The age-herald., 1901-07-10
ABOUT TAXATION.


 | As a citizen and small tax payer in the State of Alabama, I wish to drop few hints on the subject of constitution-mak- | ing which think will not be out of place | just now. First, as to counties and coun- | ty cites I believe that a population of 125OO with, say $1,5O00O0 worth of taxable property and a territory of not less than 400 square miles. should by majority vote be allowed to form new county l where 1t will not reduce the county from which 1t Is formed to less than 400 square miles with S1 100000 worth of taxable property, and 12,500 population l believe | a majority of the votes should have the right to say where their court house shall | be located. I do not believe that court house-town should have any advantage | over any other place in the county, and l if the court house should be located at | an inconvenient place, and there is more convenient place in the county, let ma | jority of the voters move 1t. Why shouldn't majority have the right to de- eide these matters? It would be Dem ocratic.
 | If our convention, now in session at Montgomery, were held down to two | thirds rule, it strikes me that we would | hardly get a new constitution framed. It | is agreed that the formation of new coun- ties and building of court houses would be very expensive but as I see 1t, 1t would cost the old counties but very little. The new counties would have to pay the ex- | penses, and if they choose to do so why | not give them chance?
 When I was small, we had in Alabama local taxation for public schools, for then the parent had to foot his own bills for the education of his children as we had no State tax for that purpose, and now we have several hundred thousand dol lars appropriated annually from the tax l payers of the State to the common schools which I heartily endorse; but every dollar of taxes paid in by white | tax payers should go to educate white | children, so as to better qualify them for | citizenship and to run the affairs of state | and the white men should rule in Ala bama, as it Is best for white and black that they should. Now if we allow cities and towns which have railroads and oth CT corporate property to levy a local tax for school purposes, would 1t not have a tendency to cut down, or rather hold down the State appropriation for school purposes? Would this not be a step backward in education? If it is best to have a State educational system, surely 1t should reach every locality in the State, and I assure you that the back-woods districts will not object to absolutely free schools for at least eight months in the . year, or more if the cities prefer. In fact | they will leave that matter to the cities provided the cities do not have a local tax in addition to the general fund.
 It sounds very strange to read some of the discussions on the fertilizer tax It seems that the great question is whether the farmer (consumer) or the manufac- turer pays 1t. It seems to me the great question should be whether of not 1t Is right to levy a special tax on any class or product. Is it possible that we are hesi- tating on this question? Plainly, neither | the farmer, the manufacturer nor any other class should be robbed in this man ner for any purpose; and as I see the question where the tax derived therefrom goes, has nothing to do with the matter. | If we tax the fertilizers which the farm CTS use, and of course pay the tax (not- withstanding the law to run agricultural schools, why not levy a tax upon hats, dry goods and hardware to run a me- chanical and commercial school? Tax pork, beef, lard, butter, four meal, etc. to run a health school? How would all this sound? Don't everybody know that this would be unwise and wrong? And yet 1t Is no worse than to tax fertilizers thereby taking over $100, 000 out of the pockets of the farmers of Alabama an nually without compensation. It Is agreed that the law taxing fertilizers requires the manufacturer to pay the same and not put 1t on the price of the fertilizers If this be true and we can make the fertili- ger manufacturer pay the tax and not let him put 1t on the price of his goods, why not levy tax of ten dollars per ton and rob him good? Why take a part of what fellow has and not take all when we have it in our power to do so?
 | Now, to recapitulate, let us have white rule in Alabama (not by frauds). Let us have State educational system as broad as the State, with white, taxes for white schools. and give localities which are in conveniently situated the right to better their condition by forming new counties where 1t will not hurt anyone else and let a majority decide these matters
 believe that clause should be in our constitution which would prevent the levying of a special tax on any class for any purpose. We hope our law makers will be broad in their views, giving rs a constitution that we will all be proud of, or a majority may be reluctant to ratify it when framed.
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