The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-31

ISIS, and tho interest thereon. an addi- tional rate of 1 per centum may be E collected. to be applied exclusiveIy tc my such indebtedness
 Ms. Sanford 0Montgomery)-Mr. President and fellow de, gates, asS your forbearance for little while; ksk your patience, that you may be able to do justice. It Is a matter which concerns no. only Montgomery. but each one or you. The act of Novem- be- 1s, 1905, calling this Convention contained various provisions, one oi which will read to you. It said "That if such Convention be called, II shall incorporate and adopt the follow lng as q part or Section of any Con vtitution it may frame and adopt, to wit: No city, town or other munifipa corporation, other than provided for n this Article, shall levy or collect a larger rate oi taxaton in any one yea on the property thereof, than one-hali of 1 per centum of the value of sucn property, as assessed for the State tax. ttion during the preceding year; pro- tided, that for the payment of debts existing on the 9th day of December 1875, and the interest thereon. an ad- aitional rate Of 1 per centun may be collected to be applied exclusively t, such indebtedness
 That act was approved by the Dem ocratic Convention os March l9, 1S00. That Convention wen. forward anI adopted 6 platform. Many of its pro- visiona had been adhered to most re- ligiously by this Convention. It prom 1sed to submit the Constitution to tiIe peopls fo: ratification. That you have done. You promised not to change the la tNnx otc observed. You prom ised to keep Mont gomery as the Capitol Of the State ol Alabama. That you have done. You said you would not dlsfranehlse any white man. You have also observe1 with great fidelity that provision. The only provision which has been changed Go far as l am able to understand is that which applies to Montgomery Now, I ask each delegate to this Con vention, 1T this additional tax which is put upon Montgomery were put upol the State at large. would you adop; it. Would you not violate the pledge ycu made, il you did SO? Then if it would be a violation of your pledge to the people, if it applied to the whole State, ls it less a violation of your promise when applied to the city of Montgom- cry. Montgomery is part of Ala bama. Her 13.000 white people are a tart of your constituents, and why should you make an ext option of Mont Eomery when you have observed your pledge with regard to every other DOT ton of the State? What sin has Mont gomery committed that she should he So punished? What crime, that you must burden her still more with indebt- edness? They tell me, and they say to you. that this Is not matter of leg Islative courtesy. It Ia a matter of honor to every man who accepted a nomination under the Democratic plat form of March 19, 1900. whether he was nominated for the Convention from the State at large, or for the district or for the Senatorial District, or even the counties, he adopted it, and have acted in that faith. Why should you make this change? They tel, me that un- less you increase the taxes upon Mont gomery that she would become insolv- ent and repudiate. What do the pri. vatc fortunes oi Montgomery have to do with your hor or and your pledges What have you, each one of you. to dc with the insolvency and bankruptcy or repudiat:on or your Capital City. I know you have d pride ia her, because at is an historic city, second only to Washington in the United States now. hAAS" ySt AdNc q pAIue III lHat, put does that relieve you from the pledge you made to the people of Alabama ? Tho people of Ala bama sympathized with you in honoring Montgomery, but not Tn the violation Of your promise made to her. When this platform was put forward, 1t influenced men to vote To: you. You Were elected on 1t. 1 voted for it because, when 1 had been once opposed to the Convention. 1 said to my friends: This is a pledge of thi5 people. They are honora ble, pa- triotlc men; they are men of promi- nence, and they do not dare to falsify what they have said to you, and ex- pect future honors in the State Of Ala bama." Montgomery County itself was noi enthusiastic for l. The city voted for it. and the city is reaping the bane- nt under this provision. and the trust which is repo5td in your honor, in your noenty to prlncple and to genuine De- mocracy. But IL is said that il is A decrease. Under this law, you can al- ready levy tax cf S1.50, and they pro- pose to reduce 1t to $l.25. This Is an erfoi, for It would be singular prop. ositlon that, to relieve city from in solvency,, you would reduce the taxes rom .Sl. 50 to SIPS in order to raise more money, to pay its debts and carry " t" SllLS ana US convent ehcea. app"&l 10 you to adopt this amendn4cl;
 What is moie, the section in the Com mttee's IeIo.t does what?' The Con sututlen Of lSIo, which I have iran ecrlped In the amendment, limits the taxation 10 che hundred cents on the hundrsts do la for debts prior to the ratification of the Constitution of 1875 This ett.on does net limit 1t at all. when that Mas done in 1875, Montgorn. cry owed onded debt of S5l7, 500. for which provision was made 10 pay the principal and the interest. It owes to- day about $1,991. .620-nenriy three times as much. The old law said that when you assessed the property of these peo- pie 1t should be according to the rate Of taxation sessed by the State the preceding year. This does not Say preceding year." but 1t means the cur rent year. and we know that the as- easements vary from year to year, ac- cordins to whether property becomes more valuable or appreciates in value. Why should you, ill the very provision which refers to dsbts prior to 1875. make all the irdehi edness of Montgom. cry due from the inception of the city until today that have not been paid :? Why do you make that discrimination In regard to MontgOm ny? Why do you say the ra te Of taxation should be that which was ass 'ssed for the State, and everywhere else you say for the p.e- cediug yea :' Why do you make that distinction nroinst Mont somery?
 The President pro tem.--The time Of the gent eman from Montgomery has