The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-10-21
1sE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS



the voters at the election 10 be held
next month for their ratification or
rejection. A brief statement of the
effect Of each amendment, if ratified,
Is thought by some not be out Of
place. Why the authors Of these
amendments have not undertaken
this duty TO the people l do not know.
They are seven in number and as
published in the newspapers are d.
vided into articles.
ARTICLE MI.
This changes the terms Of office
after 1905 OF the county assessor. tax
collector and treasurer 70 four instead
of two years a. at present. If the
people think these officials should
hold Office for four years they will
vote for, otherwise against"
1t is questionable whether the col
Iector and treasurer, handling the
money they do, should have so long
a term in view of the fact that usu-
aIlv defalcations are not discoveSed
while the defaulter is in office.
ARTICLE XXI.
This simply raises the highest
amount a county can assess for pub
lie free schools to mills on the dol
lar. It is now mills 1t is for the
people to say whether the good that
NAV be derived from the schools JUS
| titles an increase of taxes. Possibly
if the kindergarten feature were left
out, and the schools, especially In
the towns, ceased to be nurseries for
the babies, more money could be de-
voted to the older children. Besides,
a few students might be dropped in
the higher classes without injury.
Article XIII.
The constitution now provides that
the legislature may organize in such
counties as it may think proper,
county courts, to have jurisdiction of
cases involving not over $500, misde-
meauors. etc, and the county Judge
shall be the Judge of such court. This
amendment, if adopted, requires the
county Judge in a county where this
court is established, to be an attor-
ney at law.
. ARTICLE XIV.
This simply proposes TO authorize
the legislature to authorize municipal
corporations to not tax any manu-
featuring enterprise within its limits
that it may see proper to exempt, for
a period not longer than fifteen years,
for municipal purposes. If the peo-
pie think that the manufacturing
enterprises" are so weak generally
Y as to need this kind of protection, y
d then they will adopt this amendment
0 1t is a matter that concerns the cite:
+ and towns more directly than the
country. A manufacturing "enter
prise'' that is unable to pay taxes
u like other people is usually of little
u benefit TO any community and is shor
. lived.
e ARTICLE XIV.
d The only feature in this is this. Tn,
1t original constitution required that al
decisions of the supreme court b,
free for publication by any person
In 1896 the people amended this b.
striking out the word "all'' befor
decisions. Now, by the present pro
posed amendment the word all is t
be inserted again.
This is all the writer can find
this amendment. The difference be
~ tween a provision of law that says
- Decisions of the supreme court sha
or be-" etc., and "All decisions of tn
= supreme court shall be-" etc., tn
no. writer will relegate to our last legi
# lators to explain.
~, ! ARTICLE XVI.
This amendment, if adopted, vi
make a radical change in our judic
Is airy system in important partic
10y lars and the people should know wn
rs they are doing before they vote on i
re- 1t will change eleven sections of art
IT'S Gle 5--the judiciary article-of Il
no constitution. The principal object
ed | TO establish courts of record'' in n