The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-02

State. when property has been allowed | to vote or when a man has been al l lowed to vote in proportion to his hold ings of property?
 been listening he would have heard my remarks a few minutes ago. when said in Louisiana they have pro | vision that before this tax Is levied | MT. Lowe Gefferson)-I heard the gentlemans remarks as to the Lotus | iana special tax, but ask the gentle | man if he has ever known where a l man has been allowed to number his votes according to the amount Of prop | erty he owns, in any Southern Slater MT, Browne-In Louisiana they do 1t, when it Is voting tax upon the prop erty. a voluntary tax, or a voluntary contribution, through governmental agencies, for schools.
 MT. Lowe (Jefferson)-May ask the gentleman another question? MT. Browne-Yes.
 MT. Lowe Jefferson)-In reference to this section, l understand you desire to make an explanation of this section. MT. Browne-That is what was un- dertaking to do.
 MT. Lowe (Jefferson)-In connection with the amendment I would like to ask another question. This section, as I understand it. provides that before q special school tax can be levied in a county, it must be submitted to all the qualified voters of the County. does it not?
 MT. Browne-Who are the property | tax payers.
 MT. lowe-Now. for instance, in Jeff ferson County, before the tax could be levied for a school fund for Jefferson County, he voters in the city of Bir- mingham and Bessemer, in Pratt City, in Woodlawn. and In the other special school districts there. would be requir- ed to vote upon that question, would they not?
 MT. Browne-I should think so, yes. MT. Lowe Uefferson)-I ask the gen. tleman another question. Is that all the hope you hold out to the country people for a special school fund under this special tax? lt there Is anything else in 1t. I would like to have the suggestion?
 MT. Browne-The gentleman must have been reading the editorials upon this Tax Committee in The Age Herald for the last two weeks
 MT. Lowe Jefferson)-I am reading the report of the Committee now, to have not read.
 Mir. Browne-In this pro- vision we are still holding
 steadfastly to the pledges we have
 made to the people that we would not | increase the taxes. This provision Is to the effect that the county can vote any tax that may be authorized by law, provided 1t shall not go beyond the present constitutional limitation Now
 as we have lowered the tax rate from
 seventy-five to sixty-five. the county
 can only take one mill, or ten cents on
 the hundred dollars. Should the Legis-
 lature in the future. as l confidently | think they will. see they can get along
 with less than sixty-five. and take only
 sixty, the county can levy fifteen for
 school purposes, which would be in addition to what they now receive. l In answer to the gentleman's sug | gestion, if this is all we can do for these little children. ] want to say to
 him. and to other gentlemen who have l paraded the bayeffooted children be-
 fore this body. that they are not the
 only persons whose hearts are touched
 by the glad songs the litthe children
 sing. It is q islander upon the fair name
 of Alabama to say that this State is | doing less for the school children than any other State. We have before us frequently discussions in the newspa- pers, and they say look what Georgia
 is doing for her school children, and | then look what pitiful little sum AL | abama gives? l tell you Alabama gives | more to the schools than does Georgia
 in proportion to the taxable value of all l the property. I have corresponded with
 every Superintendent of Education in
 the United States, and with very rare
 exceptions Alabama Is doing as mEch
 for the schools. according to her tax I II kAAv- Gkak frnf fh1
 Union. We well know that under the
 present system that has been defended
 upon this floor. and has been defended
 in the lobby that we are engaged in
 the farcical performance of taking
 money from the people, taking out a
 big swipe, and sending back from
 eighty to eighty-tivA per cent of 1t.
 and forcing them ta divide it with a
 non-tax paying race, when they do not
 use it for education. There is no use tc
 mince words. There are counties in the
 state of Alabama that get large sums
 of money from the general fund, that
 do not spend 1t for schools. When they
 have deducted for the colored children,
 the white people, and they do divide it,
 They do not pay it to the schools, but
 those white people send their children
 off to schools. Now that has been con-
 demned in some portions of the State
 but that is all wrong. That is not de-
 serving of condemnation. It is the 6ys.
 tenn that is at fault. If you take from
 Lowndes county thousands upon thou
 sands of dollars. and then give 1t back
 to her for school purposes, and she doet
 not need it, there Is no reason why we
 ought to keep 1t and not return 1t
 We pay that money out per capita, be.
 cause it is paid by them. Under tho
 present system, the State of Alabama
 ought never to give one other dollar
 from her general fund to the schools
 but they should leave 1t in the counties
 to be appropriated eupqitably among the schools in their own counties.
 The hour of five having arrived, the
 Convention adjourned until tomorrow morning.