The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-30

Democratic platform, that there shall be inserted in such Constitution pro- vision limiting the rate of taxation by State, counties and municipalities and that such rate of taxation shall not exceed the rate fixed by the present Constitution but lower rate shall be fixed if practicable. Having these two propositions before us, impelled as we were in the discharge of our duty. we undertook to investigate to see wheth- CT or not these demands of the plat form could be complied with. In our first estimate we wrote down the word certainty. Going over the question carefully it was the conclusion of the Committee that we could safely fix the tax rate at six mills, but in order to allow room for contingencies which seemed to be apprehended by some of the delegates to the Convention, we raised it to six and a half mills, giving the one-half mill to meet whatever con- tingencies might arise. The Committee had no desire in this respect so far as am aware. We did not act hastily. We realized the importance of sustain ing the credit of the State. We re. alized our duty to sustain. the schools and to keep faith with the Confeder- ate soldiers. We took into considera- ton all of these questions and all of these demands upon the Treasury and it was our deliberate conclusion that the tax rate might be fixed at six and a half mills. I would not have any delegate to this Convention to conclude that the Committee takes upon itself the responsibility or any responsibility. What we propose to do and what we have desired to do. is to present to this Convention the data which influenced us in our conclusions. It Is our inten- tion that the responsibility shall rest with you and l am satisfied the dele gate from Mobile who last addressed you has failed to hear the data fur nished by the Chairman of the Com mittee on yesterday or day before yes- terday. and I infer from his remarks that there are many in this Convention because of the noise and disturbance which prevailed at the time failed to understand precisely the data he pre- scented to the Convention. It is our de- sire that you should have the facts before you and that the Convention draw it's own conclusions from those facts. and if they are such as to au- thorize a reduction to six and half mills we think the Convention in duty bound should so place 1t. If in the opinion of the Convention it ought to be seventy, let 1t be so fixed, the re- sponsibility is with you. But at the same time We do know that the undis- puted fact Is that money in the Treas ury induces appropriations. induces ex- travagance.
 Delegates to the Convention, every man here. Is able to pay the taxes im- posed upon him without feeling 1t, but there is a class in this State, the bone and sinew of the State, as 1t were, who need protection, not that they would detract anything from the ap- propriation to schools. not that they would take one cent from the soldiers, not that they would endanger the credit of the State. but if these things can be preserved and still you can tighten the burden. you should do so.
 MT. ONeal-Can I ask the gentle man one question for information?
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-Yes sir.
 MT. O'Neal-I did not have the pleas ure of hearing the remarks of the Chairman of the Committee in refer ence to this proposition and I desire to know whether in the estimate he made you took into consideration the loss in the poll tax which would arise from the adoption of the suffrage re- port. and also the extraordinary ex- pense of registration as provided for in that report? Were those two items NOhSiOCACd lLIC estimate ne ndQeI
 MT. Coleman-I think If the delegate from Lauderdale will hear him when he makes the concluding speech on this matter. you will be able to come to a satisfactory decision on that point. My purpose in rising was to let the Con vention know with what care we were proceeding. that we were for getting nothing of the obligations of the State, nothing of the duty to the schools, nothing of the duty to the sol- diers, but bearing all these things in mind our conclusion was that the Con- vention could very safely reduce the tax rate to six and a half mills. We had also In view the point suggested by the delegate from Henry (Mr Malone) that it would enable more money to go to those sections of the State, to the children in the agricultural districts than could be under the present school plan. I don't think any man who studied this question can fail to per- ceive that there is an opportunity here presented by which those needy classes will be greatly benefited and profited under the arrangement the Committee has made more so than by any plan which has been proposed.
 Mir. Smith (Mobile)-If the sixty-fiye cent rate had been in force this year. would not the expenses have exceeded the collections some $208, ,000?
 MT. Coleman (Green)-It is very true that the Governor called a halt upon the legislature
 MT. Smith (Mobile)-I am not refer ring to that. Your figures slow $5S, 600 more than was expended. What I want to know Is what would have been the result if. instead of seventy-five it had only been sixty-five. Would not that $5S.O0O have been wiped out and deficit beyond, and what would have been the amount of the deficit?
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-There were extraordinary appropriations. but they will not occur any more in the future.
 MT. President. don't feel in justice to myself that I can continue my re- marks.
 MT. Lowe-I ask leave to submit for the information of the Convention communication received by me this morning in reply to an inquiry, from the Governor of the State and another communication received by me in re- sponse to an inquiry from the Auditor and Treasurer. and I ask for their reading.
 The communications were read as fellows:
 Montgomery. June 2s, 1901. Hon. Robert J. Lowe
 My Dear Sir-In answer io your in- quiry, desire to say that in my opin- ion, fixing the tax limit in the Consti- tuition at six and a half mills would be unsafe. l studied the situation du- ring the last session of the General As sembly. and I thought then that the tax rate of seven and a half mills