The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-27

1dctOrleS In the state CT AlaDdma, anu say that without any reflection upon Mir. Stanford CPike)-That same state nnent has been made on this floor be- fore, and want to state to the gem tleman from Limestone. and to the gen. tleman from Russell. that srss not ia any way connected with the fertilizer factory at Troy, and have never had and do not now own a dollars worth of stock in 1t.
 The President-The gentleman from limestone has the floor, and unless he consents to an interruption
 MT. Pettus--I am very glad to con- sent for the gentleman'S question or privilege, and as I stated, mean no reflection upon him. 1 was simply an- swering the argument in the same manner in which it has been made; that he comes from county that mas a fertilizer factory, and come from one that has an agricultural school, ana do not doubt that his motives are altogether correct, and altogether pure.
 Now, MT. President it seems to me that this tag tax is in the nature or a license tax. We have license taxes, as has been stated by other delegates, upon peddlers, upon sewing machine agents on corporations, and we nave various licenses and privilege taxes or this character, but so far as am in- formed this is the only license tax large part of which is spent for the purpose of seeing that the goods "nicn are licensed to be sold ,are kept Up " a high standard of purity and excel- lence.
 Now as far as the agricultural schools are concerned, criticism Eas been indulged upon those fnstttutlols' but so far as I can gather 1foia the debate MT. President, the critlcsa
 fhn od of the schools and has not gone lo lns merit of the question. These scnoois are comparatiyely new institutions ln inc state of Alabama, and It 's admit ted that they are doing a great Work for the education of the children or this State. They are patronized " nearly all of the counties in the rstase of Alabama, and when they @ in tablished In the respective to"as n which they are situated, those towns ana counties made valuable dcnatlons and concessions in property, anu nioue'' to the State of Alabama, and It cer tainly would be unjust and improper as this time for this Convention or tue people of Alabama to strike uowh stota sn part of the contract and put the eta.e of Alabama in the attltuoe ol ''o'-e an apparent contract.
 Mir Carmichael CCoffee)-1s 1t not fact that the property tnaI h's De ,a given 10 the State is revertible Tn case the State sees fit not to use It, anu !" can be used for local schools!
 MT. Pettus-Such is not my uhuei- standing of the proposition.
 Hrow Mr President. as to the ques- 4ion of who is benefited should tnis tax he reduced. I am informed when if was reduced to 25 cents, that tne farmers and those who bought 1ertit,- gers at retail, did not reap any penens from it. Now, if you reduce 1t. anu anu admitting that the consumer pays lne tax, ana by computation you n \only amounts to cents per saSA' 1 large proportion of which Is nald, as stated by the gentleman from Ialla- dega by the colored tenants ot this state and it is about the only tax thai most of those eolored tenants pay I do not believe, MT. President 1T tns fertilizer is selling at $2 per sack LOW, and you reduce thls tax to wholesale or retail dealer is going to redrce the price per sack to Sl~'O' l beIieve if the tax is reduced, that the manufacturer and dealer Will cohLhAuo to reap the reward as they nave peeh doing. 4- lr?.a |. oo,,. ,o me that this is not the time nor tne .ian If sesms to me whether right or Wrons' we should refer this matter 10 the >GersraI Assembly of Alabama, where 1T oriqinated. and which is the proper forum in which to settle II. l an ..ai,, nTs one of those, MT. President Who 1v.l rn in the general criticism or one ee ee4ete e rraat coordinate branches Of our otatS eo,ent eIe@s It is true that General Hssemhlies. as well as other human m stIt,tions. have laid themselves laple to criticism in the past, and Will oo so ;o the future, and doubt not 'has this distinguished aggregation or hrains talent and patriotism, MSI es sets itself up here in some ,..i4 tte ;t -earns to hedge about ana hInI' 'iiS It sei Assembly,, the Executive ana ISdiciaI Departments, so that none ot vo,o can do any wrong, l douol ltot tLet even this body may hear the Nolce n riticism before it's work IS com oiAtad because the ConVentloh' 'oo' 'S human. and is liable to err. .o ,,A
 NOW, MT. President. It seems sttsr to +hot we should, refer this matter e0 tha eeislature, which is, the forum ol tne n nonle The members of the Gen tne Assembly, come fresh from tne ,a ere, and | think that it IS poQy pol csn be trusted to do right 10 COT snct any wrong that may nave "'Jn dn perpetrated in the past ana ass W re. right in the future, anu nI CnrJ and sponsloas ps to me that a dis !rs. n nf the General Assembly of Alabama is little short or o's'i u'' VI tbe people themselves VIII, the '"H Ntr C'Neal Uauderdale)-WlH 'Ae qantleman permit a questions
 Nr Pettus-Certainly. ~
 Wr O'Neal Qauderdale) tne anaal of this tax made an issue III tle iest canvass for the Cohst'u''oiioi Convention? |. o- ,,ot Fut
 Mr. Pettus-No. sir; it was not .t put na issue Was in the campaign thaI HIod onT this Convention to sit here, ana tSat was that no backward step sh"uIo he made in education in the state ol
 Mir Sanford (Pike)-Wil the gentle man hermit a question.
 Mr Pettus-Certainly.
 Mr samford--l would like to know ,.hot tnformation the gentleman mas u,itb reference to the issues that "tIe ,-,ade in the wire grass section ot thls S+a+e with reference to this matter
 Nr Pettus--I have the general sources of information. The ne"spa- pers of. tle Stae, and nave never seen sd anvthing of that character lntlIndIsu' sn5 if certainly was not in the plat Gnrn of the Democratic party but ID ,be nlatform of the Democratic party Wr President, am: the Democratic or, e,a,ization. was laid down the broad sad cononrehensive plank that no back matters