The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-27
In the Afternoon.

In the Afternoon.
Promptly at 2 o'clock President
Smith again raped to order On mo-
ton Of Sauires the convention went
into committee of the whole. President
Smith looked around Thurman was
not in his seat
Kearns jumped to his feet
Il move to reconsider Mr.. Maloney's
amendment on labor" he said.
President Smiths face grew red and
he looked helplessly toward the cloak
room door.
Wait until we get a chairman" he
said.
He again looked toward the door.
Thurman did not appear.
'Mr.-Mr. James," he said. will
take the chair.
a moment later Thurman walked in.
He glanced up at the presidents desk.
In moment he took in the situation
and smiled amusedly.
James did not look as cool as a De-
cember icicle when he mounted the
platform. He had been called uneX-
pectedly. Nor was he destined to have
an opportunity to gather himself. He
suddenly found himself in the meshes
of a parliamentary tangle which put
to shame anything that happened dur
ing the merriest days of the reign OF
President Smith.
It al came up over section of the
bill II rights. The circus lasted 70
minutes by the clock before the numer-
Gus amendments, substitutes and mo-
tons had been brought into their reg,
ular order and the convention could
find where it was at. During all this
time President Smith. who was sitting
beside the chairman. found 1t neceS-
sary to help him.
Appropriations For Associations.
Eldridge offered substitute designed
to keep any appropriations from &c
clesiastical societies. Evans objected
to such a guarded declaration He said
the Republican fear about bounties
should not stand in the way of shut
ting out sectarian associations or So
cieties.
Votes were taken on substitutes by
Eldredge, Kimball and Van Horn, all
designed to prevent the giving of
moneys. to such associations while at
the same time steering clear of boun-
ties. However,, one after another OF
these was voted down and the COM
mittee came out victorious The sec
ton, as it was adopted, reads:
THE rights of conscience shall never
be infringed. Perfect liberation of re
hgious sentiment is guaranteed. The
state shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting
the free exercise thereif; no religious
test shall be required as a qualification
for any Office or public trust or Tor
any vote at any election; nor shall any
person be incompetent as a witness or
Juror on account of religious belief or
the absence thereof. There shall be no
union of church and state. nor shall
any church dominate the state, or in
terfere with it's functions. No public
money or property shall be appropri-
ated for or applied to any religious
worship, or for the support of any
ecclesiastical establishment NO prop
erty qualification shall ever be re-
quired of any person to vote, or hold
office, except as provided in this con-
stitution.'
No IrrevocabIe Franchises
After a great deal of parliamentary
ouibbling on the part of Varian,
Suuires and the chair, Evans had the
following adopted as section %:
mo law shall ever be passed grant
ing irreVocably any franchise, privilege
or immunity
He said this had been placed in the
document originally by the committee,
but had been objected to by some OF
the Democrats, and therefore had been
stricken out He had since looked into
the subject and had come to the con-
cllsion that there was nothing un-
democratic in the provision. 1t was
well to leave the power to revoke fran
chises in the body that gives them, in
order that those benefited may be con
Erolled.
The committee then voted to report
favorably on the article as passed.
Education and School Lands.
The article on education and school
lands was taken up.
Maeser argued against the PROPOSE
ton making the entire system OF
schools, up to the University, free. He
said il would be well to make the
common schools free. He was willing
to see this; but the rest should be left
to the legislature. The system of free
kindergartens and free high schools
might be found burdensome on the
people. The legislature Should. then.
have power to take some action which
would relieve the burden.
Pierce said he would not have one
grade denied to any pupils. Utah.
right from the first. should show that
it is in favor of free schools He was
willing to give the University the OPP
portunity to make up a lack of funds
by tuition
Equality of EducatiOn.
Lewis said he was unwilling to have
any child of poor parents being placed
at a disadvantage with the child of
rich ones. 1t is the duty of the state,
in its own interests. to take all children
at an early age, and carry them to the
threshold Of the University. This is a
matter of preservation of state insti-
tutions. There can be no doubt that the
interests of the people are best served
by a system which gives every child
an opportunity to make the best use
Of his abilities.
Goodwin said if there is one point
on which the American people have
strong opinions it is the question os
free schools. They will stand no at
tacks on this. All he regretted was
that there would be a charge at the
University.
Economy Desired.
Maeser said he was not attacking
the free school idea No man could
say he was not an enthusiastic advo-
cate of that. But the question was,
could the state afford this increased
burden? Utah is about to become a
state and the people will have heavy
taxes. The legislature should have the
power to say whether this could be
afforded.
Bowdle said he wanted no difference
between the rich boy and the poor boy.
The taxes should give an equal chance
TO all and should take them up to the
University.
Greer objected to the idea on the
ground OF economy. He said the school
tax was already too burdensome, and