The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-03

intendents was just aud good and should be CON
tinued He considered the township trustees
representative men of fair intelligence, and was
not IN accord with the statement that they are
NOT educated men. He did NOT wish to cast any
reflection on the electors OF the State in his adj
vOcacy OF the present mode OF electing county
superintendents Should this question be made
"A political matter, and the nomination of county
superiHtendents be left TO political convention,
he feared that the nominee would as often be se-
| lected because of the geographical position he
represented as because of his fitness for the
plaoa TO be filled. few years age he had been aa
opposer OF the system that he now favored lt.
MIR. MelletJ desired that the amendment
should not prevail He would hate to see any
thing done by this General Assembly that would
weaken or in any way destroy the effectiveness of
the county superintendent system; hnt he be-
lieYed that this being office of the people,
should he filled by the people He not one
OF those men who feared to leave this filing of
any Office in the hands of the people. He did
not consider it political office. and felt that If
1t was placed i'll the hands of tho people 1t would
often be filed better than many OF the offices
are to-day. No office is too pure or too high
to trust in the hands of the people.
Mr.. ShOckney insisted that the people ought to
nave tnls rignt OF selecting county supelntends
ehts, since they mad to bear the expenses OF
the office. He believed that the bill should be
passed and that the amendment should be re-
jected
Mr.. ShiveIy considered the power of a county
SUPERINTENDENT to be almost unlimited and that,
in many respects, the county superintendent
was an autoerat. II is office. in his opinion,
that should be filed by the people. He thought
that the bill should prevail, and That the amend
ment should be rejected
Mr. Sucker could not any reason why the
election of the county superintendent should
nor lie in the bands of the people. are all other
oncers OF the state. He believed the office was
as far IN politics rs t could be If the present bill
should become the law.
The motion 10 strike out was laid on the table
A motion to change the time of election from
November to April, 1884, and motion to re-
commit the bill with the amendments of the
committee to the committee on education, were
lalu on the table.
A motion by Mr. Gordon that no county super
lntendent should he eligible to the office for any
term OF more than four years in any period OF
eight years was agreed TO, by yeas 90, nays 50.
MI JeweJt offered amendment that no
county superintendent should be allowed pay
FOR more than 100 days services in any period
or Twelve months. MI. Jewett thought l2O days
SUFFICIENT for the performance OF the actual SER
vices of any county superintendent in the State
Mr., Shockney stated that under the law as II
now exists aud as the provisions of the present
bill will leave il, the work of the county super
lntendenU could not be performed IN the time al
lowed by the amendment offered by Mr.. Iewett
He believed the work could not be done in less
200 days
Mr.. Heffren did not favor the amendment. He
believed that If the time of a superintendenU was
to be limited the result would he some foolish
fellow would he elected to the office who would
not be competent to I'LL the position, and that
the office would not be accepted bY competent
person. Tacklng on these amendments, he
thought, would eventually kill the bill by making
1t so lnerctul that its friends would vote against
1t. He moved to lay the amendment on the
table.
The motion was agreed to--yeas 50, nays 49,
a motion by MIR. Hanson to limit the time of
service to 100 days Vas laid on the taOle-ye rs
46, nays35.
Mr. Stewart moved that the hiI with all
amendments, he rec0nmitted TO special com
mittee of three, who should Incorporate all
amendments and report the bill so amended back
to the Hnnse not later than Tuesday next.
Mr.. Gibson moved to lay the bill, with all
amendments, on the table,
Pending these motions the House took q re-
cess until o'clock