The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-13

l towns becomes subjects of taxation
 when frequently 1t is not a subject o
 taxation If 1t Is kept in the pocket be
 tore 1t goes there. We know that the,
 do build churches at such places. W.
 know that they build schools there. w
 know that they become great civilizers
 and great educational centres, and ire
 quently the commercial metropolis oi
 the County. At this age of the world
 it seems to me. when the people them.
 selves are willing to impose this ta,
 on themselves as my friend from
 Washington said, they ought to be al.
 lowed to have the privilege and the op.
 portunity of imposing the taxes, il
 they furnish additional conveniences tc
 the people. Can you conceive of whaI
 Alabamians want for fifty years te come? I understand that in some oi
 these populous counties now. and 1t is
 true in some of our North Aiabams counties. that some of them have
 come to be so large that dozens ant | dozens of men. summoned befor,
 the grand jury. have to lay over ant
 night, because the county Is so big thai
 as a matter of fact they cannot attend
 to the business and can't summon wit
 nesses in a day. New counties are
 needed in those places for the con-
 venience of the people. That is wha,
 they are made for. There is no dues-
 tion of that. Are these unreasonable requests.
 It Is wonderful how anxious we are
 to keep the people from taxing them
 selves. It is said that the county off,
 cers are opposed to it. Why, sirs, >as .
 matter of fact, some of our counties
 have grown so large that the fees of
 the offices of Probate Judge and Sher-
 if in those counties many times null | tiply several times the salary of the l Governor of the State of Alabama. or the Chief Justice of Alabama. We un- derstand that those selfish interests who get large fees out of the offices | that they hold. will suggest to these | men that We do not need new counties. but what about the great body of the | people? These men are already pro-
 vided for. abundantly provided for. and | are we making a Constitution simply I for the office holders of the Stae of AL abama. or are we making a Constitm- l ton for the whole people of the State | Of Alabama.
 | What do you think of it's possibilities l of this State? The State Geologist. in | report to the Governor. says that i Alabama has eleven thousand square l miles of coal. and it reads like fairy I tale. but he says that at the nresent rate of consumption it will last the | world for two hundred and seventy-five years. He says further that the money l for taking that out of the mines, as a
 matter of fact. will be two hundred I times as much as the value of all the 1 property in the State of Alabama. and we have these inexhaustible resources
 and we all want to show what our
 possibilities are in the future. and vet I L tS.,a1l NS,, nnk | masses of the people. but we are huiid- | ing apparently for those who do not want the fees of the offices cut down In large counties. where they are office
 holders now. The committee itself is conservative. and very conservative tn 1 its estimate.
 What are you going to do with these demands for all the future? Are we ta | say that these counties with their present limits are to remain the limits | for the time that thS Constitution is io live? That is the idea of some os the members. As matter of fact | hons that we will not be so short sighted as | that.
 In addition to the coal that we hay"
 mentioned. we have inexhsustih'" mines of iron. and we have the time- stone rock to make the coal and iron | lllIO lHS 'NNN's | have all these resources in Alabama. | and with the hope of the future. we sec before us the gildinge of | coming day. brighter, more prosperous. more hone- full. than all the days that have gone The President-The time of the gen. tlen1an has expired.
 Mr. McMillan (wilcoxl-Like the dis | tinguished gentleman from Hale. I. too. | realize that the primary object Tor which this Convention was called wae to restrict the suffrage. and as far as | possible to eliminate the negro from politics. ..
 MT. Hewell-Will the gentleman aI- low a question? Please tell us why We have been here nearly fifty days and have never come to that question | yet.
 Mir McMillan (Wlicox)-As say. feel tha; was the primary object of our being called together. but when we take into consideration that the Fundamental law that We are now framing for the people, which I be- lieve the people will in their wisdom see fit to ratify, will he our funda- mental law for twenty-five or fifty years. and we must look to the future needs and necessities of our people. I claim that their necessities cannot he better subserved than by reducing the area of the counties. In the Con- stitutlon of 1865 the Convention reduced the minimum area of counties one. third. from 900 to 500 square miles. At that time the population numbered 600. 900. Today, sir. approximately two millions of people live within the con- fines of the great State of Alabama. and twenty-five years from today. at the present rapid rate of progress. there will be approximately four mll- lions of people residing within the bor- ders of the State of Alabama. SnalI We say then with these lights betore us to the independent and rrogres;%ve people, that the same convenienceE which suf:ced twenty-five years ago must suffice for one or two score years to come. With all the lights before us. will this not prove us as narrow, and not in keeping with the spirit ot the age?
 Furthermore, this report docs not say that they shall but only makes such provision possible. With the po~sHolii- ties before the State. and with the great progress we are pushing on to. say that the people should be let alone to settle these matters es they wish.
 Now. MT. President, 1 contend tnht the formation of new counties Will build up school centers. The material interests of the people will go for%aru' and the interests of the people will De better subserved. and I trust that the me mbers of this Convention will grant the reduction.