West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-02-20
AMENDMENTS TO
THE CONSTITUTION.
From the NIorsan,own Pos.

W 'N'"'"" '"N iN"NSis oA inc loSt that th'
last Legislature proposed four amendment
10 the constitution of the State to be vote,
On at the regular election to bc held ON th,
9Th day of November next, which amend
ments are designated as follows:
ist. "Seeretary OF State Amendmcnt;'
2ud. estate Oaicer's Salary Amendment;'
Srd. "ludicial Amendment" and attn
"lueduoible School Fund Amendment.
The iirst proposed amendment provide,
for the election of Secretary of State al
the time of the election of the Governor ant
other state officers, his term of office TO b,
four years. Under tho constitution as il /.
nov the Secretary of State is appointed by
the Governor
The second proposed amendment is a,
follows
"The officers named in this article tgover.
nor, secretary of state. state superintendent
| ot free schools, auditor, treasurer and at.
| torney gcncuaD shall receive for their ser.
| vices a salary To he established by law,
! which shall not be increased or diminished
| duting their official terms, and they shall
| not after the expiration of the terms of
| those in office al the adoption of this amend.
mcnt, receive To their own use any fees,
costs, pcrquisites of office OF other compen-
sation, aud all fees that may hereafter be
| payable 10y law for any service performed
| 10y any officer, provided for in this article of
the constitution, shall be paid in advance
| into the State treasury"
! There has been great deal of complaint
for many years about tho large fees said TO
have been received by the Secretary of State
aud Auditor. How much these officers have
received we do not pretend to know, but II
this amendment carries, the salary Of all
State officers will be established by law. and
all fees received by them will he paid into
the State treasury.
The third proposed amendment reads as
follows;
The Supreme Court Of Appeals shall con
sist of five judges. Those Judges in Office
when this amendment takes effect shall con
tinuc iu Office until their terms shall eNpirc
aud the legislature shalt provide Tor the
election of IN additional Judge of said court
az the ncNt general election, whose term
shall begin ON the FIRST day of January, one
thousand nine hundred and five, aud the
Governor shall, as for vacancy, appoint
Judge of said court TO hold Office until the
lirsi day OF January, one thousand nine hun.
dtcd aud five. The Judges of the Supreme
Court of Appeals and of the circuit courts
shall receive such salaries rs shall be fixed
10y law, for those now IN or those hereafter
TO come into Office.
As our readers well know the Supreme
Courl Of Appeals now consists Of four judges
and by this amendment it is proposed to add
an additional Judge. Probably no officers
in the State are so oyerwor,cd as our Sup.
rene Court Judges. There was time when
iour men could do he work, but remember
with the great growth aud developement of
the State the work ~ his Court has in
creased many told, and today it is almost
impossible for the Court TO give each case
appealed TO that body that thought. consid-
Grafton and attention which the gravity of
the case requires. BESIDES there ought TO
be an odd number Of Judges. As it now IS
q q case be appealed from The Circuit Court
OF Monongala county, for Instance, and two
OF ihe judges Of The Supreme Court are in
favor Of sustaining OF affirming The judge
mcnt Of the Circuit Court anl two in favor
Of reversing that judgement Of the Circoit
Court stands. II has happened in this
State that the Identical same question was
appealed from two different Circuit Courts
to the Supreme Court, the judgement of the
two Circuit Courts being different, that Is
opposed TO each other. Court divided two
and two, that Is, two were IN favor Of affirm
ing the judgement Of the lower courts and
iwo were IN favor Of reversing the Judge
meni Of the lower courts. You can readily
see what the result was.
Fourth proposed amendment:
"Ihe accumulation Of the school fund
provided for in section four Of article twelve
OF the constitution Of this State, shall cease
upon the adoption of this amendment, and
all money 90 the credit Of said fund over
one million Of dollars, together with the
interest ON said fund, shall he used for the
support Of the free schools Of this State.
All money and taxes heretofore payable in
10 ihe treasury under the provisions Of the
sad section four, 10 the credit Of The school
innd, shall hereafter b. paid into the treas
ufy 10 The credit of the general school fund,
iof ihc support of The free schools of the
State"
ln other words this amendment provides
that tbs iucduciblc school fund. about
which we have heard so much, shall not ex.
coed one million Of dollars. with its interest,
bat The balance Of the money paid to the
State by way Of school taxes shall be used
for present necessities 10 support Of the free
schools ot ihe State. Why should we go on
Increasing this fund? Why should We lay
away more than a million dollars for the
benefit Of postedty? Why should wc not
use This surplus now and build up ,hs free
-.L..-- ~ Ln- go.