The age-herald., 1901-08-19
Body Has Nearly Finished It's LabOrs After Three
 Months Session
NOW HARD ID GET QUORUM
Ministers Have Also Lost Interest and Frequently the Convention Is Called to Order Without the
 Usual invocation.
BY FRANK HARVEY MILLER.

of nANN HARVEY mtLLEns
 Montgomery, August 1S.-(Special.)- J. Interest in the constitutional conven- tion is dying out. This is quite natural, considering the body has been in session nearly three months and has accom- plished nearly all of It's work.
 During the past week 1t has been diff cult at times to obtain quorum. Twice a list of absent members has been fur nished to the sergeant-at-arms. who was ordered to summon them befo,e the bar of the house. On each occasion before the sergeant-at-arms could execute this order enough of the absent members struggled in to make a quorum, and those who were "blacklisted" begged off, so that no mention of the occurrence vas made in the official report.
 Even the pages and preachers have lost interest In the proceedings. On one of the days the absent members were ''blacklisted" 1t was found at one time there was not a page in the house. They were collected in the rotunda, where the sergeant-at-arms found them willing away the dragging hours In boyish games. They were marched into the convention hall in single file amid much laughter and applause and were informed in effect by the president that life was not one long, sweet song, and that they must attend to their business.
 The preachers too have lost interest In the proceedings. For long time the pro- ceedings were commenced with, prayer,
 n fn start work without being prayed for. Mir Howell of Cleburne, who Is also minis ter. was for quite a while the religious standby of the convention. When the city preachers failed to appear MT. Howell would always open the proceedings with prayer. but he has been absent lately and prayers during his absence were dis pensed with. Many more have been ap- sent the past week and soon all Will De gone-"the old familiar faces.
 Even the young and unfamiliar faces the fair faces that used to look down from the balcony-these, too, have gone, with few exceptions, and soon there will be no more Juliets or balcony scenes for the constitutional Romeos.
 Educational ArtICies
 During the past week the convention has settled the sheriff matter and the solicitor fight. It has also adopted the article on education and part of the ar ticle on corporations, which Is the last to be acted on.
 The article on education was adopted practically as reported. MT. Joseph B. Graham of Talladega, the chairman of the committee on education, showed great tact and ability In steering his report through the convention. There were three important changes made in the present law on this subject. First, the common schools have been given a constitutional tax of three mills which the Legislature cannot reduce. Second, the Browne plan for optional county school taxation has been adopted; and lastly, the University has been given a fixed constitutional in come of s36, 900 yearly, which the Legisla- ture may increase, but cannot reduce.
 This last provision was a new section added to the report by an amendment offered by MT. Lomax of Montgomery The committee, however, did not object 
 the efforts of<Mr. Lomax, who made one of the best speeches yet delivered in the convention in favor of 1t. This relieves the University from begging an appro- priation from each Legislature.
 MT. Graham. who takes deep inter est in public educational matters, feels gratified, and all the friends of education should feel gratified at the action of the convention. which by practically unan- imous vote adopted the three mill tax. This fixes the minimum constitutional school fund at from $1 ,000, 900 to 8, ,10O, 900 on present tax values, with a possibility of larger sums as tax values increase in the State. The minimum fund in the present constitution Is $100,000, and while there Is now a statutory fund of 8, 100. 900 1t is subject to such fluctuations as the Legislature may determine This appre- hension is now removed.
 Local School Tax.
 The adoption of the plan for local school taxation shows that Alabama has at Ia ast awaked from almost a century of stupor on this subject. and that every part of the state IS now aroused to the necessity of better educational facilities.
 This plan provides that three-fifths of the qualified electors in a county voting at an election held for this purpose may levy one-mill tax for school purposes to be used in the county It Is estimated for instance, that in Jefferson County this tax will raise about $4o,OOO and as the state tax has been reduced this amount, the levy of this special tax will not increase the total tax rate from what it is now. If all the counties adopt It. 1t will add about s257. 900 to the school fund
 IT. talking with MT. Graham recently on this subject he expressed his apprecia- ton of the valiant services the Age-Her- aid has done in the cause of education, and said that all the school people great