Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-08-20


sions. Section of this article reads as
follows: "Proyisions shall he made by
law for the establishment and mainten
auce of uniform system of public schools,
which shall be open to and sufficient for
the education OF all the children in the
state, and shall be under the absolute
control OF the state, and free from Sec
tartan or church control; and no other or
different shoots shall ever receive any aid
or support from public funds. No sec
tartan tenet, creed or church doctrine
shall be taught in the public schools"
There is large element i'll the popula
ton OF New Mexico which is hostile to
the establishment and maintenance of
public school system of this kind. At
least it favors division of the public
fund and the appropriation OF a part of it
for the maintenance of the class OF schools
favored by this element. The opposition
OF this class of the population may be
sufficient to cause the rejection OF the
constitution.
On the other hand however, nearly the
entire American population is in favor of
the maintenance of American public
schools. To this class must be added a
great many men of Mexican blood who
have tie American idea in regard topopu-
lar education. If these two classes OF
voters stand firmly by the constitution it
will probably be adopted.
But the problem is not 30 simple as this
presentation of it would make it appear
to be- Although it may be true that the
majority of the people of New Mexico are
in favor of the establishment and main
tenance OF an American system of public
schools, the Democrats are out of line in
respect to the proposed constitution as a
whole. They are disposed to oppose the
adoption of the constitution because, with
the exception OF two delegates, they had
no part in framing it. They refused to
enter the contest for the election of dele
gates to the constitutional convention.
They held aloof and the result was that
only two Democrats were elected. If the
Democratic leaders cause the constitution
to be rejected, they will be responsible
for the defeat of statehood; and they
should be held to strict accountability
by the intelligent people of the territory.
Denver Republican.
NEW MEXICO's CONSTITUTION.
The constitutional convention of New
Mexico, which met last fall and framed a
constitution which is to be submitted to
the voters at the ensuing November cleo
ton, will be reconvened at Santa Fe
tomorrow. The object is understood to
be for the purpose of considering certain
Objectionable features of the instrument
and to make it, as far as possible, &C.
ceptable to the people. Among the OBJ
jections urged to it are: l. The appor-
tionment; 2. The restrictions upon
school taxation; 5. The omission from
the bill of rights Of the safeguards thrown
around liberty of speech and freedom of
the press; 4. The power placed in the
hands of the governor to appoint su-
preme court judges. These are among
the main points urged against the consti-
tuition by its opponents.
In the apportionment article the Demo
Gratis claim that they are Disseminated
against-that the legislative and judicial
districts are so gerrymandered as to elect
Republican officers in Democratic coun-
ties, thus giving that party a majority
in the legislative and judicial depart
ments against the will of majority of
the people. The convention which is to
re-assemble tomorrow may overcome
this objection by taking the returns of the
census which has just been made and
making an absolutely just apportion-
ment, regardless of parties, based on the
the population OF different counties as as
certained by the census enumerators.
The educational article seems to be all
right, as it is if the restrictions on school
taxation are made more liberal. Under
the limited taxation it provides, the San
Juan County Index, Republican news
paper published at Aztec, says it would
work virtual prohibition upon the people
of that county in the matter Of building
school houses and maintaining public
schools. Above all things, if the trainers
Of New Mexicos constitution would COM
mend it to popular approval, the most
liberal provision should be made for free
public schools, and it would not be amiss
to require the legislature to enact COM
pulsory school law. No section Of the re-
public needs the American public school
more than New Mexico, schools in which
the English language is taught and the
people given an opportunity to learn
something of the duties and responsible
ties of American citizenship.
The constitution should not omit the
wise provision of the organic laws of other
states for the liberty of speech and the
freedom Of the press. To these two things
is due the great freedom which exists in
America to-day. To attempt to stifle
either is to attempt to sti1e that which
the American citizen holds as among his
inalienable rights.
The appointment OF the justices of the
supreme court by the governor has been