The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-15


 when we consider the amendment that Il eY have stated they would accept. With tEat provision. aa understand 1t, 1t ought to have the unqualified an- proval of this entire Convention. No man wants to interfere with the pay ment of the interest on the public debt. We all recognize that the debt itself cannot be paid and therefore it must be carried.
 wLat the common schools of the country need Is something certain and sure. think that a certain and sufti- cient amount to bear the general ex- penses of the State ought to be as- sessed. We are assured by the very best authority that thirty-five cents on the handred dollars Is sufficient when We exclude the schools. The schools ought not to be made to bear the brunt of all short comings that may occur In times of depression.
 The rlar adopted by the committee regulates that in Q sliding scale. and # values are deeraased we collect less. and as time goes on and values in- crease. we will collect more. We all expect the State to improve. we all expect values to increase, and we all know that our school system must in- crease. This provides for 1t. We have to remember that in @ great deal Of our country there is not as much irs terest in that question se you think there is. We have come here to resu- late taxation and make propositions ap- plying to cities. villages and towns. but when you look at 1t. what have we done to interest the man who cares nothing for the election question. nor for the local city government. am not one to 20 on and talk about the dear people and say this, that and the other, because believe in doing right irrespective of what others care or think. But look at 1t in this way. man takes this Constitution home to himself. He wants to know what ben- eft it Is to him. We have pledged the people that we would give them better schools, if possible. dare say there is not a delegate on this floor who spoke upon this question of new constitution who did not dwell upon the necessity for an improvement in the schools. Furthermore we have made 1t a condition of suffrage in. the future that the people must have an educational qualification. We all agree that that Is the meaning of the provi- sion, and I for one have pledged my people that when we required that, we would also say in the Constitution that we would give them better schools. One of the first conditions for better schools is something that Is certain. something that Is sure. Give them good foundation that can be relied on. If thirty-five cents Is not enough. make 1t forty-five cents. or thirty cents if that is enough, but do not make the schools dependent on everything else, We all agree that the interest on the bonded debt of tho State shall be taken care of. Then let the balance of the rise in values 20
 MT, O'Neal uauderdale)--Supp the time should arrive in the future when thirty cents on a hundred dol lars would yield more revenue than was necessary to support the public schools, then we would be in a posi- tlon where We could not reduce taxes
 MT. Malone--Why, sir, expect the time to come when we will pay nfty cents altogether.
 MT. O'Neal--E'or the public schools?
 MT. Malone-Yes. sir, certainly do.
 MT, O'Neal--You expect that to be the case in Alabama?
 MT. Malone-I certainly think so. l. for one, never expect to be satisfied with a dollar and forty cents a year for schooling of Q child in this State. and | certainly hope that the time will come
 MT. O'Neal--lMy question Is If thirty cents yields more than Is necessary more than the Legislature or the peo- pie deem necessary. for the support of the public schools. wouldn't you have 1t in the Constitution, and 1t could not be reduced?
 MT. Malone-Yes, sir. Thirty cents will give an increased amount. as the conditions improve. l believe in pro- gresslon. 1 am not satisfied with the schools now. I accept them because we cannot do any better. but when We can do better, l want to do 1t. 1T didn't think this thirty cents would provide for 1t. 1 would demand some thing that would provide for 1t. AS I see 1t, 1t is the only thing we can do, and I wish unqualihedly to endorse that proposition, especially as l am assured bv the Committee on Taxation that thirty-five cents is certainly suffi- cient to take care of everything else, and I am opposed to the schools hay ins to bean the brvnt of these other things,
 MT. Oates-I have listened to this discussion with a goood deal Of inter- est. These are question to which l have given some thought heretoIore. This Convention seems to nave the idea In reference to the ability Of the States in future, that we will continue to grow and tax values Increase all the time with no setback at all. They remind me of our Southern people who engage in speculating In cotton flu lures. They nearly always lose. pe- cause in that game they are betting upon higher prices. as this is cotton producing section. Fhey are looking altogether for good times, and never making any allowance for panic Financial panics have come in the past. They come along periodically sometimes in ten years, sometimes m fifteen years or twenty years. but they are sure to come. They always do Now. sir 1t seems to me that the er- TOT of this proposition is this: They want to provide certainly for so much money In any event to be appropriated for the public schools and let other in- terests of the State take care or them selves and take their chances on panics or anything else that may come along believe they have in 1t now 2 provision to provide for the payment or the interest on tho public debt. That ia well, but you are go'nS to fix cer- taia amount, in any evont, for the schools. and a certain amount to pay the interest on the public debt. although your old confederate soldiers and the widows of those who fought gallantly, are indigent, and most of them got In such g state of poverty In consequcn nee of disabilities incurred in that service, and they may look and look in vain to A-.. n