The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-20

tempt to better our suffrage. and is. 5aye s to aa seS aa nc ing to lose by ratifying the new instru- ment. 1t must be apparent to refiectine minds that Federal interference, the risk of which is sometimes put forward as . reason for opposition to the new instru- mef1t, is much more likely to be provoked In the future by the continuance of exist frase, than by any changes wrought by the ratification Of the new Instrument. The above mentioned registration will be made in each county by a board of three reputable and suitable persons, resi- dents of the county. to be appointed by the Governor, Auditor and Commissioner or Agriculture. The effect of that regis. tration will be the elimination of a great mass of vicious and incompetent voters. Further provision is then made to main tain for the future the standard of the eleetorate. lack of the qualities of iR- tellige Tee. thrift and q regard for the public welfare generally characterizes that part Of our present voting population whose participation in the government Of object of the educational and property qualifications proposed for those who snail become of age and seek the right to vote after January 1st. 1908, desirable class, Those qualifications should appeal strongly to the mothers and fathers and youth of the land. of all worthy men. The desire to fulfiil them will uplift those who are to come after us to keener appreciation of the for the en2obIing and responsible duties of citizenship. What manly and self. respecting youth, in this day of abund. ant Opportunities of free .efucation and passing cry of those who wish to prevent our deliverance, that the State wrongs the youth when 1t asks in return for the that he nrenare bipsaif by- Iaarnin~ within the ample time given him, to read parts of the Constitution of the United States, or develop sufficient character amount of property. which the humbiest, starting life under the most adverse cir cumstancSs, cah quickly, acquire? What right-thinking or self-honoring man is willing to claim and enjoy all the bene- nts Of government, and Is unwilling to make any sacrifice or contribute anything whatever to sustain 1t? Scarce a genera tion since thousands of Alabamians glad " risked and sacrificed their lives for the welfare Of the State; and now their chill dren are thought by some so unworthy of payment of poll tax of less than a half . cent day, in aid of the public schools, as one of the helps to a higher and bet ter suffrage. demands sacrifice which they should set in the balance against your efforts to upIift our civilization. We leave the fit answer to this ignoble sug- gsstion to that love of country which has them upward in all their struggles "a and trials.
 Shall We Descend into the Mire in
 Order to be CleansedP
 Of those who profess a desire to be rid of our evil condition and at the same time proclaim hostility to our efforts 1t is proper proper to ask ask what, what, if any remedy, they tuition promote any good end? Will it not fasten upon us the present curse. and cut off all hope of relief better and wiser to take the present step ana 1T experience prove it intellectual, to seek further remedy by prompt amend- under the new instrument, than to fail back again deeper in the nlire, and then hope to rise from it's depths and cleanse our institutions?
 Fair Elections.
 The surest and most enduring founda- telligent voters. The new instrument fur nishes this great support, by sitting the worthy from the unworthy in selecting those entitled to suffrage. To the penal ties which the Legislature has provided, or may provide, to enforce honesty in elections the Constitution Itself has added disfranchisement of all who buy or sell votes, or make false returns in legal or primary elections, and has made fals5 registration a felony. With the elimina- ton of the mass of vicious votes, the power of which is always sought to urn- ptre the result of elections when good men divide. all excuse or temptation is destroyed to tamper with the ballot-box to prevent the vicious from overturning good government and imperilling all that is protected by it. Vita the disappear ance of the cause which leads to the vio lation of the sanctity of elections, public opinion, which is stronger and more far reaching than law, will again reassert itself and efIectually guard the ballot box. Consciously or uhConscously, ulte- lIor motives must control the mind which proelatms opposition to the Consttuuon on the pretext that its ratification will cause the continuation Of election abuses.
 Education.
 The importance of public schools to the Welfare Of the State Is recognized and emphasized by the provisions made [" sustain education. The new Constitution, or us own VigOr, apprUpriates about eignt times much as the old Constitution. The new instrument preserving all the old sources of revenues appropriates each year to the public schools nearly one-haf of all the taxes levied and col lected by the State. and enjoins upon the Lelslature the increase Of this fund from tune tune 10 time as the resources Of the state leVy special tax not to exceed ten cents on each one hundred dollars worth or taxable property therein, for the snp- port or the public schools, when voted by three-hfths of the voters at the election, subject to the limitation that the rate of state and county taxation per annum must must not be increased to more than one Hoiiar and twenty-five cents on each one hundred dollars of property. excluding special taxes for bridges and payment of debts existing in lS75
 z, AcknoWledgement has been made in the constitution Itself of just debt to the university, and provision made for the payment or Interest thereon Change mas been made in the mode of appoint ment of its trustees. which those most in- tefesteu m the University believe will re- dound to its welfare. Greater stability has been given to the Board of Trustees ot the AlaDama Pol lytechnic Institute by
 The new instrument has gone to the verge of the ability of the State to sus- tain and increase schools; and as the State grows in wealth, the Constitution by it's own operation, will correspondingiY increase the public contributions tn inc cause of education What better resno4se could be made to the impulse Of our peo pie for more and better schools?
 Taxation.
 The State tax on property has been de- creased from seventy-tive cents per sn nun on the hundred dollars to sixty-five cents on the hundred dollars Debia for the rent pr hire of real or personal prop erty, while owned by the landlord or hrer during the year of such rental or hire are not taxable, it the property itself has been assessed at its full value.
 To meet emergencies. the power of the Governor has been extended to ngotiate temporary loans to the amount of three hundred thousand dollars. Counties are forbidden to levy a greater rate of taxa tion per annum than one half or one per centum; but an additional one-fourth of one per cent. may be collected for debts existing at the ratification of the Consti- tuition of 1875. To meet debts incurred for public buildings or bridges, county may levy tax of one-fourth of one percen- tun1. Under the existing Constitution. the