The age-herald., 1901-08-03

against the BoerS in Lord kltcn9lel 5 iS- port, MT. Kruger declares that the atro- cities of the concentration camps were twenty times worse than hal been statei by Miss Hobhouse in Great Britain and that, when fully known, they would cause the world to shudder with horror ard move the nations to intervene.
 I've are defending our lsbersy continu- ed MT. Kruger, land when 1t Is granted we will lay down our arms. Grea- Brit ain knows our conditions. IL is rot for me to repeat them. We will never re- nounce our flag and we cannot accept any protectrate. I am convinced hat the hour will come when Great Britain will grant what Is our right Moreover, I am con
  Black Belt. This caused much laughter.
 The section as reported was then adopted.
 Poll lax Provision.
 The committee then reported the tolio"- ing substitute for section lS:
 Section 1S-The poll tax mentioned III this article shall be one dollar and hfty cents upon each male inhabitant of the State over the age of 21 years, and under the age of 60 years who would not nc" be exempt by law; provided that those reaching 45 years before 1905 snail not De required to pay poll tax. Such poll tax shall become due and payable on the hrst day of October in each year, and become delinouent on the first day of the next succeeding February, but no legal process nor any fee or commission shall be allow ed for the collection thereof. The tax COT lector shall make returns of poll tax col lections separate from other coliecuons.
 Mr. Fitts of Tuscaloosa spoke against the change of the poll tax age from 40 wears to 60 years He said 1t would cost the constitution many votes as there were thousands of men in the State not quite 45 years old who would thus be registered to pay poll taxes for fifteen years longer, It. was an additional tax and was m violation of the Democratic platform. It was useless to say the payment was mace e voluntarily, for 1t was the highest kind of tax-tax,ns the right to vote. He of- fered as a substitute the section as origi- nally reported.
 Discussing the Question.
 MT. Rogers of Sumter said the poll tax was not an increase of taxation, as it re- mained at $1.50. It was a voluntary tax and therefore a reduction of taxes That he believed the people were willing to contribute S1 50 towards their schools, and if they were not, they ought not to vote
 We had heard enough of the barefoot ed boy and his barefooted father. The boy who wore shoes had some rlgnts, also the man who wore shoes. People who talk here so much about the poor people have a wrong idea of their patriot ism These people can be approached reasonably on any subject If you come down out of the clouds of eloquenoe.
 MT O'Neal of Lauderdale favored the idea of extending the poll tax age limit. We all know, he said, that iliiteracy among the negroes Is decreasing. and uh- less some additional safeguard Is thrown around the suffrage the black belt will he under the control of the negroes if there are fair elections. The adoption of this amendment will decrease the danger of negro rule in Alabama
 Mir Sanford of Pike said he opposed both the report of the committee and the substitute offered by MT. Fitts. The committee's plan was wrong, both In principle and practice. The only reason that the committee could give for charg- ing a man 43 years old a poll tax and not charging a man 45 years of age was be- cause one happened to be born two years before the other. He favored extending the age limit for an to 60 years. In his section where they cultivated the poorest lands in the State, every man was willing to pay $150 towards the public schools.
 MT. Reese of Dallas saic nc f heard it stated that the white counties did not care whether the black belt fell under negro rule or not, but that he did not believe 1t. He thought the people of the white counties were more patriotic He strongly favored the poll tax feature, and said In the black belt 1t would disfran- cfise ten negroes to one white man.
 MT. Pitts of Dallas said that he favored extending the poll tax age to 50, but that he was willing to the compromise which exempted those 45 years of age at the time the constitution was adopted from this provision. The white counties and the Black Belt had both made concessions
 Not .eeping the Pledge.
 Mr. Browne of Talladega said that in the hill country these were many poor white people That increasing the poll tax age limit was increasing the amount of taxa tion and was not keeping the Democratic pledge. If it was right to exempt those now 45 years old why not exempt those under 45? He favored leaving the ques- tion to the Legislature.
 MT. Smith of Mobile said that in all this discussion the State had been divided into the two sections of the Black Belt and the hill counties, and nothing had been said as to other sections of the State. His county was in neither class. The experi- ence of both sections after the new plan was in operation would probably be like that of Mobile, where the negroes did not hold the balance of power nor did they outnumber the whites. He believed in making the payment of the poll tax com pulsory instead of voluntary. If compul- sorry, business men would pay it along with other liabiliaes, but If voluntary many of them would not care enough about voting to pay it.
 MT Stewart of Perry spoke In favor of extending the poll tax age to 60 years, saying 1t was necessary for the protection of the Black Belt.
 MT. Bulger of Tallapoosa said he favored the substitute of the committee for two reasons, one that 1t would have a tendency to disfranchise the negro and the skher that 1t would increase the school fund
 MT. Long of Walker asked Mir. Buiger if he was not over 45 and therefore unaffect- ed by the section. MT. Bulger replied that he was just thirty. Laughter)
 MT Long of Walker said he was the last man to oppose anything wanted by the Black Belt. He had lost his heart to girl of the Black Belt (his wifeb and that was one of the losses of life he had