The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-15

aSk that the OOuFeHltou sh0h "A'ec " in the bond that public schools are not mendicants. Now, then, do not forget | this proposition, that we are not ask. 1 ing you to give us in the Constitution l as much as we are now receiving, al- | though our public school term Is less than four months and the teachers are working on the pitiful monthly salary of $z5. If the poll tax should rail OH $50, 900 under the new sunraSe laW' then the schools are off sSS,O00 to begin with. The new Constitution should show progress on education, and not retro gression. Why, they say adopt the Gld Constitution which in the minimum sum of one hundred thousand dolla:s We would invite the contempt ana the finger of scorn of the enlightened sen timent of the Union by writing that kind of a clause in Constitution made in the year 1901. Are we asking TOT immigration in this State. or small we encourage emigration: If you want to invite immigration. write 1t in the Constitution that three mills shall De devoted to education, and immigration will come. If you do not want IL, write it that you will have one hunored thousand dollars as the minimum anu | leave the public schools as the footoaii of the Legislature, and no more lmm'- grafton will come. but l cannot pleogt you what will take place on the llne or emigration. We have already declai ei that after 1903 that suffrage in this State shall be based upon intelligence or property. and l pray you answer me what expectations can the uneducateo people of this State have that they can oualify to come in under the intelli- gence clause: and If there Is man here who is skeptical upon the ques- tion whether intelligence produces h Inn 1T not only produces wealth, but that 1t promotes virtue, and if we are to have suffr age based upon wealth. give us an | intelligence which will not only pro duce wealth, but along with It Will | promote virtue and good government | in Alabama. MT. Long CWalker)-I move to extend the time of the gentleman from Talla- dega ten minutes.
 | Upon a vote being taken. the time Of | the gentleman from Talladega was eA- tended ten minutes.
 Mir Graham-I thank you, gentlemen and will try to get through in less than | ten minutes.
 In connection with intelligence and wealth, I desire to quote words' than N which none more forceful nor more l fraught with wisdom have fallen upon the ears of the delegates of this Con | VentlOn, from the OpSHiH6 AuulcSo oh our distinguished President:
 "The productive power of labor in Massachusetts is said to be nearly double that of every inhabitant of the l whole United States, and the reason | assigned is the superior educational ao- vantages furnished to her people, Gentlemen, do you know that in many sections of Alabama, that there are proud homesteads that stand disman- I in he bling ruins of desolation itself? And why? Because the people who former ly lived in those homes. on account of | the lack of social advantages and so- cial intercourse, and educational ad- | vantages for their children, have closed their homes and moved into the towns and cities to educate their children. There are those, less fortunate, unable to get away, that remain behind them. Sitting there in the densest gloom that can come upon a people from whom the light of Hope has almost gone out, they are anxiously looking for the light which 1t seems will never come, and
 plead with you today that by your ac-
 tion in adopting this section for
 mill tax, to show to them
 "The crimson streak on oceans cheek
 Which tells of the coming dawn"
 With them, this light will never pierce
 the gloom until you provide means fol
 the education of the children in those
 homes. The virtue of this great State is gathered around the hearthstones o } the people, whether those homes be in telligent or ignorant. l beg you tt 3 come up in the manhood that should ) characterize patriotic citizens, and dt
 your whole duty by the people to whom ' you have said in the Suffrage Article 7 only those that possess intelligence o | property shall vote after January 1903.
 Now, Mir. President, I do not care tt , argue this matter further. l move t' . lay the amendments now pending or the table, with the view, if the motor prevails. of offering the latter part o the amendment of the gentleman from
 Lauderdale, that Is, that the credit oi this State shall be protected, and that , the interest on the bonded debt shal
 be a preferred claim; and If the motior should prevail, will offer that amend. ment by the unanimous request of the Committee on Education. I, therefore
 move to table the amendments to Sec
 ton 5.
 The President-The motion Is to table
 the amendment offered by the gentle
 man from Barbour, and the amend
 ment offered by the gentleman from
 Lauderdale.
 MT. Watts-I call for division of the
 question.
 Upon a vote being taken upon the
 amendment offered by the gentleman
 from Lauderdale, the same was tabled
 The President-The question recurs
 upon the amendment offered by the
 gentleman from Barbour.
 MT. Watts-I call for the ayes and
 noes on that.
 The call was not sustained
 The amendment of the gentleman
 from Barbour was read as follows
 Amend Section of Article on Educa-
 tion by striking therefrom the follow ing words. together with the specia
 annual tax of thirty cents on each hun
 dred dollars of taxable property of this
 State. in lines three and four of sait
 section. and insert in lieu thereof the
 following, together with such sum as
 the Legislature may decide.'
 Upon a vote being taken. the amend ment of the gentleman from Barbour
 was laid upon the table.
 Mr Graham (Talladega)-I ask
 unanimous consent that this be placed
 as an amendment at the close of Sec
 tion g. I offer 1t as an amendment, and
 ask that it be read:
 Amend Section by adding at the end the following, and providing fur
 ther that nothing herein contained shall prevent the Legislature from first providing for the payment of the
 states bonded indebtedness and inter-
 est thereon out of all the revenues ot