The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-11-03
Stand BY All Three
Of the Amendments Today

No vote cast by citizen of Florida
today will count for more or have a
greater practical bearing upon the
highest interests OF the state and the
welfare of his children than vote I'd
adopt the amendment giving fixed con
stitutional aid to the schools for high
eF learning in this state.
To defeat this amendment is to de-
clare TO the world that our people are
more concerned to save petty tax,
burdensome to none OF them, than
to properly provide for the education
of the young men and women of Flor
ida in the state institutions establish
ed for that purpose. There hasn't
been an argument of any kind made
against this amendment worth The
name. Practically no money will be
saved to the taxpayer by defeating it,
for If II is defeated these schools must
On the future, as heretofore, rely upon
Legislative appropriations, and it is
quite as likely that such appropriation
may exceed the constitutional limit
imposed by this amendment as keep
within it
The purpose of the amendment is.
not to increase taxation, but to take
the schools out of the 'banefh atmos-
phere of politics where the money TO
support them will no longer be mat
ter for the activity of the lobbyist or
a subject for trading votes between
factions in the legislature, but will be
guaranteed by the constitution and
placed entirely beyond the reach of
any of these influences. Surely a
proposition like that should commend
itself to any taxpayer on purely bust
ness grounds, for it works in his IN
terest any way he may look at it.
The other two amendments relating
to the judiciary seem to US to be
equally clear in the advantage and
benefit they must be to the people of
the state generally 1t is low argu-
ment unworthy of a thinking man
whose vote is relied upon to give us
a capable state government dealing
justly with all our public servants, to
say that If the judges don't like their
salaries let them resign. That entire
ly begs the question which, reduced to
its simplest form, is, shall they be
fairly paid for their services? That
they are underpaid now is claimed by
impartial men who have thoroughly eX-
anined the Question. and they can
get no relief except through this pro-
posed constitutional amendment en-
towering the legislature to determine
their compensation.
There are doubtless more than
enough lawyers OF the cheap variety
in Florida TO fill every jndgeship in
the state who would be willing to do
so for even half the present salaries.
and from a short-sighted mercenary
point of view that would he a profit
able transaction to the taxpayer; but
is there any citizen of Florida with
intelligent regard for his own affairs
who would be willing to thus degrade
our judiciary and commit to the keep
ing of men. inferior in both learning
and character. the most vital inter
ests, the most sacred rights of all the
people of the state? Surely not; but
10 vote against this amendment would
almost imply a contrary view and The
Journal is not willing to believe this.
II our judges are to get relief it must
be through this amendment comforting
power upon the legislature which
hone can act on the changed and
changing conditions which call for a
ieadlustment of judicial salaries.
And there is equal force in the
reasons which call for the adoption OF
the amendment empowering the legis-
iature 10 create additional judicial cir.
cults when needed. The argument
against their creation ignores the con
slant Increase in our population,
ignores thu fact that it has nearly
doubled since the present circuits
We're defined, ignores the tremendous
burden of litigation which has result
ed from this increase, and if il is a
sound argument now it was equally
sound when the Judiciary was first es-
tablished in Florida far back in the
last century and we might logically go
back 10 the scale of salaries paid in
those primitive times.
There isn't valid reaTou that can