West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-03-07
AMENDMENTS
To the Constitution OF the State, TO be
Voted ON at the next Election.


agreed to by the Legislature. They
came first in the form of resolutions
but the Democrats kicked on them
and they could not get the necessary
two-thirds. Then J. c. Darst, of
Jackson county, and Malcolm lack
son of Kanawha, remodeled them
and by adding an amendment pro-
viding for the registration of voters
lined the Democrats up so that a
two-thirds vote was secured.
Amendment No. is styled the
Secretary of State amendment, and
amends section two, three, four and
seventeen of Article VII, so as to
read as follows
can election for Governor, Sec
rotary of State, State Superintendent
OF Free Schools, Auditor, Treasurer
and Attorney General shall be held
at such times and places as may be
prescribed by law"
The other three sections are
amended to conform with the fore.
going section. The effect of the
amendment is to make the secretary
of state an elective Office.
The next amendment is to be
known as the officers salary amend.
ment and abolishes the fee system.
1t amends section 10 of Article VII
to read as follows
"The officers named in this arti-
Gle shall receive for their services a
salary to be established by law,
which shall not be increased or dim.
inished during their official terms,
and they shall not, after the expir.
alton of the terms of those in office
at the adoption of this amendment,
receive to their own use any fees.
costs, perquisites of Office OF
other compensation, and all fees
that may hereafter be payable by
law for any service performed by
any officer provided for in this arti-
Gle OF the constitution shall be paid
In advance into the state treasury. y
The third Amendment is known
as the Judicial Amendment as i,
provides for five supreme Judges
and makes it possible that they be
given a higher salary than is a,
present paid. 1t amends section
two of Article VIII, so as to read
as follows:
"The Supreme Court of Appeals
shall consist of five judges. Those
judges in Office when this amend.
ment takes effect shall continue in
oflce until their terms shall expire.
and the Legislature shall provide
for the election of an additional
Judge of said court at the next gen
eral election, whose term shall begin
on the first day of January, one
thousand, nine hundred and five.
and the Governor shall as for a
vacancy appoint a judge of said
court to hold Office until the first
day of January, one thousand, nine
hundred and five. The judges of
the Supreme Court of appeals and
or the Circuit Courts shall receive
such salaries as shall be fixed bv
law, for those now in or those here
after to come into Office"
The fourth amendment, known as
the irreducible school fund amend
ment, stops the accumulation of the
irreducible school fund and will
enrich the general school fund. 1t
amends section four of Article XII
so as to read as follows
"The accumulation of the school
fund provided for in section four of
Article XII of the constitution of
this State shall cease upon the
adoption of this amendment. and
all money to the credit of said fund
over one million of dollars together
with the interest on said fund shall
be used for the support of the free
schools of this State. All money
and taxes heretofore payable into
the treasury under the provisions OF
the said section four to the credit of
the school fund, shall hereafter be
paid into the treasury to the credit
OF the general school fund for the
support of the free schools of the
State"
The fifth proposed amendment
known as the county treasurer
amendment, as its name indicates.
creates the Office of county treasur-
er. It amends section one of Aru-
Gle TX so as to read as follows
"Ihe voters of each county shall
elect a sheriff, treasurer, prosecuting
attorney, surveyor Of lands and one
and not more than two assessors.
who shall hold their respective
ofhces for the term Of four years"
The sixth amendment providing
Tor the registration Of voters passed
IN the form Of house joint resolution
No. -. IL amends section four.
Article XII Of the constitution so as
10 read az fo1Iovye