The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-27

Advantages on three months common
 school tn Alabama. Gentlemen, did we
 come here as constructive people oI
 Obstructive people? Do we recognize the
 fact that an intelligent citizenship is to
 be the foundation of all future growth
 ans nscsner!ty in this country? If ws
 Hn, we dare not place our hands upor
 single educational institution in Ala
 banna and tear it to it's foundation anC
 destroy its influence and it's worth. w
 have solemn trust. We cannot de
 pend upon material deve.ooment--wt
 cannot depend upon agricultural pros
 perity in Alabama to make 1t a great
 State. It will only be when the school
 house and the church spire tower te
 the heavens in every community, only
 when the citizenship of the State rally
 around their educ ational institutions
 that we can unfurl our banner to the
 breeze and say in truth that we are
 going onward and upward.
 There Is another feature. The con
 tracts for these nine schools have been
 made for another years. F1fty-three
 teachers have been employed to work
 in these schools. The citizens of the
 communities are standing there wait ing for the boys and girls to come in
 representing as they did in the preced- ing year fifty-three counties in the
 State of Alabama-and mind you, gen. tiefnen. want to impress it upon your
 ninds--that the boarding pupils of
 these institutions are boys and girls
 coming from humble farm homes
 their incomes will not justify going to
 more distant schools and where board will be higher. Do not go off on the argument that they do not reach all. Only 50 per cent. of the children of edu- cational age are in your common schools. If you are going to argue the same question with the same legitimate consequences you must close your com
 mon schools in Alabama, because a sufficient per cent. of the people do not patronize these schools, and I want to say to you that the influence and the power of one young man with brawn and brain that comes from one of these humble country homes where poor fatber and mother delve all the day and nearly all the night to sustain him in school--when in future years he gets among the people adds strength to the country in whatever sphere he may be. and Is worth more than 10000 of those who shut their eyes and ears to the in- a1uences of common school education in Alabama. I am for the poor boys and girls who ought to reach these schools and have no other means of higher edu- cation Now on the point that left a moment ago. Are you going to break the contracts with 53 teachers in Ala bama for another year? Are they not as sacred as any contracts that you have as individuals. Are you going to do it? Have those people with their local investment, and the local pride they have shown by spending their money-have they no rights to be con- sidered at the hands of this Conven- ton? Away with that narrowness that makes a man fight a school because 1t did not happen to be located in his own town: away with that narrowness that does not want school to flourish and to do good in Alabama because, for sooth, every boy and girl in the State does not attend it! Now, let me call your attention to another fact. You say say that the poor farmers of the State pay it and do not get the. benefit of 1t? Somebody said that the tenant classes largely paid it and not the owner of the land. Who constitute the large majority of the tenant class in Alabama? Who is it, gentlemen? It Is the negro. There is not school Iocat- ed in this State today for the negro children of this kind and character, yet every negro who buys ton of fertilizer contributes his share and his mite to the support of these district schools, What are you going to do about that :?
 MT Greer (Calhoun)-Will you per- init me to ask question? As chair man of the committee as you are don't you think you had better remedy that evil in your report?
 MT. Graham-I suppose my report will be up for consideration hereafter. and if it is not known to the gentle men of this Convention now I make it known for future purposes, that I stand here forever to say that the ne- gro in Alabama shall not be remitted forever solely to his taxes for the SUD- port of his schools. (Applause.)
 MT. Espy-Will' you permit an inter- ruption?
 Mr.. Graham-Just one moment I would prefer not to be interrupted now This Agricultural fund last year in the last report, amounts to $75,0O0. These schools draw $25,O0O. I beg to correct portion of my statement in regard to the ben -hts that the negro receives, I understand that $1, 800 of this fund goes 70 Tuskegee to Booker Washington's 6 school and $1,000 to Patterson's school at the colored University, making them 70 receive one-tenth of the amount ap- proprlated for this purpose, when I uare say that the facts would show tnat they pay 40 per cent. of the tag taN. l was going on to say that the FecelptS last year were only S7S. .0OO These schools received $25, 900 and All burn received something over S11 ,OOO. making a total appropriation something like $4OOOO for these purposes. Now then, gentlemen we are talking ahout taxation in Alabama The subject of taxation is before us. If you aboIish this tag tax where are you going to get the funds to support these schools. We cannot afford to destroy them. Where is their support to come from. How are you going to keep faith with these institutions? Will the State of Alabama by one act destroy $125. GOO of property in order to Save S75,OOO that are now paid out by the farmers. No- oody contends that this tax ought to De entirely removed. or that the ex- pense of examination should not be defrayed. Where are you going to pet the money to do it2 WhereY Now then, gentlemen, to state it as briefly as l can, to adopt this amendment brings us to this point: The State of Alabama will lose $75 900 income, The farmers will not have their fertilizers examined. with the result that the price of the fertilizer will not be re- duced one cent. They can stand here and talk for years and years and tell me that the adoption of this amend xnent will bring about reduction in the price of fertilizer, but I have got too much corporation sense and expe- rience for any man ever to make me believe that absurd proposition. The State loses s75. GOO and the farmer gains is your first proposition. The next DronoSition is that tho c,.ot