Arizona republican., 1919-03-07
Where The People
 May Have a Hearing
House Bill No. 10

ElOhSe biil NOs "
 Office of the state superintendent of public instruction 10 be made ap- pOintive.
 T.Acse who are following the fight that is being made for house bill 10 may be interested in the following statement:
 Fifteen states, mostly of the old con- servative colonial group. appoint state school superintendents. These are Yer mont, New York. Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Mary land, Maine, Delaware. Tennessee, Ohio, Minnesota and Iowa.
 We find the climax of house bill No. 10 in the provision that makes the office of state superintendent of pub lie instruction appointive. This pro- vision strongly features the entire measure. It is no slight diversion. It is pronounced and at right angles. | It is a contrast decidedly to that which 1 is salient in a state constitution. If it 7 is advisable then that which by prac- tice has been held to be correct in our state constitution and in nearly every state constitution in the United States is wrong.
 I Should the legislature pass house bill No. 10 it would then go to the people as referred measure and would carry with it the implied approval of the legislature and in effect advise the peo- ple of Arizona to rcpudiate as a mis- i take and a failure that which with con- rdence and pride they endorsed almost unanimously in adopting a state con- stitution seven years ago.
 Arizona's state constitution is known as the peoples constitution. It has been regarded as impartial and safe. In framing this constitution it was 1 democratized to the extent of giving 1 the people the privilege of electirg the ! state superintendent of schools.
 This constitution requires the powers and duties of the state superintendent 1 to be prescribed by law leaving no un- certainty as to certain duties he should perform and certain powers he should exercise. The term of office of the superintendent is definitely fixed leav- 1 ing no doubt as to how long he may hold office in case he renders good service, and the people are given the power to recall to remove him from l office in the event he proves himself 1 unfit to complete the term for which elected.
 House bill No. 10 does away with all this. It al joints seven men, who in turn appoint the superintendent of public instruction. These seven men who by some unexplainable process are Co become immune to politics can ap- point any kind of man for superintend ent. They may appoint an educator { or q politician or combination of the two. They may appoint him for any length Of time--for seven years or fol seventy years The man whom they appoint if he suits seven men can bC retained in office indefinitely whether he suits the people or not. And tho 1 seven men can prescribe the power, and duties of the superitendent ant bill No. 10 gives no hint as to wha these powers and duties may be.
 Whatever may be said of house bil No. 10. either in it's favor or otherwise this much can be said; it is in no re spect q halfway measure and it call for no halfway convictions either fo it or against it. After a careful stud, of the bin I find myself opposed to it l cannot believe that it is deservin. of the support it would receive wer' the legislature to pass it and refer i to the people as a proposed amendmen to our constitution.
 This bill means so much tO the peo pie of this state that it should be sub mitted to them as a strictly initiativ measure by its supporters. If it ha the merit that is claimed for it, it vii then, in a fair field, win out on tn initial support that it now has am that will further come to il as a deserv ing measure, but if it has the glarin defects we think it has it is not deserv ing Of the potential force of legislativ sanction 10 influence public sentimen in it's favor.
 C. c. CASE.