The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-10-13
CoNsTITUTIoNALA AMENDMENTS

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
The eleven constitutional amend
ments to be voted on ut the Novem
election may be found on an inside
page OF The Times each week from
now until the election, and our read
ers should 20 over and study then
carefully, SO that they may vote in
diligently. Some OF the amend
ments proposed are very important
and every voter should vote either
yes" or "no" ON each one accord
ing to his conviction as to whether
their adoption Is for the best inter.
ests Of the State. Don't think you
have no interest in such matters and
neglect to vote on the amendments
for each one has n bearing in some
way on every citizen.
The First Amendment affects only
cities OF 100 900 inhabitants or more,
but must be voted on throughout
tn" state. 1t IL to empower certain
cities to provide n system of pen
sions for aged or disabled policemen.
Under it the cities aud not the State
pays the pension, and it In no way
affects the taxation of the people
outside Of these cities, even if il
does there. The amendment II gen
orally considered meritorious one
We understand by the cities affected
aud there appears to be no sufficient
reason why ii should not be adopted.
The Second Amendment Is like
unto the first, affecting only cities
of leO,0O0 inhabitants or more, and
empowers the school boards of such
cities to provide pension fund for
the benefit OF incapacitated school
teachers. No part of said fund shall
be taken out Of the general revenue
of the state appOrtioned to the cOun-
ties or cities for school purposes,
but must he paid out of the funds of
the district seeking to provide such
pension. The people in the country
feel n delicacy in voting to impose
on the cities anything that affects
them alone, without knowing what
the people Of the cities desire. II is
Il safe rule, however, NOT TO VOTH
AGAINST such amendment SO that
the vote OF the cities may decide the
question for themselves.
The Third Amendment is 70 au-
thorlze u state levy Of five cents on
the 500 for permanent fund for
pubic roads. We now have road
law that authorizes County Courts
to levy special tax for road pur.
poses, and in this st. Francois
county road tax OF ~ cents on the
800 has been levied for road inn
II the third amendment
Is adopted, the money derived by
the State from the : cent tax pro-
proposed is to be apportinned to the
several counties in the State in such
manner AS may be provided for by
law as permanent fund for public
roads and highways. We suppose
that the permanent fund this would
create is to he used just as our per-
manent public school funds are used
to be loaned out and only the inter-
est on the loans to he used for road
improvement. 1t would impose an
additional tax, but as the permanent
road fund is built up, eventually the
income derived from loaning ii out
would lessen the county road tax in
proportion to the interest derived
from the loans.
The Fourth Amendment is to
amend the manner of amending the
of the city of st. Louis.
This affects only the people of that
city and is little understood by the
people of the country, but is doubt
less meritorious measure for that
city. 1t would be well for the rural
voter NOT TO VOTE AGAINST Ii, so
that the vote of the city may decide
the question.
The Fifth Amendment provides for
the erection and equipment OF
new State Capitol, and to authorize