The age-herald., 1901-06-27
Moving County Sites.

MovInq county Sites.
 Sec. G. No county site shall be removed except by a two-thirds vote of the quail fled electors of said county. voting in an election held for said purpose. and when an election has once been held for such purpose, no other election can be held for such purpose until the expiration of four years, Provided, That the county site Of Shelby County of this State shall be and remain at Columbana, unless removed by vote of the people as provided for in an act entitled An Act to provide for the permanent location of the county site of Shelby County, Alabama, by vote of the qualified electors of said county" approv- ed the 9th day of February, 1899, and The Act amendatory thereto, approved the goth day of February, 1S99-or by an cleo tion held under the provisions of this article
 On motion consideration of the report was made a special order after the report of the committee on local legislation
 The convention then proceeded to con- slider the Sanford amendment to section 1 of the article on taxa ton. This prohibit ed the Legislature from placing a tax on fertilizers.
 Mir. Graham Speaks.
 MT. Graham of Talladega spoke in op- position to the amendment. He said that his sympathies were with the farmers and he would not do anything prejudicial to their interests. The district agricultural schools were creatures of the Legisla- ture, and this amendment was an at tempt to abolish them and encroach upon the prerogative of the Legislature, Talk ing the farmers as class they wanted the schools and wanted to pay the tax. Every business In Alabama paid license tax, and it was not a burden on the farm CT for him to pay this small license tax to prevent spurious fertilizers It has been charged that these agricultural schools do not reach the masses of the people. On the same principal would say that neither the State University nor the college at Auburn reach the masses of the people,. These agricultural schools, however, educate 230O pupils, while there are about 600 at the colleges Many pupils cannot afford to attend the University If you pass this amendment 1t will of ne- cessity abolish every one of these agri- cultural schools. Fifty-three counties are represented in these schools Maybe they are not technical agricultural schools. but where, for instance, can you make law yer or doctor without giving him first common school education?
 "The question of good faith has been raised" continued MT Graham ''Is the farmer the only one who has right to these schools. Let me tell you that they have only been located in such communi- ties as have made an effort and spent money to obtain them Each community which has gotten this $2500 a year has furnished a lot and buildings, the title to which is now in the State in trust for educational purposes the total value of which is about $130000. Sylacauga has the most valuable property of any or these schools. There is no school in my I. s1 xxvff h f6n- munities which have them. Sylacauga gave s5OO0 in cash, buildings worth 5000 and $10, GOO of other property. The inter- est on this $40000 alone is more than the S250O the State gives. Where is the man who has any regard for the sacredness of a contract who can vote to repudiate this contract with Sylacauga?" He spoke of a gift to this school from Pittsburg, Pa corporation, and asked if the Ala bama Constitutional Convention would show less interest in the education of the boys and girls of Alabama than Pittsburg Pa, corporation. Are we constructive or a dstructive convention? Only when there is a school In every village can we say we are going onward and forward in the march of civilization Only 50 per cent of your white children are in your common schools and if you close the agricultural schools you can with equal justice close your common schools am for the poor boys and girls who haven't the means to reach other schools. We have already made contracts for another nine months with the teachers. Will you break these? Away with that narrowness that would abolish school because all the children cannot attend it."
 MT. Graham then in answer to a ques- ton from MT. Greer of Calhoun said that he made it known now and forever that he was unalterably opposed to the negro being given for his schools only that part of the taxes which were paid by him. This statement was greeted by applause
 "Now then, gentlemen" he continued. |. i've are talking about taxation. If you abolish this tax, where are you going to get the money to run these schools? The State will lose s75,000 income, the farmers will not have their fertilizers examined and the price of fertilizers will not be reduced one cent. The State will lose s135. GOO of school property and the schools be closed to 2300 pupils, It will be a blow to education that it will take ten years for the State to recover from. We are pledged to take no backward steps In education and call upon you therefore to vote down this proposition
 Mir. Espy Speaks.
 Mir. Espy of Henry offered an amend ment to limit the fertilizer tax to 10 cents a ton on December 1, 1908. He favored the schools, but thought 1t improper to raise the income from this source. He. only wanted a charge sufficient to cover ex- penses of the fertilizer examination. That the present tax was class legislation, as the farmers alone bought fertilizers. The legislature recognized this wrong by es- tablishing an agricultural school in each Congressional district ad giving 1t S2o00 a year. This was the price paid the farm CTS for keeping mum about it. There was no fight against the schools Not dele gate had advocated abolishing a single school He wanted the schools to get their money, but not entirely from the farmers.
 Several questions were then asked MT. Espy as to the price of fertilizers. MT. Graham of Talladega read the Alabama statute on the subject of fertilizer tags, which required the manufacturer to pay them, and provided that if they added the