The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-07

ting into the Constitution these min, agricultural schools throughout tn, State. because when they look at i fairly they are bound to admit thu proposition that there never has beer school done away with in Alabams that has ever been established, and trust to God that 1t never will be thu case.
 Now. MT. President, my principa object in this matter was a reduction of the tag tax upon fertilizer, but Il 1t takes the combination resolution al offered by the gentleman from Monroe to get 1t, then I am ready to accept that. stated here in my former speeches that If I should be a mem Der of the legislature would not vote to do away with the agricultura schools. I said 1t here that would not vote to do away with the agricul- tural schools if I were in the General Assembly and that being the case. and knowing that these agricultural schools will remain fixtures in the State ot Alabama I do not see the necessity o1 failing to support a good measure be- cause there is another question in- volved in 1t. It says that the legisla- ture shall provide for the maintenance of the schools out of the general fund The effect of that would be to keeI the General Assembly from taking any of the public school money to main tain them. and 1t would force the Gen. eral Assembly to maintain them ou' of the general fund of the State, where they must be paid for If tsey are had at all. but there is nothing In there that l see that requires the legislature to appropriate any specific amount.
 MT. Coleman of Greene, was recog- nized. and yielded to MT. Espy.
 MT. Cunningham sought recognition.
 Mir. Espy-I desire to have this amendment read before the gentleman makes his remarks.
 The amendment was read as follows:
 Amend the resolution by striking therefrom the following words: re- solved further. that the General As- sembly at the same lime shall pro- vide for the support of the various ag- ricultural schools of this State out of the general funds of this State.
 MT. Cunningham-That was the amendment I wanted to offer.
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-I would like for the resolution. before the Conven- ton to be read. The resolution was read as follows:
 Resolved by the people of Alabama in Convention assembled. that the next General Assembly of Alabama shall re- duce the tax on fertilizers to ten cents per ton.
 Resolved. further, that the General Assembly at the same time, shall pro- vide for the support of the various az ricultural schools in the State out oi the general funds of the State.
 C1ln (Groanal-I call fnr A reading of that, in order that the at- tention of the delegate might be spe- officially directed to the second para graph of the resolution. There Is distinct recognition of the fact that these agricultural schools are to be- come constitutional schools. It has been stated time and again by the speakers. but I thought that perhaps some of them had overlooked the ex- pressed terms of the resolution. NOW have had nothing to say upon the tag question even when 1t was up be- fore. because I thought 1t was purely legislative provisions. It is no argu- fnent as adduced by the gentleman who last addressed you that because this Convention has time and again adopted legislative provisions. there fore 1t should continue to do so when there Is no necessity for 1t. one wrong never justifies another wrong. and If fine Convention has gone too far, 1t seems to me that 1t is time to call halt. The effect of the adoption or this resolution is merely to limit all agri- cultural schools to their present mum" Der. Now if you know how they ara situated in this State. some of them being in the extreme limits of the con- gressionaI districts, as illustrated by the district in which I live. The one established in the county of the gen. tleman from Marion (Mr. Pearce) and though that is a large congressional district there Is no other school or that character established there Is none in Hale. Am I correct in that!
 MT. deGraffenreid-Yes.y you are cor rect.
 MT. Coleman-Now. whether the pol icy of the legislature is right or not Is a question that ought to be solved by future contingencies and circum- stances. We ought not to adopt any resolution here which will limit the legislature in the establishment Of these agricultural schools If they should prove a success. but the legis- lature will not venture to establish these schools if they are to be pre-" served by an appropriation from the general fund. We cannot expect 1t. Now. it Is not such a hardship upon the farmer to have agricultural schools established and maintained by tax that Is imposed upon fertilizers which are used by them. But, MT. President, if 1t is not considered out of order, and is not too much of a personal charac- ter. I should like to state to this Con- vention some facts relative to dealers in fertilizers I dislike to refer to any personal transactions. but 1t seems to me It at this time It will not be alto gether out of place. During the last season I was so situated that 1t be- came to my interest to sell largely or to be interested in selling largely or fertilizer. We corresponded with ev- cry manufacturing company In the South, in Louisiana. Mississippi, Geor- gia. Tennessee and South Carolina We had the agents to meet us at Eutaw' where live. one at a time, once or twice there were two or three there. and they all fixed absolutely price upon all characters of fertilizers. ana even upon the freights to be paid. They went so far in their agreement as to charge an additional rate Of for ty cents a ton whenever 1t was deliV- cred at any landing upon the river. l mention this to show you low complete the organization is.