The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-03

though was right and let the results take care of themselves. I heartily agree with the gentleman from Teila- dega. that have no patience with the sentiment of this man getting up and saying that this will Top off 10000 votes. and the other proposition will Top of 20.o0o votes, and, using that as an ar gument for or against any proposition. The question ought always to be. and the only question that ought to be con- sidered by this Convention Is, what 10 right in the premises; what is best ac- cording to our best judgment for the people of this State; what is the very best Article we can put in the Conss- tuition? And when we have arrived at that conclusion. let us do 1t, and if the Convention fails of ratification, we have got just as good a Constitution as any man who votes against 1t. But, as said before, there may be no neces- sity for this raise in the age; 1t may be that the accumulated poll tax Of the young man before he arrives At the age of $ years .or the poll tax limit,
 will have completely debarred him from participating in politics, and then a
 further raise will never be necessary.
 So far as l am concerned know that all taxes are onerous; that no tax is paid because a man wants to pay 1t.
 My people are as patriotic, rather, should say, the people whom have the honor to represent, are as patriotic as any people in this State. and no more; we are all of the same blood; we have all had practically the same teaching;
 we all have the same religion; we all or a great majority of the people-o of my section, are Democrats from prin- ciple, and they are all new practically in favor of public education. I believe l that they will as willingly pay a poll tax for the education of the children of the county as any people in the
 State of Alabama; they will do 1t as
 willingly, and no more willingly than
 the people in the balance of the State. I but if 1t is not necessary, then dc not
 let us do 1t. If 1t is not necessary for
 us to cucumber the instrument with
 that clause. then do not let us do it;
 but if it is necessary, then, in the name
 of common justice and of common
 right do not % and put a clause in
 there that will have the effect of nnak- ing 1t appear that We are acting from policy and not from principle. when we adopted the instrument '
 MT. O'Neal-We are not acting from
 policy, but we are acting from princi-
 pie. That Is the reason I oppose the
 amendment offered by the gentleman
 from Talladega I am surprised, Mir.
 President, that the amendment should
 come from the distinguished Chair
 man of the Committee on Finance. He
 was the gentleman who advocated a
 reduction of State taxation, and when
 his attention was called to the fact
 that he had not anticipated the reduc-
 tions in revenue which might occur in
 the future. he answered that in his cal
 cuiations he had prepared for every
 emergency that might arise, and a
 few days afterwards the report of the
 Committee on Suffrage was made
 which necessarily involved reduction
 of the poll tax in this State at least
 fifty thousand dollars. Now when we
 say to him we propose to raise the
 age limit by which to increase the
 vent the necessity of supplementing
 the deficiency in the counties by an
 appropriation of the general revenues
 he opposes 1t. It seems to me that his
 position is utterly inconsistent. An,
 but the gentlemen say that this poll
 tax will affect the young men of Ala
 bama who are coming 0f age. Have
 we not said to the young men of Ala
 bama that after 1903 you must be able
 to read and write or own $500 worth
 of property before you can vote. If
 we say you cannot vote unless you are
 educated how. then. can. you consist
 ently oppose a measure which increases
 the school fund by which those young
 men can be prepared to exercise the
 elective franchise. An. but the gen.
 tlemen say that the poll tax should
 be left to the legislature. Mr. Presi-
 dent. what is the law on that subject today. The present law of Alabama is
 this: The General Assembly will levy
 poll tax not to exceed one dollar and
 fifty cents on each poll which shall be applied exclusively in aid of the pub
 lie schools, What. then. is the power
 of the legislature under the present Constitution? The power. of the leg
 islature under the present Constitu- , tion is as to q poll tax Is clearly de- , fined. the legislature Is commanded |, by the fundamental law of the State to levy a tax of one dollar and fifty
 cents on. every poll without any limi- , tation as to age. and I say, MT. Pres , ident. that the present law in the code
 of Alabama by which the poll tax is :, limited to those between the age of twenty-one and forty-five is unconsti- , tutionai or to say the least of doubtful : constitutionality.
 Mir. Oates-I would like to ask the . gentleman a question? I would ask : my friend what becomes of the Con- , stitution, don't the legislature disre- i. gard it when they limit 1t to forty . five years?
 MT. ONeal-Certainly they do. be- D cause here Is a plain mandate of the | Constitution which says this tax must . be on each poll What does a poll
 mean? A poll means head-a tax on s each voter. pot on polls between cer- T tain ages, and therefore l say that
 when the legislature of Alabama un- f dertook to limit this poll between cer- | tain ages 1t violated the fundamental
 law of the State. Now what does the gentleman ask us to do? He asks ut to say to the legislature of Alabama
 we fix the amount at one dollar and
 fifty cents, but you can fix 1t on any age you see proper. It says a poll tax . of $1 50 as may be prescribed by law In other words it says to the legisla-
 ture, you can If you want to dictate to the people of Alabama, at what , age a voter must pay poll tax. you can say all people between Fl years f and 25 years of age shall pay poll tax | or between 21 years and 30 years. I will ask the distinguished gentleman
 is he so absolutely sure that this State , will never again have a Republican ol f Ponulist legislature? Are you so sure of It? Suppose you should have leg i islature composed of such men as the f distinguished gentleman from St. Clail Ii who advocates the fifteenth amend t ment as the brightest jewel in the t crown of the Constitution, and it would r say we will fix the age limit at S( t years. What becomes of your plan o