The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-25
Vote For All
the Amendments.


The Journal desires to refresh the
memory of its readers as to the pro-
posed amendments to our state con,
situation to be voted on next month.
Voters are prone to be careless on
this subject, not only in Florida, but
in all the states, for the personal
equation is lacking in such an issue,
and often the election fails to regis
ter the real wishes of the people be-
cause they have not taken the trouble
to inform themselves about the mat
ter.
These proposed amendments have
all been printed in the state papers
for months and newspaper readers
should be familiar with them, but as
some of them have doubtless neglect
ed to '-read up on the subject, and
the election Is near at hand, The Jour
nal will call attention to them.
There are three of these proposed
amendments to the constitution of
Florida submitted by the last legisla-
ture, and in our judgment they are
all good and should be adopted by the
people at the polls. All of them are
published in synopsis in this issue OF
The Journal
The first of these amendments pro-
vides that salaries of the judges of the
supreme, circuit and criminal courts
of record shall be fixed by the legisla-
ture. At present they are fixed by
the constitution and an effort made TO
change them by the adoption of a con-
stitutional amendment in the last gen.
eral election failed for no better rea-
son than that the voters had not in
formed themselves on the subject, and
really permitted the issue to go by
Default,
1t is notorious that our judges are
underpaid. They do not get a fair
days salary for fair days work. and
no self-respecting citizen of Florida
wants to see it that way. Judicial
salaries were fixed in the constitution
long years ago when the labors of the
judges were very much lighter than
they are now. Those labors have
more than doubled since and the price
of living has also largely increased.
1t is simple justice that the judges
should have more pay for their ardu-
Gus work and the matter of regulating
their salaries may be safely left to
the legislature made up of men right
from the people and familiar with
iSh
best of judges ON the bench and to
elect inferior men. which will surely
be the case IL they are paid inferior
salaries, means the degradation of the
Florida Judiciary and consequent in
jury to every interest in the state.
Leave it to the legislature to say what
our judges shall be paid Vote for
this amendment.
The next amendment provides for
increased support to the University
of Florida and other institutions of
higher learning, also the Institute for
the Blind, Deaf and Dumb. Hereto
fore these schools of prime Importance
to the educational interests OF the
state, have been compelled to rely
upon the uncertain support of legisla
tive appropriations granted at will,
with the result that the schools have
suffered for money to keep them up
to the proper standard. Higher edu-
cation is just as necessary as lower
education, and without it this world
world be in a chaotic state Every
intelligent and patriotic citizen of
Florida wants to see our children
provided with the opportunities here
at home 10 get finished schooling
so that Florida may be in line with
other states. and experience has de
monstrated in the case of the Univer-
sity and other institutions that this
can only be done by an increased sup
port to these schools. 1t should be
cheerfully given. Vote for the amend
inert.
The third proposed amendment per-
mits the legislature to provide for the
creation OF such additional judicial
circuits as may from time to time be
necessary and for the appointment by
the governor of additional circuit
judges, and also to clothe the railroad
commission with judicial powers in