The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-02

rss,.r.d d W sa 66 cents. but out of def
 erence to our fiuid friends, we put it
 at es cents. So 65 cents Itself Is
 core nromIsa between what really oughs
 to hs fine limit and the timidity of some
 verv esttmable gentlemen with regard
 ia the payment of Interest on bonds.
 So my friends, we should by all means,
 if possible, and we believe we are able
 tc do it. reduce this limit. The poor
 ar w. are. the less we should be
 taxed. Every dollar, every mill of
 taxes. takes away from a poor man
 some necessary of life. Every mill tha' is saved gives him some necessary ot lie, gives to the rich some article oi
 mxury not heretofore enjoyed, gives to inc man of ordinary circumstances
 a comfort that his little family needs Our friends here are mistaken in the
 argument--they speak of 1t as if the Legislature had power 10 limit 1t. II has no such power. They speak of il
 as if it were to reduce taxation, 1t does
 fot reduce 1t five cents, it is merely to fix the limit beyond which hereafter the legislature shall not go. The tax of 75 cents in all probability, will be in full force until November. 1902, and therefore. there is no immediate dan ger and you have time to see the de- velopment of the country. One mem per says he wants elasticity in the Constitution. How can>elasticity in the Constitution develop the country? One gentleman speaks as though the reduc- ton of the tax rate would impede the progress of Alabama. Gentleman have heard of the horse who. the more he carried, the faster he ran. l nevei heard of but one instance, my friend MT. Abercrombie. who said of his horse Buck Rabbit, the more weight you put upon him, the higher he jumped. So the more burdens you put upon the people, the more prosperous they be- come-7thc less weight they carry, the ;lower they run. That. my friend. Is not in accordance with human experi- ence either with the success of men or the fleetness of horseI. Now, MT. Chairman, have but one word more. I am amazed at the contradictory statements. My esteemed colleague from Montgomery says that If you were to reduce this rate. this limita- tion of taxation. the people would re- joicer and it would fill their hearts with gratitude. Why? Because 1t is in ac- cordance with common sense, and re- lieves them of heavy burdens. Another friend of mine from Montgomery. a very brilliant man. says the people would not be grateful at all that they would rather pay the tax than to be relieved of burdens. They, remind me both of them are wrong in their posi- tions-but they remind me of two men riding down Pennsylvania Avenue. Both of them were Q little cross-eyed, each of them was mounted on a bicycle. they were riding at full speed. as the young men say, 'scorching." Each saw the other coming. each was anx-- ious to avoid the collision. but their care did not prevent their clashing toe gether. They came together, one fell to the right and the other fell to the left. and one of them got up and brushing his knees said: Why in the devil don't you look where you are go- ins?" And the other said, rubbing his shoulder: Why In hell didn't you 60 where you were looking?" And so of my friends from Montgomery, both of them are cross. eyed on this question, and they are going wrong. If you have high taxes you may have a splendid government, but a splendid govern ment in a Republic. is golden sor- l row. but by having light burdens. low l taxes. you will have a prosperous and | q contented people, and such people 1 make the glory of country.
 MT. White Jefferson)--I do not ex- pect to take the wide range on the pending measure which mas been taken by my friends on both sides of this question, nor do 1 expect to go into | the statistics. for have long since
 learned that If you will give a man pa per and pencil, he can figure out a deficit or a surplus according to his | own inclination. But 1 do want to ask this Convention to be consistent. A | few days ago I was urging, the best knew how. limitation on or a repeal
 of the tag tax. All of my friends ad- mitted one of two things, they all said | the tax was unjust and unequal but | some said we could not spare the reve- nue. and therefore we must vote against it. Well, if we could not spare | the revenue to relieve the farmer of that I unjust and unequal taxation. how can
 we spare the revenues which will amount to $266, ,00o of a just and equal | taxation. The better argument, how ever. was. and there was great force | in it, that the legislature would attend | to that matter. and that 1t was some- | thing peculiarly withiH the sphere of | of the legislature. I say there was
 great force in that argument. We re- | mitted that to the legislature. Now, l cRn we not afford to leave this ques- | ton of limitation also to the legisla- | lure? When we undertake to say to | the legislature that you shall not ex- l ceed 65 cents on the $10e. or
 6 1-2 mills. that we are afraid | for you to have the power to | levy 71-2 mills, have we not voted a | want of confidence iE the people of AL abama? The people of Alabama can l only act through their Legislature. and \ the Legislature has never yet failed 10 l respond to any material extent to a | just demand for a reduction of 'axa- ton where that taxation was direct. II | is only where taxes are indirect. and | the people don't realize the burden, 1 that legislators are disinclined to :e- duce taxes l am going to advise you, 1 gentlemen of the Convention. to adopt | a strange course. 1 am going to ask | you this afternoon to differ with me. ] an going to take one position. and ask | you to take another. If l should look narrowly upon the question. would he ] in favor of tine 65 cent rate. becaIsc .he l county from which l hail pours into | the treasury every Year St0.G00 Of .his | one mill tax. By leaving l. at Ga cents.
 instead of 7s cents. the people of Jef-
 ferson county would retain annually in | their pockets Sl0.000. or they would have $iG.e0G 10 apply to their local
 schools. But I shall take a wider and | a broader vieY than that. The county | Of Jefft spn. in her nolitical destiny. is | wrapped up with the destiny Of sixty
 i've other counties in Alabama. The sixtv-Jite other counties in Alabama
 must make the laws and the oppropri- ationS. and especially declare the po- llcies unorr which Jefferson county and her people must live, 1 think that l