The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1912-03-06

rive. at the honest and intelligent con-
clusion that any motion made or any
amendment offered by me has had for
its purpose the rep al or impairment
of single act of congress. If sOu at
to do that, this is neither the time nor
the place for 1t.
Upon the other hand, I have foi'h-
FLY endeavored to have the com IT.
tee of the whole house confine itself
strictly to the law an It Is now upon
the statute books. During the re-
mainder Of the time this bill is under
consideration l shall continue my ef-
forts In that direction.
It will be infinitely better for both
the United States and the District of
Columbia IL strict INTERPRETATION of
the law is here adhered to. do not
wish TO criticise adversely the decis-
ions Of the distinguished gentleman
who now occupies the chair: but
trust 1t is not at all distasteful, even
to him for me to review some Of them,
merely to see how this year a too lib
eral construction given to law leafs
next year tt another too liberal con-
struction, until, in a few years, the
original law is lost sight Of and the
accumulated, unwarranted construc-
tons therefore given become the &C
cepted law.
Important Point Raised.
The chair has held that under ex-
listing law an appropriation can be
made from the public treasury for
equipping public school Fairgrounds.
Whether or not the law warrants that
is not at issue, for the reason that no
point was raised as to that. But Il
point was raised as to whether or not
the public treasury could be invaded
for the purpose Of equipping other
Fairgrounds; and the chair has held
that an appropriation Of the peoples
/ money could be put into the hands cf
the district authorities with no limi-
tation upon it other than an expressed
belief that upon his part that those
with whom it would be intrusted
would not go beyond proper limits in
eXpending it.
If this policy should be generally
pursued, there would be no need for
a single official bond in the entire
Union; in fact, If we are to presume
that only the proper and just act is
always to be done, there would be no
iced for laws, no need for courts.
no need for this legislature. The law
rn1 tive n fhn Snhnnlc of fhn I1icfrinf
of Columbia not only contemplates,
but says so in so many words, that
only the public schools are to be
cared for at public expense. If, as
the chair has ruled, the public money
can legally be spent for Fairgrounds
other than thu public school play
grounds, if the officials into whose
hands the money to be expended has
been put think SO, then all limitation
is removed. If the public money can
be spent by district officials upon any
Fairgrounds which they select, then
let us see where it leads. If this
expenditure may legally go beyond
the public school, then it can go to
the sectarian school; next it may go
tC the private school; next il may go
to the public playground-an just
here | wish to call attention to the
playground item. That item does not
limit the public fund to equipping the
public school Fairgrounds: neither
does it limit it even to school
grounds. Under the decisions of the
chair the district officials into whose
hands this money is put, if they wish
tc do so, can eXpend any part or all
of it upon any Fairgrounds. Then, if
they wish to do so. they can spend
Il upon grounds other than those gen.
orally accepted as Fairgrounds for
school children: and. from all | can
earn, they contemplate expanding it
Upon grounds other than public
school grounds.
When the ground upon which the
money is spent is not property legal
ly acquired by the district for the
public school system, then that
ground occupies the same legal status
as a park privately owned. The pub
lie fund may properly be spent upon
pain puDiiC OnhOh, OuL II Cdll ilOI
properly be spent upon a park pri-
vately owned, except under authority
of an act Of congress; and it requires
an act of congress to give that dis
erection to the district officials which
the ruling of the chair gives them.
There is no act of congress which au-
thorizes the expenditure of public
money upon such private park or pri-
vate grounds as | have mentioned
And. if there is no such act of con-.
gress, then the item in the appropria-
ton bill is clearly subject to a point
Of order, at least until a limitation of
its use is confined to the public
schools.
Equipping Fairgrounds.
Again, if public money can. in the
judgment of district officials, be spent
to equip Fairgrounds, who is to deter
mine what that equipment is to be-
Inasmuch as there is no maximum
school age limit in the district the
equipment must, of necessity, take a
wide range. The official report Of
the school board discloses their state