The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-15


 annually or semi-annuaiiy.s and nobody
 would object at ail- In fact all they
 would want to know would be that thg
 Interest on those bonds would De paid
 promptly.
 Those are the arguments that hava
 been offered by the other side in op-
 position to this appropriation. end say we can safely do 1t. think 1t is a better plan than we have now. It
 has sliding scale. It Is provision If Alabama should prosper beyond what
 We believe now. but which 1t may be possible in future, that the Legislsture can even increase; and If the nioney is in the Treasury and it could be in- creased. the people would demand thar their school system be made better than 1t is now. know that at first blush, without investigation. 1t would seem that was large amount, but If you would take the trouble to make the calculation for yourself, you will see that the three mills the Committee on Education asks is not really what Is given by the State of Alabama now.
 We cannot afford 10 say to the pso- pie of Alabama that we have come here. and have fixed 1t so that they cannot have what they have had in the past.
 MT. Dent-I send ID an amendment. Mir. Cobb-I withdraw mine.
 The amendment by Mir. DeEs was read as follows:
 Article cn Education by strik- ing out the following words: Together With the special an- nuai tax of 90 cents on each s1O0 of taxable property in this state.' in lines three and four of said Section, and iu- sert in lieu thereof the following: sTo- gether with such sum as the ,Legisla- ture may decide.'"
 Mfr. Dent-Mr. President and gentie- men of the Convention, think the rea- sons that have been given already by the gentlemen who have preceded me In opposition, are strong and unanswer- able why we should not put an in- elastic provision In the Constitution in reference to this matter. I think fur ther, notwithstanding the criticisms that have been made upon the Legis- lature of Alabama, that their past course in regard to education shows they can be trusted to come up fully to tho ability of Aiabame in Beference to the amount which will be raised by ta,;at:on for the support of tie publin schco's. and I am satisfied that they VII in every case raise such an ameunt a.'d appropriate it for eduction, as the state can safely permit to be done.
 The gentlemen admit that tfis sum would be smaller chan the amount which the Legislature appropriated for education at it's last session, and the statement has been made that thera shGu'd be no efforts to reduce the ap- pIopriat!on for the public schoois. While that Is true, and do not sup- pose there Is any gentleman in this who wishes to do that, it seems to me that this Is a matter pure- vARtSroklxy~ stances might arise in which if an ab- solute and fixed sum was talk in from the state of Alabama, 1t migh. cripple the State in reference to matters which are really important and perhaps more necessary than the matter of educa- tion. matters of necessity which could not be left undone.
 Now am not welded to the words which I ask to add there. I do insist that those words should be stricken out, and I will read them again in or- aer that the delegates may understand. in line 3, my amendment pro- poses to strike from lines three and four these words: Together with ibe srecial annual tax of 30 cents on each sl00 of taxable property in this State 's
 MT. Graham (Talladega)-You strike out the guarantee of $100,o00 in the old Constitution in your amendment. do you not. and leave the people without any guarantee at all as constitutional school fund?
 MT. Dent-I will reply to that. As T. started to say, when I was interrupted Dy the gentleman from Talladega. I nm not welded to the words which I pt1- pose to insert in lieu thereof and i- a an easy matter to divide this qrastion. and take vote first upon the mo.,,sn 10 strlke out, and then upon tine mo- ton to insert, and I would not object to placing it at $1oo.000 or perhaps more. but do not think that Is neees- 'ary in view of the history of Iegisla- ron In Alabama upon the subject of sducatien in past years. It seems to me the Legislature can be safely trust- ed to appropriate every dollar tha. can De spared from the income of tine State )f Alabama to educate the oh liren of ms State, and while would not ob- lect to any sum in reason, I believe if Is a matter that can be safely left to he Legislature, but, if the majority of Inc Convention think otherwise, t is an easy matter to divide the question. and -ake vote, and strike out separately, 'ho then. take q vote upon the motion 10 insert, and if they want to amend hat 1t can be done.
 MT. Fitts-I agree with the idea that 1as been expressed here, that upcn this subject nothing should be done except what Is safe and conservative, and the question comes back at last to whether 'r not this provision, as reported bv me Committee on Education, in view 'r the past history of the State, and view or its future certain prospects. ma In view of the system that has al. :. 'eady grown up, is safe and conserya- we The mere fact that the Consti- ution or dSf6 gave only a guarantee of lOo0OO from the general fund for the 'ubllc school fund Is no safe light So 'ulde our feet upon this occasion. be- 'ause. since that time. the income of ne State from all sources has steadily increased. and with that steady in- 'rease, there has been a steady disno- ltlon on the part of the Royernment 't the State to devote just about 'ne-half of it's gross income from alI 'ources to the support of the public 'chools. And 1t so happens that in ate years the income of the State has anged at about $l,SO0, 900 and there has 'een appropriated for the public schooIa IT the State just about one-half of that otaI Income, or about $900, 900, and that las gone on successively and easily md 1t has been found that the state las not suffered by the experience of 'lVtng about one-half of its total ina ome to the support of the public chools. Now the unsatisfactory part 'Dout that method is that there Is lothing steady and certain in the 'rowth and progress of these public chools under that system. The De-