The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-28
Letters to the Editor.
An Objection to Advertising Ala

a
 Montgomery. Ala. Jan. g. Editor The Advertiser.
 mere IS going to be an effort made to induce the present Legislature to appro- an sr exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition. lnis deserves the serious consideration of every citizen.
 We claim to have just entered upon a utW era Tn municipal government and l am sure every thinking man will endorse our motto, Be sure you arc right and then go ahead.
 These exposition exhibits are good ad- people but a great hardship on the ma- Jority or the tax payers of the State. It is very good rule that those who dance must pay the fiddler" If the men who own mineral or timber lands, railroads or town lots want an exhibit to advertise their property let them have it. Fifty thousand dollars may mean very little 10 them. but the hard working majority are opposed to q man to their. money being spent this way.
 Have the several exhibits we have all ready had in the larger cities given us any encouragement? Have they paid? Our exnibit at Buffalo was we'll managed ana was g success so far as 1t went, but nave We seen any results? How much money has 1t brought into our State and how many good citizens have located here on It's account? Could not the money we nave spent on exhibits been better invest ed at home?
 We have within our borders all that a people could ask in the great storehouse or nature. If 1t is ever developed for our pest interest 1t must be done by our own people and not by the disinterested for etgner who cares nothing for Alabama save the dollar he may get out Of her. What is Alabama anyhow? It is not a spot on the map marked by certain boundaries and color, 1t Is the living mass of humanity that tills the soil, moves the faCfOripQ works the mines and car ries on the life and business of, the peo- pie. Then Alabama S money should be used for Alabama and not for Haunting z. lew on dress parade before other States in order to keep pace with them.
 What would we think of a man who has no income except what comes from his children dressing himself in broad- cloth, swinging a Rold-headed cane. and his children are at home crying for bread? That Is the spectacle Alabama presents when she sends her thousands of dollars to make a show at some expo sitlon. Many of her children are actually crying for bread. Has she the moral right to thus use their hard earned taxes?
 What do the tax payers of Alabama want with the proposed club house in St. Louis when three-fourths of the houses in Alabama are under mortgage? It is a farce, mockery, a shame.
 This Legislature is a body of wise, conservative men. Let them be brave enough to stand by their hQSest convic- tions and they will see to it that we have more schools. better roads, just laws that bear alike on rich and poor They will see that the Railroad Commissioners have power to do something besides draw their salary in fixing rates whereby the far mer may be able to ship his produce to market other than cotton. They will see that every white child in Alabama, be- tween the ages of 6 and IS, goes to school at least six months of the year. thereby solving the very serious problem which threatens the actual existence of our State and which may not be easily met in any other way.
 Lack of education is the curse of the mass of our people. Solve this and many obstacles to our development will melt away like mist before the sun. If our funds, then turn 1t loose upon the hills cry son and, daughter, put improved im- plements of labor in their hands, teach each man how to develop what lies at his very door, and the day will not be far distant when every mine will give up it's wealth, every field and forest yield it's abundance, every stream be taxed to it's utmost power. and peace and plenty reign in every home where 1t is now a strug- gle to keep the wolf from the door,
 Alabama has the resources, has the men. has the brains and can get the money. Why is she not on the onward march to unlimited wealth and happiness. Gentlemen of the Legislature, the situa- tion is yours, what will you do with it?
 Alabama, Alabama, let us aye be true to thee" CitiZenu.