Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1901-08-21
Up to Voters.

papers of this state to. continue
their attempted deception in re.
gard to the misappllcation of the
entire school fund, amounting te
q, ,393, ,839. The question is now
mp in the form of a proposed
amendment to the constitution
which will be passed upon by vot.
ers at the election of November
1902. The proposed amendment
was framed by the present Iegisla-
ture at its session early this year,
was approved March Is last, and
lis printed in the session acts, 1901,
Eon' pages 26l and 262. In order
that this remarkable amendment
may be studied by the people, who
must decide at the polls whether
it shall be accepted or rejected, it
lis given in full from the official
record:
Senate joint and concurrent reso-
luton submitting to the qualified
voters of Missouri an amendment
to the constitution thereof to de-
fine the status of the state certiG-
Gates of Indebtedness now on de-
posit in the state treasury and held
in trust for the public school
fund.- and the ''seminary fund.-; to
extend and perpetuate the same;
to provide for the payment of the
interest thereon, and to provide
for the future investment of school
and seminary funds.
Be it resolved by the senate, tie
house Of representatives, concur
ring therein, as follows:
That Mt the general election to be
to be held on the Tuesday next fol-
lowing the first Monday in Noven-
Der, 1902, the following amend
mept to the constitution of Mis-
!souri shall be submitted to the quail
fed voters of said state, to-wit :
That article of the constitution of
the state Of Missouri be amended
by adding thereto a new section,
to be known as section 26, as fol-
lows:
Section 26. All certificates of in
debtedncss of the state to the
''public school fund" and to the
''seminary fund" are hereby COZ
firmed as sacred obligations of the
state to said funds, and they shall
be renewed as they mature for such
period of time and at such rate of
interest as may be provided for by
law. The general assembly shall
have the power to provide by law
for the issuing certificates to the
public school fund and the semi
nary fund rs the money belonging
to said funds accumulates in the
state treasury: Provided, that af-
ter the outstanaing bonded indebt-
etiness has been extingnished, all
money accommodating in the state
treasury for sbove-named purposes
shall be invested in registered coun>
ty, municipal or school district
bonds of this state of not less than
par value. Whenevcr the state
bonded debt is extinguished or a
sum sufficient therefor has been re-
cieved there shall be levied aud
collected in lieu of the 10 cents on
the hundred tloIlars' valuation now
provided for by the statutes, an
annual tax not to exceed 3 cents on
the one hundred valuation to pay
the sccruing interest on all the
certificates of indebtedness, the
proceeds of which tax shall be
paid into the state treasury and ap-
propriated and paid out for the
specific purposes herein mention
ed.
In the FIRST sentence of the above
proposed amendment its object is
stated to- te ito define the status''
of the certificates of debt which
now represent the school fund.
The present legislature, Demo
cratic in both branches by q large
majority, admits that the certi6-
Gates of debt ueed u defined status,
and the legislature therefore calls
upon the voters to fix the status by
amending the constitution. A
Democratic governor has approved
this view Of tho ease. The ques-