The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-31

will so overwhelmingly for this Costi- tuition. lASIplause.'
 ] MT. Jones (Montgomsry)-l hope the gentleman will withdraw that motion. {, Mir. watts-I viii withdraw 1t.
 MT. Jcnes-we all have au affection for the senior delegate from Montgom- cry. He has put himself upon record, and we endeavored in every way pos sib'e to avoid this debate. and t6 come 10 some agreement with him, put he said he had made a pledge. and that he intended. if he could get 1t. to have the old Constitution or nothing 5n that subject.
 Now I will briefly explain 10 the members of the Convention the situa- ton which confronts Montgomery.
 When the Constitution of 1875 was adopted. the framers of 1t wisely. as they thought, unwisely as experience proved. fixed the rate of current cx- penditures for cities at fifty cents on the hundred dollars. Montgomery then had debt of nearly six hundred and twenty thousand dollars. The Consti- tution of 1875 made an exception for her benefit. and said that she could levy in addition. one per cent. more for the payment of the debts existing at the time of the ratification of that | Constitution. In time, Montgomery grew. Her debt was funded. It orig inally bore eight per cent. It was cut down, believe. to six per cent.
 MT. Sanford tMontgomery)--Five per cent, most of 1t.
 Mir. Jones--And finally to i've per cent. The city grsw. Its expenses grew. and from 1875 down to this good hour, with the appreciation of ninety five per cent. of the tax payers, every I An hot rhA LA than the rate 1t was allowed fo pay on the existing indebtedness. in order to eke out Its current expense fund. had the honor in 1876 to be in the Council in which George W. Stone was an honored member, very conscien- tious and honorable man, and MT. Derr and MT. M B. Brown. and others distinguished for their fidelity to this people. and they deliberately levied. year hy year. under the guise of interest. something to eke out the small current expense fund. and that has gone on from that day to this. Now the city has grown. We owe debts. and I beg my friends pardon. but he Is under one misappre- hension. This rate of taxation has nothing on Gods earth to do with paw ing. This tax upon property is not to do any more paving. We have built school houses. and we have made san itary Improvements. to save our city from future visits of pestilence and fever. and we have been levying this rate of one dollar and twelve and a half cents. Our people take some pride in their schools. They may want to levy a little more. Our police department is increasing its expenses. There are a thousand things. and when we came to legislaae for the welfare of Montgom- cry. after conference with those who knew most about its affairs, we agreed l that 1t would be a wise and proper thing to allow the city, not to compel it. to go as far as a dollar and twenty five cents. in order to put at rest the question of her solvency. and not have these bonds that have been issued by authority of the legislature. and in &C., cordance with the wishes of the people and which are represented in the mag nifcent school houses around this city repudiated and dishonored.
 Mir. Coleman (Greene)--I am quite sure the Convention will give you all the time you want. and 1 want to sat isfy my own conscience about this thing. I see that when this act was adopted. the representatives from Mo bile and Birmingham had those cities excepted.
 Mir. Jones-which act?
 MT. Coleman-The act calling this Convention together. Why was 1t your cry excepted?
 MT. Jones--I do not know. I was not | in the Legislature
 MT .Colemsn--And why was it that | the Democratic Convention, when this | platform was adopted. which pledged us and pledged that whole Convention | to abide by this act and not exceed AaA ,hMr -AA that time? Do you know?
 Mr. Jones-I wasn't present, and do not know.
 Mir. Coleman-Then I would Mir. Jones-One moment. The same | inquiry would occur to these other cit- ies which have been excepted. MT. Coleman-They are excepted here and the other cities all have permission to vote upon this question. but your city has none.
 Mir. Jones-That is a new question, my friend has raised this evening. I want to say further that while have the greatest respect for my colleague from Montgomery. he is not and can not be the keeper of our honor. He can be the judge of what he has pledged himself to do. and he can be the judge of what the pledges he has taken require him to do, but, as we
 
 our pledge. We have Tvt, when you come to the letter of 1t. raised the rate of taxation at all. Today they have got the power to levy a tax of a dol lar and a half. If you stick to the let ter of the law under which the taxa ton is raised.
 MT. Sanford (Montgomery)-I deny that they can do it. because the debt Is not due.
 Mir. Iones-I said under the law as laid down in the Constitution we have a rate of dollar and a half, but we had debts existing at the time of the ratification of that Constitution. the in- terest on which would require that sum to be raised. That Is the differ ence. Now. if the Constitution of 1875 allowed the city of Montgomery to levy one per cent for the payment of debts existing at the lime of the ratification of that Constitution. what Is the ob- jection to embodying a similar princi- pie in the present Constitution. and al- low us for all purposes, current ax- penses. debts, public utilities. and schools to le~y one and a quarter? Now. what were the representatives from Montgomery to do? Here Is this condition of affairs. For twenty-five years by suffrance. 1t has existed, but the moment any taxpayer goes into the Chancery Court. and says that we are levying too much money under the guise of interest, they will cut down the revenue so that the city cannot pay the interest on the other outstand- Ic