Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-01-18
TWO CENTS
FOUR AMENDMENTS.
State Constitution to be Tink-
cred.

1 G0+
That Is II will be Changed II the Voters
so Desire Some Of the Places
which are Thought TO be Defective In
the Instrument = Amendments In
Brief
-Four constitutional amendments
were submitted to the voters of West
Virginia by the late Legislature, aud
the voters will either reject or adopt
them ut the election next fall. Any
onewhich receives majority of the
ballots at the November election, will
become part Of the organic law OF the
state. Ii is claimed by many able
men, that their adoption will do away
with the necessity Of holding consti-
tutional convention, Ii any such neces-
sity EXISTS, which is largely disputed.
The first proposed amendment pro-
vldes for the election of Secretary
OF State at the time of the election OF
the Governor and other State officers,
his term of Office to be four years.
Under the constitution as it now Is
the Secretary Of State is appointed by
the Governor.
The second is as follows.
1.-The officers named in this article
governor, secretary OF State, state
superintendent Of free schools, audi
tor, treasurer and attorney generaD
shall receive for their services salary
TO be established by law, which shall
not be increased or diminished during
their official terms, and they shall
not, after the expiration of the terms
OF those In Office at the adoption of
this amendment, receive TO .helr own
use any fees, costs, perquisities of
Office or other compensation, and all
fees that may hereafter be payable by
law for any service performed by any
officer, provided Tor In this article Of
the constitution, shall be paid in adj
vance into the State treasury.
There has been great deal of COM
plant for many years about the large
fees said 20 have been received by the
Secretary Of State and Auditor, but If
this amendment carries the salary of
all State officers Will be established by
law, aud ali fees received by them Will
be paid into the State treasury.
The third proposed amendment
reads as follows:
The Supreme Court uf Appeals
shall consist Of five judges. Those
Judges IN office when this amendment
takes effect shall continue la Office
until their terms shall expire, and the
legislature shall provide for the elee-
ton OF an additional Judge OF said
court at the next general election,
whose term shall begin on the first
day or January, one Thousand niue
hundred and five, and the Governor
shall, as for vacancy, appoiut
Judge ct said court TO hold Office until
The first day Of January, one Thousand
nine hundred and five. The judges
u the Supreme Court of Appeals and
IF the Circuit Courts shall receive
such salaries as shall be fixed by law,
'or those now In or those hereafter TO
come into office. .
The fourth proposed amendment is
~ follows:
''The accumulation Of the school
'und provided for in section four OF
article twelve, of the constitution OF
his State, shall cease upon the adop-
ion OF this amendment, and all
money TO the credit oil said fund over
me million of dollars, together with
he interest on said fund, shall be
Used for the support OF the free
chools Of this State. All money and
axes heretofore payable into the
reasury, under the provisions OF the
aid section four, to the credit OF the
chool fund, shall hereafter be paid
nto the treasury to the credit of the
eneral school fund, for the support
4 the free schools Of the State
In other words this amendment
rovides that this irreducible school
und shall not exceed one million of
ollars, with its interest, but the bal
nee of the money paid to the State
y way OF school taxes, shall be used
or present necessities in support OF
he free schools OF the State.