Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-04
Articulation Every 1A00O
Evening Yesterday xfOVG
Should Not Prolong the Session.

understood the commission to which was
referred the important subject of consider
ing changes in the School Code will not
be ready to report, and. will ask for an
ether recess of possibly two weeks.
This request should be granted ofi-hand,
and the recess taken without giving con-
sidsration to other business at this time
The members of the Legislature have
been too lax already in opening the
doors to legislation outside the speciai
subjects enumerated by Governor Town.
send in his proclamation convenlng the
special session. and if they continue their
laxity there will be no end to the consldera-
,tion of legislative matters, and great
addition to the cost of the special session.
II is apparent to all our people that the
only subject now pending which should
receive consideration is the School Code.
Judicious amendment of that enactment
is essential, for the purpose OF increasing
the efficiency of the measure and relieving
real property throughout the State OF
considerable part of the burden OF school
maintenance BY drawing upon the plethor-
ic general fund of the State. These
matters affect the interests of the school
system and the pockets of our people,
and certainly should have first attention.
And we believe the feeling is practically
unanimous that they should receive sole
attention.
= There is talk of renewal of the agIta-
non over the Equal Suffrage Amendment
~ the Federal Constitution. with the
object of securing its ratification by the
Legislature. If this talk should material
ize into action. it is hoped the members
of the Legislature will give it no encour-
agement. In justice to themselves and
the public interests they should set them
selves against it.
This issue has been settled, so lar as the
special session OF the Legislature Is con-
cerned. While no vote has been taken by
the State Senate, the House. OF Repre-
fsentatives. by a decisive majority. refused
ratification Despite this defeat, friends
of suffrage insist upon continuing the
fight, and will endeavor to have the Senate
adopt a resolution of ratification now
,ipending in that body and send 1t TO the
! House with a request for concurrence.
II is uncertain that there Is a ratlbca-
tion majority in the State Senate, but
conceding there is. difficulty OF a parlia-
mentarv character confronts this propo-
sitfon. The adverse action of the House
on the resolution of ratification was
accompanied by summary defeat OF
motion for reconsideration, which, 1T is
chained, means the death of the PROPOSE
tion throughout the special session. Even
should a favorable vote of the House
attend this plan, the result would surely
BE challenged on the ground of IRE gularity-
Also, it Is matter OF surprise that there
SHOULD be any doubt of the reliability OF
the adverse sentiment so plainly expressed
by members of the House. The decisive
vote was not taken until after thorough
consideration and undoubtedly repre-
sent ed the mature convictions of the mem
bers. Continuance of the agitation,
& therefore,, means only that the advocates
of ratification hope, by some means or
other, to convert sufficient number OF
opponents to open the way to the success
of ratification.
But why anyone should bold to this
-.opinion is a mystery. Certainly such an
attitude is not complimentary TO the
members of the House who arrayed them
selves, deliberately and after thorough
consideration, against ratification. In
deed, it is practically insulting 1t is an
open intimation that they are men who
did not know their Own minds, and there
fore, after having taken q decis i've stand
are subject to persuasion, wheedling and
influence of various kinds to an extent
sufficient to induce them TO stultify
themselves by radically reversing the
stand they have taken. What would the
!. people generally, and their constituents IL
particular, think OF members of the
Legislature who would thus deliberately
write themselves down as more like mice
than men?
The people Of the State have no good
feeling for the special session, and desire
it, final adjournment as soon as possible
IN q word, as soon as the School Code
consideration is finished. Let the members
keep their minds ON this patent fact and
resolve TO comply with this proper public
sentiment.