The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-16

regret, MT. Rogers of Sumter. He and were thoroughly asfsed upon one spe- cial subject. 1 do not discuss the mat ter of race, Mir. President. My friend who has just concluded, said something about class, and that we might manu- facture classes and make the same dis tinction and our action would be uncon- stitutional. The negro Is class. and was made so by the Great Author of his being. It is not a work of human manufacture. He is of an inerior race and he knows 1t and feels 1t, and the distinction between himself and the white man is as wide as the world and is as high as the stars of heaven; so we need not run estray upon the subject of classes in talking about a division of taxes or of anything else with ref erence to the negro. But l propose chiefly, in a very plain way, to speak about the feature of taxation that Is before us. l have no finished oration to entertain gentlemen with, but l will try to be very practical and plain in what I say, in the hope that I may suggest some consideration to gentle men who are more fond of debate than am.
 The trouble comes up in Section F report of the majority. They differ very little in this special feature of taxation. except that the report of the minority committee goes more into de- tail. The majority section provides for action by counties. The minority section by school districts, and they both have a very innocent and harm less appearance, when they call these steps a method of securing additional contribution for school purposes. If you will attend me, you will see that there is nothing in the shape of con- tribution about it, but it is a compul sory movement from which you cannot escape, provided the requisite majority | is against you. A few words on the question of taxes in the minority re- port
 For the purpose of building, enlargA ing, improving or furnishing school houses in any district or for the pur- pose of supplementing the general school fund received from Federal, State. County, municipal and other sources. the Court of County Commis- sioners. or body of like Jurisdiction shall. as hereafter provided, levy a special assessment" not ask you for 1 your contribution. "of not more than | one e-fourth of one per centum in any one year upon the property of a white person situated in white district or upon the property of colored persons situated in a colored district; provided, no such levy shall be made except up- on the request of three-fifths of the | voters voting at any election held for that purpose and residing in the dis | trict At such election in a white school district only qualified white aelectors shall be permitted to vote. and 1 in colored school districts. only quail | fled colored electors shall be permitted to vote. It shall be the duty of the | T,,1r t1 0r1n rot | in any district upon the petition of not less than one fourth of the voters who will be entitled to vote at such cleo | tion."
 Now there you have 1t. one-fourth of the voters. So. according to the plans of our friends here. oue-fourth of the white voters in a white school district. upon a petition so the Judge of Pro | bate Court can secure an election. An election for what? To determine the levy of an additional tax for the ben eft of the schools. Can't you read be- tween the lines and see who will com pose that one fourth in making the pc @A.Hon to the Judge of Probate? Don't | SNI know it will be the non- taxpayer! Then if it is voted for by three | fourths majority when the election
 comes on, why the additional taxation is fastened upon you. It is well said that
 this is a new thing in the State oi | Alabama. It is not only new, but II
 is enormous. One-fourth of the non- ax-payers-because they will be the ' men to petition-will file their petition
 with the Judge of the Probate Court who will order an election, and Wher
 the election comes on, if the proposition
 for an additional tax is supported bV a
 three fifths majority then the tax IS levied. Gentlemen, so far as l am able
 to see this gets up contest in tht
 county between the non"tax-payer anc
 the taxpayer. because the non-tax-
 payer is the man that has all the in'
 terest in it; the non-tax-payer IS tnt
 man who don't support the schools, noi
 any of the other burdens of the gov
 ernment unless it Is ip the militia o'
 when he has to work the road or some
 thing of that kind. It is the taxpayer
 that hears the money burden. and II
 that way holds the support or the
 State upon his shoulder. and the tax
 payer is cited to come up at the behes
 of one fourth of the qualified voter:
 of the county to an election.
 To do him any good? To beneht Als
 children, give them enlarged privileges
 of an education. Why, gentlemen. th'
 taxpayer has already done that. H'
 has borne all the burdens of the gov
 ernment in the shape of taxation tol
 schools and everything else and he l'
 the only man that can do it. So 1t #
 not intended for his benefit. but 1t is
 intended to be a compulsory move
 ment provided there be the requisite
 majority against him. The matter
 looks very innocent and very harm
 less when you read 1t casually. ou
 look at the facts and see the meaning
 that lies under the surface. They vii
 call that election. If there be a ma
 ioritv of non-tax-payeres there, they
 will vote the additional tax amounting
 to ten cents on the hundred dollars
 Well. gentlemen. taxation is not very
 easy thing to bear. I happen to ilV'
 in an agricultural section of your stat
 where we have not the channel o
 nrosperity so active in the mineral re
 eions. We have nothing but the cot
 ton out of which we can make our rev
 enue and that is paid once year h'
 interchanges of money do not Vlslt u , as they do in the mineral regions. B!
 inc help of advanced prices for cotto' last wear we forged through the weish . of a large portion of our indebtedness
 nnd became reasonably independen and began to improve the farming sit vation and to meet all the duties an ohligations of citizenship and we ar
 not prepared in the shape or our con
 sent to come up to contribution forced upon us by those who pay nom of the taxes of the government.
 The Presidert--The time or the zen
 tleman has expired.
 | aE-xyl ~ V1Nn