The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-02

watsr rocks and shoals. He believes | that with care he cen guide the good old ship through that channel into port. but he knows that along his path l daueer is lurking, and that the strik- | ing of any shoaf or rock means ruin and disaster to his ship. He knows that down the other channel 1t is ah- solutely safe. There are no rocks nor l shoalp there. The vessel can float iui would the prudent pilot do? Will he guide the ship down the left hand pas saee and seek danger. or will he insure safety by taking the one to the right? | Tho good old ship of State, Mir. Presi- daut. has passed over many seas. She rode with safety until q few years after the war between the States. Then she experienced the patriotic, the good citi- zens of Alabama who had had charge of 1t up to that time were displaced by the United States Government. and a hirelipg band placed in charge of her. These new sailors were inexperienced. strsngers. They sailed the ship into harbors into which they should not have gone. They hoisted . piratical laG. They ran the ship and sailed the seas for the money that was in 1t for them. The good people Of the State watched 1t until 1874 1t was not un- l til then that they could again sieze the helm of the ship. They siezed 1t in 1874 and since that time they have managed the ship and run 1t with safe ty and security. She has now arrived. Mir. President. within sight of the har- bor. There are two channels which lead to the harbor of financial pros- perity. This Committee on Taxation say: Take the one to the left. it is safe, | it is free from shoals. you can pass along 1t possibly without dan- ger and without disaster. These men. Mir. President are honest and trre, they would not for any considera- | ton lead us astray. but they have not made finance 3 study; nonc of them
 have been in charge of the finances of l the State. On the other hand we find | two ex-Governors of the State, the present Governor and the Auditor and | Treasurer warning us from that course They cry out to us take the old pas sage, the old channel into the harbor. It has been trusted for years and years. Do not attempt this, strange passage until you know fully its dangers and its troubles. I beg you gentlemen of the Convention. don't let us do this thing. Don't let us vote for this 65 cents, and thereby put the State in danger, but let us vote to let this tax stay as 1t Is and trust to the Legisla- ture. as they assemble from time to time, to do that which is just and proper for this State. You must re- member that there was no limitation in the Constitution until 1875. That limitation was put at 75 cents on the $l00. and but once since that time has the Legislature reached the limit Gen. tlemen this is too important a question to pass over lightly. Let us not vote because the measure may be popular, but let us vote. according to our con- victions as to what Is right, what Is for the best interests of this State and when we have done that, each of us, whether we be right or wrong, can at least have the approval of his con- science.
 Mir. Maxwell--when I consented to become a member of this Conventiun purposed in my heart that I would be only q silent member, that would only attempt to speak when the roll was called, or the vote was being taken, and it may be. sir, that before ] shall have delivered the remarks now wish to submit. or soon thereafter that will be wishing that had stuck to this purpose. But be that as it may, have the honor of being a member of the Committee whose report is now uu- der consideration and I want to offer one or two reasons why think the l fourth section of that article should ba adopted without amendment and as presented by the Committee. Now, | Mir. President. this splendid array of legal talent here. and parliamentary talent, am afraid of, and I hope they will not side-track me with their points of order to this or that effect, but that they will let me proceed without inter-
 ruption. shall not repeat the splendid array of figures gieaned from the Auditors report by the Committee on Taxation. and so convincingiy submit ted by our distinguished chairman. These figures have been submitted to you. Distinguished members of the Committee like Judge Coleman and others as well as the Chairman him. self have told you with what great pains this data was gotten up, and that 1 1t is entirely reliable. The figures are before the Convention. they speak for themselves, and unlike some other speakers they do not mislead, but they point unerringly to the truth of the
 practicability of the Committees re- commendat1on that the tax rate can be reduced from [ 1.2 to 1-2 mills, and
  ing any of the interests of the great State of Alabama, and they further show, Mir. President. that we ought 10 do this and thus fulhu the Democratic platform and pledge to the people of Alabama in Convention assembled that they would reduce the tax rate if found at all practicable to do so. Now 1t is urged MT. President, by gentle men on the other side of this question that we are dealing in estimates. That is true. We are dealing in estimates. and what government in the world. national, State. county or municipal ever attempts to discover what its probable receipts or disbursements will be in any other way-it is the only way to do it If we hove our treasury full of money we need to make no estimate,
 we pay cash as we go. but unfortu- nateiy our treasury is not In that ple- thoric condition and we need to maze estimates The whole world makes
 estimates Why the science of estimates
 and proba bilities is as much a science
 as anything else. Just look at the mortHary tables of the great life in-
 surance companies, and see to what
 science they have estimated the com putation of the probable duration of human life. and these tables have proven so accurate and stood the test of human experience and observation so long. that they have multiplied mill lions of dollars invested in human life. These estimates are not more accurate than estimates upon which this com