The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-03

| such a thing as this? Some Of the most fluent speakers of the State made speeches in my county and territory, and they said there will be no white man disfranchised. not single indi- vidual. They promised my people if single white man was discriminated against except on account of crime, they would come back and make | speeches against the ratification of the Constitution, and if you put this pro- l vision that is reported by the Com- mittee into this instrument, serve mo- tice now that we shall hold those gen. ! tlemen to their promises and demand | that they come back to my county and l oppose the adoption of this Constitu- tion. This is the most important mat ter that has come before the Conven- tion since it has been in session Yes | terday we were on another important matter, and I cast my vote against the reduction of the tax rate. believe that the Legislature has appropriated | a great deal of money that 1t should | not have appropriated. but was afraid | if you lowered the tax limit the next thing would be blow at the common | schools and I cast that ballot against what thought majority of my peo- pie would do but believe did it be- l iieving I was doing my duty towards
  | will not say barefooted boys, because believe another member has copy righted that. 1 hope the amendment of the delegate from Jefferson will pass, and l am opposed to the substi- | tute of the gentleman from Lowndes. believe in a majority rule. l be- | lieve when one man goes up to the | polls and casts his ballot that ballot | should count as much as the ballot of | any other man. I do not believe that men should be measured by their | wealth. We will drift into that sooner | or later. but let Us not hurry into 1t. | do not think the people of Alabama are ready for this system and think they will rise up and repudiate it. The Chair recognized the delegate from TallapoosA (Mr. Burger) who yielded to the delegate from Barbour (Mr. Merrill.)
 MT. Merrill-I ask unanimous consent to be allowed to correct my amend ment. I want to strike out five words In the fifteenth line. It was my in tention to strike out entirely the prop erty holders. My amendment is to strike out the words property tax payers who are." I ask unanimous | consent that this may be done.
 The President-The gentleman de- s1reS unanimous consent to correct the amendment which he has offered. MT. Merrill-That leaves it to the qualified electors without reference to any property qualifications.
 The consent was given and the amendment corrected as indicated.
 Mr. Bulger-One of the most promi- nent pledges made to the people of Alabama when this Convention was called was that we should take, no backward step in education. On that pledge we went to the' people on the question of Convention or no Conven- ton, and a majority of the people voted for the Convention. Now the people of Alabama have a right to ex- pect that this Convention will adhere to its pledge. In the wisdom of the Convention we have reduced the tax limit from seven and a half to six and a half mills. Some of the members or the Convention are apprehensive that that will put the. Convention in position that it will be impossible for them to maintain and continue the present appropriation to the public schools of Alabama. If that is true. if py thls ordinance we have put the Legislature in a position that 1t can- not further help the public schools. then IL becomes necessary if we would keen our faith with the people, to put the people where they themselves can help the public schools, and now the question is as to how that shall be done. In my humble judgment 1t would be unwise 70 put any clause in the Constitution of this State by which you elevate money against men. It will be a departure from our theory and system Of government. It will be contrary to the grand principles and grand doctrines of the Democratic party.
 MT. President, have faith in the dis tingutshed gentlemen who compose and make up the Committee on Taxation and l think they should be willing and this Convention should be willing on an all important question like this to be conservative, to he wise and not hastily consider this question: I have learned that the Committee on Educa- tion has this same subject under en- sideration and&very soon will bring into this body an ordinance on the subject of local taxation for the benefit of the schools. My purpose in rising was rot to make a speech. but to make mo- tion that this particular section as reported by the Committe on Taxation from and including the word "providSl" in Section be laid upon the table to be taken up and considered when the Committee on Education makes its re- port. 1 believe that this would he wise as I have suggested it is all important. The people of Alabama while they gre interested in the great sub'"~ -e suf- frage, purifying the ballot and having honest elections, have never lost sight of the great subject of free schools and education in Alabama.
 MT. Harrison-When does our Com mttee on Education expect to report and what does it expect to report and in what way are they better informed than the Committee on Taxation?
 MT. Bulger-They are not any better informed. They do not claim that, but they have had under consideration this subject of education and 1t seems to me that this particular subject Is as we'll in the hands of the Committee on Education as it is in the hands of the Committe on Taxation and certainly 1t is safe in the hands of both of these learned committees and we have then the advantage of a report from beth of the committees on this subject.
 Mir. Harrison-Can you not tell us the report?
 MT. Bulger-No, sir; because the re- duction in the rate of taxation has somewhat changed the views of the Committee on Education and since that has passed. they have been formulat- ing a report upon that particular sub than the one we are now discussing and at least this Convention and the people of Alabama cannot be injured