People's voice., 1899-12-21
The County High School Contest.

HIGH SCHOOL.
| AN At providing ,uhmission of thu
futCre maintenance OF the Sumner county
school 10 ,he Voters VI sumner cOun
ty, Kansas, at the general election Of 1899.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the stat
of Kansas.
SECTION I. That the board of count1
commissioners of Sumner county, Kan
sas, is hereby authorized, empowered ant
directed to submit to the voters of Sum
ner county, Kansas, at the general elec
ton of 1899, the proposition as to whether
or not the Sumner county high schoo
shall be maintained as provided by chap
ter 1856 Of the session laws of 1897.
SEC. ?. That those desiring to vote in
the affirmative shall vote Eyes" and
those desiring to vote in the negative
shall vote "no."
SEC. 3. If the majority Ct the voters
voting at such election shall vote "no, -
the right, power and authority Of the
board of trustees Of the Sumner county
high school or the board Of cJ4.iy t9a.
missioners of said county 70 ic:g tx,
for the support and maintenalre ih"rro
shall cease to exist, and the said school
shall be discontinued on and after the
first day Of July, A. D. 1900, and the
property and effects Of said school shall
be sold, and the funds derived tlerefrom
be turned into the general revenue fund
Of the county.
SEC. 4. All acts and parts of acts
which are in conflict and inconsistent
with this act are hereby repealed.
SEC. 5. This act shall take effect and
be in force from and after its publication
in the statute books.
Approved January S, 1899.
On Dec. 9TH the board of county com-
missioners met to canvass the vote of the
county. The returns showed total vote
of 1924. Upon the high school PROPOSE
ton eyes" 2Ioo, mo" 264S, 81 defec-
tive ballots. The board was not asked
and did not at this meeting pass upon the
question Of whether the school was sus-
tained or not. They simply announced
the vote.
At special meeting held on Decem-
Der "a, it was argued by those opposed
to the school, that it was the duty of the
commissioners to decide formally wheth-
er the proposition had carried and that
the number of votes cast against the
proposition being greater than those for
it the school was not sustained. They
laid particular stress upon section of the
law. 1t was argued by those in favor of
the school that the commissioners had by
announcing the vote decided the case
and as less than one-half of the votes cast
were against the school it was sustained.
They laid particular stress upon section 5
of the law. After listening all day to the
arguments majority of the commission
ers decided with those against the school,
1t might be remarked here in passing,
that this decision expressed not the wish
or the preference of the members thus
deciding but their Judgment of what was
their duty in view of the facts presented.
Commissioned Lockman is personally in
favor of the school and wishes that it may
be finally sustained; but thinks that the
returns show that it is defeated.
The 81 defective ballots can in no way
be considered by the court. 20 days is
the limit allowed for filing a contest,
and none has been filed.
A mass meeting of citizens of Yelling
ton was held Tuesday evening and conf
mittee was appointed to raise funds and
to cooperate with the high school trustees
and if possible get the whole question be-
fore the supreme court at the January
term. Mandamus proceedings to compel
the county commissioners to reverse their
decision and make the levy for its sup
port is the method decided upon by the
friends of the school. Action must be be-
gun by the county attorney. The money
to be raised by the citizens of Wellington
is for paying for attorneys to assist him,
and other necessary expense. Should
the case be taken up at the January term
of tie supreme court as seems probable,
the final decision will soon be reached.
municipal Socialism"
H. NJ. Beardsley read paper at the
meeting Of the Kansas City Dor nroon:o