The Dickinson press., 1889-08-24
OFFICIAL PAPER UFsTARK COUNTY
Saturday. August 24, 1859.
he [ MHstitntion.

t-,. .tti,iutI finally adopted Ivy
"t ..,..nn.l convention IL wees
x.",!,, Is, Oh the whole. in able
=, vYucll, ald ii good constitution. In
a"cil IL matter it is, in the nature of
Things, impossible to suit everybody
ON every point, but. we believe, that
L ;rtlNe opposition to it Will
u".n"ir down tn nothing, before the
~. vi the iilnal vote 10y the people,
"nith Will r.tity it. Various points
were iutlly contested i'm the cunvcM.
l,uI. Extreme views Were presented
and urged; but the extremists ON all
POINTS were uvel-ruled 10y IL conserva.
tive ma jurity. On the matter ofcoun.
" cuurto there Was much earnest dis.
tit>siul. Que party held to the view
that Probate courts should remain
about lis they now are, with jurisdic-
ton only in the matter of the settle
ment of the estates of defendants, the
guardianship OF minors. persons not of
Sound mind etc. Another party fa-
vurel the establishment of county
courts with jurisdiction over ill mat
t,IS low Within the jurisdiction of
Piulrtte courts and, in addition there
IN, criminal jurisdiction in offences be.
'"M tile grade uf felony and in civil
suits WITHIN prescribed limits. That
.u,ttrr Was finally settled by chang.
M the llailie of the Probate court to
Z .iily court and providing that in
c,'''tl.rs with IL population of two
tlo':-afI, "r over, the people. 10y Il
H''i,'. nndS extend the jurisdiction of
such courts To criminal and civil suits
wtliuu the limits Indicated, and until
10 changed, the probate courts should
irnl.ln as hcforc except in mame.
lin %th@-ulatter Of the taxing OF the
property vi Railroad companies. there
WAS much divergence of views. We
think the convention finally reached Il
wise conclusion in not altogether pro-
l.}'l:ig the gross earnings plan of tux
"t.,l! al such property. AS it stands
u" tht pi"lo,,d constitution, the leg
i.i't"it III ~ adopt that plan tn cover
',m r,llclIise, right of way, rolling
-:'"k and all other property actually
'l-tlt III the business of the road, but
~ i Ia cover lands and such other pro-
.~ts held for sale and speculation.
"a " ken the other course would
h. have led to expensive and
..~'t-l " suits, while counties much
-! neei of money 10 pay their obliga-
tInns, would have been compelled to
await the Slow action of the courts.
The Bismarck Tribune says: There
i"e so many good features in the con-
ti"n all of them cannot he dis.
c",se't at one time. BY no means the
least is that section in the article on
revenue and taxation which provides
(, rl.wrd III cultivated land shall
lot ~ taxed at Il higher rate that un.
cultivated land in the same vicinity.
No other constitution in the country
contains a provision of so much bcne-
b t. the farmers. Another novel
feature is the provision that the mon.
eys of the permanent school fund may
he invested in first mortgages on farm
Lands i'll the state. not exceeding in
amount one.third the actual value of
any subdivision on which the same
may be loaned. Thus it will he posi-.
ble for the farmers, having guilt-edge
security to secure money ut Il low rate
OF interest. The constitution is an ad.
mirahle document, m%excelled by the
constitution of amy other state. 1t is
OH the side Of the farmer but not so
radical us to array the corporations
against it or discourage the further
extention of railroads, SO much need.
ed to develop the state. On all sides
the dnrument is strongly endorsed ex.
-cert where individual or community
disappointment outweighs sober judg'
ment and proper consideration of the
material interests of the masses.
STARK COUNTY is coming to the
front, us is illustrated by the nominal
tion nf our county commissioned II, &