect of this amendment is to tax that land. and there is no sense Tn giving to tLdt CcTtdih dinOuHt Ol money . year on its endowment fund and requiring it to pay back to the State Treasury a part of that money by way of taxation; and there is no more reason why the Constitutional Convention should put tax on a de- nominational school because 1t owns property and Is in better condition by reason of owning property to extend higher education to the. sons of Ala bama than to extend the same proposi- tion to State schools. Instead of un- dertaking to tax these institutions and cripple their energies, instead of un- dertaking to reduce their powers and curtail their influence, we should in the interest of--I am not talking about barefocted boys alone but in the in- terest of education in Alabama, in the interest of the wider spirit and our broader enlightment, in the interest of a grander civilization, we should contribute every means in our power to upbuiid every institution of learning which has for its purpose the improve ment of our youth in letters. in morals. and in character. l submit that this Constitutional Convention cannot af- ford, in this day and time, in this en- frightened age, when all the agencies of all the civilized countries in the world
 
 mans character, for the elevation of his morals and the broadening of his mind-I submit that we ought not to take a step which puts Alabama back amid the dark ages in the line of edu- cation, and which, in my judgment, strikes down and impairs the usefulness of every institution of higher learning in the State.
 The section as reported by the com mittee is, am informed, word for word the section which was in the constitu- ton of 1875. have no doubt If had the references before me, could show that the same section was in every Constitution that has been adopted in Alabama. do not suppose that, ever before. in any Constitutional Conven- tion in Alabama, 1t was proposed that the State, by means of taxation, should undertake to cripple and psralyze edu- destroy the institutions of higher edu- cation and learning that existed with in the State. For the reasons I have stated. I move that the motion to re- fer this proposition and amendments back to the committee be laid on the table. do not want to cut off debate, and if my friend from Macon wants t. discuss it, will withdraw the motion to table.
 MT. Cobb-I would like to have five minutes.
 The Prssident-The motion cannot be withdrawn without the consent of the Convention. Is there objection?
 There was objection, and, a vote be- ing taken, the motion to table was car rjed.
 MT. Cobb-I withdraw my amend ment It was tentative, more than anything else. and I ask leave to with draw it.
 There was no objection and the amendment was withdrawn.
 MT. Long (Walker)-I move to amend by adding after the word educa tion the words mot over 1,500 acres of land held for educational purposes shall be exempt from county taxation; pro- vided, that all buildings and personal property of every description shall be exempt from all taxation.
 Mir. Long (Walker)-I shall not con sume much of the time of the Conven- ton on the amendment. just want to say that my county Is suffering more today than any two counties in the State. These Institutions hold sixty five or seventy thousand acres of the most valuable land in the State of Ala bama in fee simple. If the State of Alabama wishes to exempt them from taxation, they have the right to do it, but I do deny the right of the State to cripple my county's resources by ex- empting them for all time to come.
 MT. Burnett--May I ask the gentle man a question? Are you aiming at Booker washingtons school?
 Mir. LonS-Yes, sir; why, that in- stitutiop has gotten So much land that absolutely a number of settlers have been turned out of their homes by do- nations of these lands.
 Mir. White--I would like to ask the gentleman a question. Were those lands on the tax rolls when they were given to that school?
 MT. Long CWalker)-Some would have soon been.
 MT. White-But were any on the rolls?
 MT. Long (waIker)-No, they were not The gentleman knows 1t takes five years under the lsws of the United States for that land to become taxable.
 MT. Fitts-You are striking at the twenty odd thousand acres University endowment held in Walker County.
 Mir Long (Walker)-No, sir; l am striking at all those institutions that hold these vast quantities of land with out taxation.
 Mir. Fitts-That is what thought you were striking at and l just want ed to uncover 1t.
 MT. Long-As say people have been turned out of homes so that the Uni versity of Montevallo and Booker Washington School may have more lands. You may have the power but