The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-01-30
OUR HELENA LETTER.
Debate on the Article on Eduoa-
ton.
The Woman's euffrage Provision
Stricken Out.

q Stricken Out.
y HELENA, Jan. q.
Special Correspondence Of the MINER.
a The debate in Conventio q tod,
in committee of the whole, on &c
eral File No. 4, the article on Ed
l cation, showed a disposition on Il
: part of the members to provide +
an efficient school system for Il
future State, and to derive the grea
= est revenue possible from the scho
: lands, (sectlons 16 and 81 of eve
township.) The article starts o.
with the following declaration:
, Section l. Believing that the st
bility and success of a republican for
of government depend largely upo
the general diffusion of knowledg'
and that universal suffrage demand
for lis safe and proper exercise I'm
versal intelligence. it shall be th
duty of the Legislature Of Montan
to establish and maintain a genera
uniform and thorough system 9
public free common schools.
To provide for q borough syster
of education, the article declares thu
the school fund of the State sbal
consist of the proceeds of toe schon
lands, of all other grants of land, o
money made to the State by th,
General Government for educationa
purposes, and of lands acquired b!
gift or grants from any person o
corporation; land uchsch00l fund.-
| it is provided, ''shall forever remain
inyiolate, guaranteed by the Stat,
| against loss or destruction" TIT
control and disposition of these lands
| are vested in u Board of Land Com
missioners, whose duty it Is to ap-
! praise them and sell the same at
public auction to the highest bidder,
providing that the price obtained ja
above the appraised value.
To the last clause, MI. Stephens,
Of Missoula, offered the following
amendment: "Providing that the
disposal of such school lands shall be
limited to acquisition and pnr-
chase by actual settlers. In tracts not
exceeding 100 acres, at a maximum
rate Of $3.50 per acre; provided that
such limitation ~ to price shall not
apply to any school lands within
two miles of any town or city.
The gentleman said he was In "a.
vor of getting all that was possible
out Of the school fund. be did not
want to sec it fritted away, but he
wished to parcel the land out to small
purchasers. This had been the rule
Of the United States, until we began
to build transcontinental railroads.
which led to aprodigal di-posal OF the
domain until the country Is
now afflicted with the worst evils
VI land monopoly But Congress
now shows a disposition to revert to
it's former method, and IL discussing
the subject of dispensing OF what land
remains to actual settlers. The sale
II public school lands in the States
n parcels of 1870 acres each for actual
,ettlement, was more conducive to
he public interest than to sell large
racts to SPECTATORS and monopoltsts
It even = higher price. 1t furnished
homes to. mel whose Industry
build up the State. The uni
orm price fixed by the Government
vas SLIPS per acre, in some cases less
han the land was worth, but the
,Olicv was q heneticent one, and so
ar as it has been adhered to, has
we'll. His main Object was
, exclude Eastern SPECTATORS and
md mOnOpolists from Europe from
up a landed aristocracy In
ur midst; q free and industrious
secured to the soil was OF
lore lasting good than a few more
derived from it's sale.
Mr., Cooper said the amendment
,as in the interest of those who are
oinq on to the school lands, some
: which are worth from $40 to
100 per acre. The valleys and farm
~ districts in Montana are so linn.
e I that the proceeds from the sale ,
school sections in such locations
Guild he Insignificant.
Mr.. Clark sustained this view, and ,
it would be unwise to en- /
lmber the constitution with restric- :
Dns az tn price. Our timber lands, !
lr tillable lands aud our grazing I
nds would bring a higher price;
hat remained would be of trifing :
Ilue. II
lr. Hedges was also opposed to any I
strictiHn as to price. In the Neb- t
ska constitution q provision is in =
rted setting the price of school /
nds at 81 per acre. We want all t
at Is possible tn be derived from our !,
hool lands, and there is such a wide t
versity in their value that it would n
It be wise 10 fix either n maximum \
a minimum price. His minimum
,uld be higher than thegentleman's
aximum. r
Mr.. Stephens amendment was re-
ted.
Sec. 8. in the article giving women
3 right to vote at school elections 8,
IS stricken out by unanimous Con-
1t, and the following substitute of.
ed: 1.-THE public school system :,
AL luCluuc PRIMARY duU SIAluNuaC
FOOLS, and such high schools, nor "
j schools aud technical Schools as b,
" be established by the Legislature 8,
by municipal or district authority; ~
/ tine entire revenue derived from
state school fund and the state sc
lool tax, shall be applied exclusive I'll
to the support of primary and 90
Lmmar schOOls.V DC
his was opposed by Mr.. Burleigh "
the ground that it would leave d.
hing for higher school purposes. a,
fr. Collins proposed to amend by ~,
king out the words Estate school r
which motion was supported "
Mr. Pemberton in q stirring
ech. MI. Collins amendment was re-
'pted and the substitute thus mod. X,
d took the place Of the woman suf- "
ye provision. In
he State University provided for M
he article, and the board of re- til
ts to manage and control the 81
,e, were discussed at some length; ~.
the matter vas finally adjusted to IL
satisfaction of the Constitution, to
NJ A.On o1o1o,I~ - ~Ai.~o 49,