Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-08-22
AGAINST COLv|N'S
PLAN HERE, TOO
Madison Teachers Vote Almost
Solidly Against Amendments
After McDougle Speaks

The public school teachers
Madison county at their meeting
at the court house Saturday :oin-
ed the studentteachers of East
ern Kentucky State Normal in
their decided opposition to the
two proposed school institutional
amendments. AT the close % IN
address by DR.. L. Z. McEouglc, a
vote showed four for the amend
ments and exactly ~ against
them. And one of the lo;ir who
voted as favoring the amend
ments was Prof. Milton Elliott, of
frankfort, state representative nf
CHM < Co, publishers Of school
books.
In his address. DIR. McDougle
pointed out the gravity of rlal
ing any change n the state con-
stltution-a document carefully
planned and tested gu: through
more than a Centufy and = quar-
ter. He asserted that changes
should be made only when serl-
ouS evils were evident i'll the oi
Grafton of the iunGar;cuta! law.
He also argued tnar the burden
OF proof and weight OF argumen
rests with those who favor the
changes.
DIR. McDouglc warned teachers
against throwing many scrio'
Il 81
the next Legislature, which is Ger
tain to feel the reaction against
high taxes. and reflect thci rea:
tionary spirit in laws that may
lower the salaries of the public
school teachers.
Discussing briefly the merits of
the first amendment which pro-
poses to take the election OF the
State Superintendent away from
the people and put it into
hands of the governor for ap-
pointment, or pass it over to a
commission not yet provided for.
the speaker cited the change i'll
recent years in the selection Of
X
ed that it woud be an undemo-
cratic move to pass such selection
back to a small group. At pres
cnt political parties nominate an
the people at large have some
choice in naming the candidates
He said the people have no asSuT
anCe that governors selection
could possibly help matters. Ii
would surely concentrate more
power in his hands, and give him
the right to name one who would
have the handling of the million:
of dollars spent upon the schools
each year. In the hands of 4"
autocratic. partisan governor
such power can be exceedingly
dangerous, DR.. McDougle said.
Governors do not need any mo-
patronage to give them control
over the institutions of the state
Speaking to the second amend
ment. DR.. McDougle stated that
it is the much more dangerous OF
the two. 1t proposes to take Ii
per cent of all the state schoo
funds out of every rural commun-
ity, special district, town and city
and place it in the hands OF Il
state educational department. or
some other agency yet to be de
termined by the legislature. for
distribution other than upon the
present per capita basis. He ar
gued that it would make the poor
counties poorer and the rich coun
ties richer, if the legislature
should decide to- distribute the
half million dollars, thus reserv-
ed, by placing funds only where
counties and communities voted
extra money to match that
granted by the state authority
Such a plan of stimulation" is
based upon the belief-that the pub
lie is not paving enough taxes and
should place whip in the hands
of the state government to COM
pei them to pay more or do with
less. he said That's the doctrin
of stimulation.
The doctrine of equalization
holds that Madison county peor,
should vote away nearly $4,000 of
their present state school fund
to be handed over to some noun
tain county according to the will
of some party or parties yet to be
provided for by the next legis1a-
ture. 1t would take 500 out OF
Richmond's school fund to hand
over to some county, perhaps, one
one whose rich coal lands are es-
Gaping equitable assessment, and
let Richmond taxpayers make ur
an extra fund in their tax budget
The speaker also pointed out
the dangers that would arise, il