Amador ledger., 1902-03-14
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

A number of constitutional amend
ments will be submitted to the
voters at the next election. Every
legislature brings to the front a
formidable array of would-be con.
stitption members. Most of the
proposed changes go into the waste
basket by the short route; and the
majority of those submitted are
relegated to oblivion at the ballot
box. AS rule the people are
averse to changing the fundamental
law at the bidding of every incipient
statesman who aspires to the place
of lawgiver While there is ample
time to look into the merits of the
pending amendment to the organic
law, it is not amiss for the voters to
post themselves early on the subject.
One amendment proposes to take
in the high schools in the division of
the state school money now devoted
exclusively to the support of the
common schools. This is an insidi-
Gus movement, and one that de-
mands serious thought. At first
blush, it will perhaps be hailed as a
step in behalf of more liberal educa-
tion, and therefore worthy of sup
port. Closer investigation, how
ever, is apt to change ones mind as
to its merits, and brand it as one of
the most radical measures ever sub
mitted. We herewith publish the
proposed amendment in full:
Senate Constitutional amendment
No. amends section of article 9, to
read as follows:
The public school system shall in
clude primary and grammar schools,
and such high schools, evening schools,
normal schools and technical schools as
may be established by the. legislature
or by municipal or. district authority.
The entire revenue derived from the
state school fund and from the general
state school tax shall be applied ex-
clusively to the support of primary and
grammar schools; but the legislature
may authorize and cause to be levied a
special state school tax for the support
of high schools and technical schools,
or either of such schools included in
the public school system, and all
revenue derived from such special tax
shall be applied exclusively to the sup
port OF the schools for which such
special tax shall be levied.
What effect will the passage of
such an amendment have upon our
school. system? From it's wording
there seems to be no limit to the
number of the schools that might be
organized in conformity with this
provision. The tendency to extrav-
agance in expenditures when it
comes to dealing with state funds is
well known. Every little district
having sufficient census population
to constitute common school, would
want to be in The swim and have a
high school department. They
would want to have the educational
advantages of the cities, on smaller
scale of course. AS the law now
stands the community having high
school must. support the same by a
special tax on the assessable prop
erty in the district This is whole
some law. 1t curbs the disposition
to multiply these schools beyond
actual requirements. The danger is
that with high schools supported by
state tax, these institutions will
become as common as the common
schools. In fact they will become
part and parcel of the common
school system. Probably not more
than two per cent of the children
attending the public schools take
the high school course. The maiori-
ty of those who do so have nc
definite end in view in so doing.