Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-09-15
SCHOOLS OF MISSOURI
PROF. EVANS SUGGESTS A NEW
CONSTITUTION.

Prcf. VIM T. Evans, of St. Louj3.
Republican nominee for STATE Suuer.
~int"nd"nt Of schools, says:
My trips through the state this sum.
hler visiting about OncthirI of the
counties, has b"cn a revelation 10 me.
J nave known many % tn" school men
ana nav" watched their growth with
interest, but to rec their local sur.
~iolndings. the men who back them
and urge them on, to learn of the bur.
d"nS the communities chcerfnllv bear
IN order to improve the school build.
lngS and equipment, is TO better apprp.
ciat" the reason for the rand strides
Missouri has been making in school
matters. h thrOngS Of teachers at
me various summer schools is an
h'her evidence Of the great interest
created by Increased pay and incrcas-
lhs opportunities. In every place |
found pride in the schools aud teach.
"rS and n strong determination 10 get
tn" best buildings and best teachers
the people can afford. The buildings
ar" generally a credit to the commu.
nifty and tn" effort to retain worthy
teachers gradually forces the salary
UP.
IN" increasing sums spent On tho
state educational institutions T. an.
other "vid"nc" that the Icullr OF our
state AZ" willing to spend money III.
orally for IN" training of tn" next gem
GRAFTON. Two Of the amcndmrn,s 10
b" voted on This fan pertain to schools
and both d"s"rv" success. one ~ to
extend In Il degree to smaller cities
No" right already possessed by the
laIG" ones. Three cities may levy for
school purposes a tax Of sixty cents
ON tn" hundred dollars, bur Joplin
must vote by popular election each
year IT Sh" wants to levy NOR" than
ioTiE cents. Ncarly all III" smaller
cities must use this cumbersome
school money.
An eminent MissOurian asked mo
recently what | wanted to do as Su.
p~"rint"nd"nt Of Schools. said was
looking for a new State Constitution
and wanted 10 be in a position to in
nI"nr" III" chapter on schools. The
numerous constitutional amendments
submitted by each legislature cmpna-
sizes tn" need for Il new IN
stead e "A Jacobs coat. Mr.. Eliot,
Mr. JudSOn and Superintendent Sol
hhn, together. prepared a plan OF or
EaniIaliun for tn" 81. Louis schools
that has since served aS a model 10
other cities the country wide. Mis-
souri, needs q modern scheme nxing
responsibility 50 that when anything
pu"s wrong the blame can be brought
homo.
1h'r" was once Il school fund in
vested in state bonds These bonds
have disappeared and perpetual Ger
l%iiicatcr Of indebtedness" have taken
their place" Wherefore? what IL "A per-
p"iual certificate OF indcbtedness?"
ls II IA new kind Of bond? Apparently
not. for In recent years the state has
been reported TO be out OF debt. This
seems 10 be a new form uf the shell
game. You guess which shell the
school fund Is under. II there 10 a
debt &. the state to the school fund
how can the state be out Of debt? IT
Their" Is Il deb, why not In the usual
form, a. bonds, instead of This new
evidence Of debt? This condition
could only have arisen becauS" there
was no determined voice raised 10
warn IN" people, and whatever has
been written into the organic law 10
l"gaIiz" This high.handrd despolling
should b" erased. Tn" sooner II Is
erased Ia" better.
tn" steady growth Of the Republic.
6n party In Missouri! since 1900 and
the steady decline Of the Democratic
party ought 10 convince anyone ia.
milIar with politics that the state ID
no longer 10 be- Clessed as a Bem0-
cratic community II VIII rank with
the reliable Republican states Of the
west before another census 10 aiken. !