The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-28

right and then so ahead, is the reason ] I appear before you this evening. Gentlemen believe that every mem- Ter of this Convention ts actuated sole ] ly by desire to do that which Is just, and that which will subserve the best interests of our people, and most espe- cially that class of people whose linn l ited means preclude the possibility of their appearing before legislative bod ies and speaking in their own behalf. The assertion has been made that the farmers have not manifested any ln- terest in legislation along this line. challenge that assertion, and state that l that il is a mistaken Idea. 1 was a IneMbe? of the last General Assembly 1 of Alabama. I was assigned to place on the Committee on Agriculture. Oth- CT members of that committee. AS well as myself, realizing that thls burden of a tag tax had weighed heavily upon 1 one class of our people, and aesiring that they should be rid of this burden l in a measure, introduced bill in ths Legislature, reducing this tag tax rum l fifty to thirty~f1ve cents. This bill yas referred to tle Committee on Agricul- | ture. After looking into all the facIs l in connection with the matter. we re- l turned the bill to the House, with the unanI.f1ous endorsement and approval 1 of every member of that committee. Now, gentlemen. they assert this Is | matter that should be delegated to the l legislative body. say it is, too. but l have seen it demonstrated m the '!'cr of the Legislature that such measure cannot be passed, and if you wish ,:1e I to assign reasons. will say that not 1 less than twenty members of the Les- | lslature come from coudr!ss and zee l tions where they have these Asrtcul. l tural Schools. Some more come Tom l Auburn. All of these ara interested In l the maintenance of these schools. anu, sir, these members, In connection with the lobby which will come down from 1 each of these schools, VIII corstltute themselves into floor managers on such occasions, and sir, say that they will | invariably prevent such a meritor.oas bill passing the LegislaI Ire of Aiats-- ma.
 Now I will say in this connection, that that bill did pass Lfe Legislature, I after a hard fought struggle, ard went l to the State, and sir, 1t never came out of the committee there. l. never did. And, past experience leads me to | believe that such will be the casa m the future.
 Now. gentlemen, believe thac :bls is class legislation, pure and simple. H. 1 too. am in favor Of having an anatysts l of every ton of fertilizer which is reed in the State of Alabama, but .AIr. Pre- | ident, myself, as we'll as numbers Of farmers in this State. believe that this is entirely too much sugar for dime. | We Are informed that the orocse Is Ac- cruing from this tag tax to date. for the first half of this veal. .anlount {" ninety seven. thousand dollars. NOW. gentlemen. shall the farmers Of Ala bama pay to Auburn the sum O. slo.- 166 for an analysis of fertilizer and maintain a school where not more than | one-third of its pupils come from Tar mers'> hpmes?' Shall the farmers or Alabama pay to this school $16. t66 for an analysis of fertilizers. when this analysis could be made by one chem l ist, at an expense not exces ling i've to ten thousand dollars? But. sentle- men. 1 will say, that were this the onlv l reason, believe that the far e:S cx 1 Alabama, in their kindness Lni their generosity. would accede to thic. but it goes further. and does whatY Why. sir. they maintain nine or ten so-calied | Agricultural Schools. which. as has l been said upon this floor, do not teach agriculture l say that they maintain 1 these nine or ten Agricultural Schools at a total cost of about thirty thousand dollars Nor is that all. This leaves net balance of say about sixty thou sand dollars, and where does this gor It is not paid to the fund for the edu- 1 cation of the common mass of children l whose limited means will always de- | prive them from crossing the threshold of Auburn, and whose location Will prevent them from attending these Az 1 ricuItural Schools, but sir it is con- l tnfn State purposes. Now is that right? Is it right to impose this double tax upon one class of our people?
 Mir. President. too am interested in farming. I both sell and use this commercial fertilizer and I say with an equal degree of fairness and with like result you might impose tax of one or two dollars on every ton in Ala bama and with the proceeds resulting therefrom establish eighteen or twenty High schools and convert the remaind- CT into the general fund for all State purposes. feel that this tax should be abolished. if not abolished in toto that at least it should be limited to the amount that would only pay for the analysis of the fertilizers whicn the farmer uses on his ground.
 MT Stanford (Pike) was recognized.
 MT. coleman CGreene)--I would like . 10 uuuSTCAdIlu IhO
 amendment has been accepted, De- lieve?
 The President--Yes, sir.
 MT. Coleman CGreene)-And the QueS- ton is now upon the amendment?
 The President--The adoption of the substitute offered by the gentleman from Jefferson.
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-I would like for the gentleman to give me permis- sion to make a few remarks on this as hc p4up, ses to close.
 Mr. Samford-Ordnarily ouo Of the extreme respect that I have for my distinguished friend from Greene. I would yield the floor to him, but this discussion has proceeded for quite while.
 MT. coleman The discussion has been upon the fertilizer tax. That sub ject is lest sight of entirely by this amendment.
 MT. Samford--I Will ask the gentle man from Greene if he favors the abo- ltion of the fertilizer tax?
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-I would ask the gentleman if his permission for me to speak depends on my answer to that question?
 Mir. Samford--It does not; but l de- cline to yield the floor.
 MT. President, on Monday I had the hono~ of introducing an amendment to the report of the Committee on Tax aticn which I thought would bring tardy justice to a large number of my
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