The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-03-28
AT~TORNEY-GENE NORRIS
REVIEW OF THE REPORT
AND SCHOOL BILL OF SUPER
INTENDENT PEASE.

I shall consider, first, the machinery and
powers which this bill proposes to create,
and then, in the second place, how and by
whom these powers are to be controlled and
exercised. / shall then show the objects
upon which and the designs and purposes
for which it is all intended. And, as Lpro-
coed, shall show, as they occur to me, few
of the many abuses, robberies and outrages
which the Bill, il it should pass, is calcu-
lated to perpetrate upon the State, upon
the school funds and upon all the counties.
and upon all classes of the people of Missis-
sippi.
/. The Bill pretends to provide that all
county superintendents shall hereafter be
elected by the people Gas other county Off
GERS are" 1t says this in so many words !;
(see section g. and yet in the very next sem
fences in the same section, it contradicts all
this, by denying to the people all freedom
of choice, and by depriving every citizen,
who may wish to run for the office, all right
of election to fill it, unless, in addition to his
constitutional qualifications and his consti-
tutional election by the people, he shall also
have ombined in his person ian ire
nroachable moral character and diploma
of a college" &C.; or If he should not pos
sess both these, then he must possess " GER
tificate from the State Superintendent, ON
due examination"
The people of the State will find it difh-
cult to appreciate the compliment which
this bill bestows on them They are allowed
to elect" it is true, but their choice is not
to be guided by their constitution or by
their own judgment. The constitution re-
quires that if county superintendents shall
be elected by the people at all, g they shall
be elected by the people as other county OFF
GERS dre.- But this Bill sets this require
ment of the constitution entirely aside, and
sets up new rule of its own; and by this
new rule, if the people should elect a man
possessing all the constitutional require
ments and qualifications for office, but lack
ing either " an irreproaehable moral charac-
teri or a diplomat he shall not possess
both these-then the State Superintendent,
without consulting any person on earth,
shall have power to set the election aside and
deprive the people of their deliberate choice,
and the officer elect of the Office to which he
has been legally and constitutionaily elect
ed. Even If the act had contained full d.
rections and specific requirements as to
what the g certificate y of the State Superin-
tendent should contain, and how his s'exam-
nation should be conducted, and to what
subjects it should relate, these restrictions on
the voters at the ballot-box, and on the
rights of every citizen to be elected to Office,
are plainly and palpably i'm violation Of the
fundamer al requirements Of the constitu-
ton. But as il is, both the g examination
and this g certificate are LETT entirely to the
option of the State SUPPLEMENTARY pleas
ure, caprice or self-interest, with no check
or limitation on his absolute authority, and
no appeal from any error, mistake or wrong,
which he may intentionally or unintention-
ally commit
And eli this palpablY Unconstitutional