The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-25

ponents or t.is amenddment sue5estr
Raising the local limit Will rot neip
such a district. Its valuation Is TOO
small. Besides, II certainly Is aa in'
Justice for one man in oue section or
this state to be forced to pay ts-ee
and four times as much school tax a.
his fellow citizen IN an adjoining
school district, especially since he
child educated is to be a citizen Of
t.e whole state, and not restricted "a
his school district
uS) An imaginary techr fcality in
this bin has been pointed out, through
which opponents are viyidly picturing
to the voters what might "appen N
the legislature decided to abuse tha
until otherwise provided for" phrase,
School funds are now distributed by
the state sc.24 for ls20) on per
capita scholastic enumeration basis,
The only other known plan. that used
in some states, is to base the distribu1
ton on the average attendance "a
stead OF CT the enumeration,
When the constitution was adopted
In 1907. it was left to our legislature
to. ''italiae Its general provisions,
There has never been any other way
In national or state government
There is no hope for our citizenship
when our legislature can not be trust&
el TO make our laws. That has even
been the scheme OF our operation, II
has stood the test for ages Suspicion
and distrust breeds socialism and
makes bolsheviks. To say that we
should not adopt this amendment bes
cause the legislature might abuse 1t,
Is equal to saying AN should not
marry wife because she might burn
down their house while he was away
from home.
QO 1t has been suggested by op,
ponents OF this bill that two or threa
sparsely populated counties OF the
Northwest would lose heavily. In
their estimates they have not taken
into account the ad valorem tax on
five hund: cd million dollars worth OF
oil properties included under thia
amendment. TO be added to the pres,
ent asses Led valuations in estimating
the returns to each county.
(20) Tho tuition OF ten cents paid
for Indian children by the Federal
govcrnme to some school districts,
in lieu OF sleir nn.taxable Indian
lands, is practically nothing On &C,
count OF the irregularity OF attend
ance, AM spare enrolment OF those
OF the Indian children who coma
strictly within the prescribed regula>
uons Of the Department, very lttla
aid results Some districts do noe
even apply for It,
Voters in general are prone TO leave
the Constitution as 1t was first writ,
ten. Amendments are often obnoxious
simply because they are amendments
But where he public good warrants
II, and the advantages to be gained
for our common schools justify II, let
not this stand IN the way of our prog.
ress. il 1907 Oklahoma had the best
constitution yet written. But since
then many states have rewritten them
constitutions. amended them, and
made wise Improvements. some even
copying OkiahOma's best provisions.
Let rs again lead the way, thirteen
years later. for more and better com,
mon school education by liberal state
aid. When the roll is called again
Oklahoma should mot be found 36th
In the list OF states. We can easily
afford this since the State Auditor has
recently shown that our Golfers are
full ON other items OF state govern.
ment.
Let Us vote for the BETTER
SCHOOLS AMENDMENT No-emben
2nd