The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-17

believe that it would rebound to tht
 beneht of that institution, and make
 it one of the greatest, the greatest ir
 the South, It would reach a greatnes.
 and elevation that 1t could never reach
 In any other way. You continue iC
 draft on the treasury for little appro-
 priations, and while he says that is
 not nuch-it is not in a certain sense
 but why do it when it is wholly un-
 necessary. My opinion was that they
 had better take the s56,0O0 lying up there. because thirty thousand aces of
 land is still left. It seems they are
 trying to do that and hold onto the lands. Is that good policy. I think tt | against the interest of the taxpayers, | against the interests of the people. and against the interest of the University. and the other course in my mind is better aud by it we will build up an institution that our people will De proud of. and all those who succeed us for one hundred years, and as long as time endures. will grow prouder and | prouder.
 MT. Fitts-Mr. President and gentle men of the Convention. the distinguish ed gentleman who has taken his seat
 l have no doubt. is deeply interested in 1 the University of Alabama, and in the future usefulness of that institution
 but this is business matter that is
 before you. and in the, zen minutes that is allotted me. I shall not go off on side l issues about whether or not that $56, 900 sale was good or bad. l probably
 know more about whether 1t was a good or bad sale than any living man. for was at that time commissioner of | endowment. I shall not discuss wheth- | CT or not this great University should | be made a bond-ridden institution as he | would have YOU believe. I shall not discuss matters that are not before the Convention Those propositions are not before the Convention. That $56.- 900 sale is over. The land is gone, the money is left; I hope it will be well spent. and that the interest on it will do good. On the other hand the prop osition will never be seriously enter | tained in this State of making the Unf | versity of Alabama a bond-ridden cor poration to be weighted down SNith debt l probably to pass into the hands of d receiver. and that its lands and income | held in constant jeopardy. and under | the acts of the court. But the ques- | ton before you is a simple one if you | have time to go into 1t. There is no | candid man, I make the statement without fear of any contradiction. there is no honest man, who can add up fig ures and subtract them, who can take | the history of the University of Ala ! bama. and the history of its dealings | with the State bank. and fail to be | convinced that the State of Alabama | is justly indebted to the University of Alabama in at least the sum of $90e. .000 | I do not care to discuss at any length | the various attempts by which the State of Alabama when conscience | stricken. has endeavored to make a settlement with her child, an institu- l tfon of learning. but l do say that the Board of Trustees of the University of | Alabama. and the friends of the Uni versity have never accepted any one of the acts which have been passed as l any final settlement of the indebted | ness of this State to the University. This State saw fit to pass an act say | ing that she fixed that indebtedness | arbitrarily at $250.000. The University did not accept that, but she kept on knocking at the doors here until this legislature said that it fixed it at $300, 900 and the University did not accept that but she continued to agitate her right and justice in the matter until 1t was raised to $300.00& and the ac: of 1896 was passed here and she con tinued to agitate It. and the House of Representatives here solemnly by a
  ed an act showing that the indebted ness was fixed at two million dollars. and gentlemen. that was about true. These figures can be view ed by different men of different ideas. and you can arrange this indebt- edness anywhere from $900,000 to 2,000 900. and that act, which was passed. fixing it at s2,00o,0O0, was interfered with compromised and adjusted, by | IL. increased $10,000. so as to make 1t $34,- GOO; but the friends of the University and Trustees never agreed to stop the agitation, and until right and justice is given, the agitation will go on until the crack of doom. In regard to the money that was taken out Of the hands of the trustees for the purpose of or ganizing bank. The money of the Uni versity conducted the government of this State for eleven years, and the people went Scott free of all taxation during that time.
 MT. Oates-I would like to ask the gentleman question. Don't you think that this Convention ought to settle permanently the amount due?
 Mir. Fitts-I do, and I say you have put the income of the public schools permanently on solid basis. to grow with the State, so that the public schools will not have to come here and log-roll with every Legislature, and we ask you, on behalf of the Univer- sity to fix the annual income at the sum of $36,O00 so that we, and that great institution, the child of the State. will not have to come to every Legis- lature and ask for its rights; and we say to you, if you will fix the annual income at the pitiful sum or $36 000, which will be less than per cent an- nually, that you justly owe her, that would. with what Congress has done for her, and what her sons by a vol untary contribution, are doing for her, more than sustain her. and she will be able to go on and accomplish the great object for which she was erected, and be able to fulfill the mission of instruc- tion and education which is her just course and career, shedding, as she will, beautiful results and multiplied returns, for anything and everything that you can or will do for her; but say. that after you have done this, you will only have done what an honest man should have done towards d fund that he appropriated. The fact does remain that the State took all her money because she had it in her hands, and erected bank with it, went into a business venture with it, lost all of 1t, and then turned around and said we will settle with you at our own terms. Honorable men have looked at the his