Smyrna times., 1923-02-28
DRASTIC SCHOOL BILL PASSES
LOWER HOUSE OF LEGISLATURE
EXCLUDES VOTE OF PARENTS
OF PRIVATE SCHOOL CHILDREN
Cause Is Hidden In the Act and Slips
Through Apparently UnnOticed by
A Number of Legislators

ACSSHCAy PdoSSu III oregon requiring
all children of school age to attend
the public schools was passed by the
House Wednesday afternoon by
strict party vote of 21 Democrats for
and 10 Republicans against. Under
the provisions of the bill, no resident
or taxpayer in the district whose chill
dren attended private parochial or
negro schools could participate in a
school election in any school district
in the State where white public
schools are effected.
This phase of the bill was practi-
cally ignored during the debate over
the measure, but will no doubt be
fOrcibly brought to the attention of
the members of the Senate when the
bill comes before that branch of the
General Assembly.
Discriminating Clause Buried in Act
The discriminating clause, which is
buried in the body of the bill, in
section relative to qualifications for
voters in a school election, says that
no person shall be qualified to vote
at such election "unless his or her
children, or descendants, if any then
living and of school age, could be
among those whose education was in
tended, in part to be provided for un-
der the present laws of this State, in
the school or schools effected by the
results of said election"
The bill first provides that mo
election or referendum by the laws of
this State to be held (by popular
vote) in any school district of this
State, special or otherwise, shall be
held or conducted, unless there shall
be, at the time of, and during the
conduct of such election, a certified
copy, from under the hand and seal
of the Clerk of the Peace of the coun-
ty in which any such election or re-
ferendum may be held of and from
the book of registered voters in his
possession, showing the names of
persons, giving age, color and resi-
dence, that were registered to vote
and residing in such district at the
last preceding general election"
The bill then specifies that mo per-
son shall be qualified to vote at any
such election or referendum unless his
or her name shall appear on said reg
istratiOn, and he or she shall also at
the time of said election still main
tain the qualifications as to residence
and citizenship in said district as re-
quired under the general election laws
of this State"
Bill Gives Rise To Hot Discussion
The House of Representatives had
hardly settled down to business Thurs
day morning, when Representative
Joseph NJ. Brogan, of Wilmington,
and, incidentally, the only Roman
Catholic member of the House, rose
to a point of personal privilege to
state that while he had voted for the
passage of the Reynolds school law
amendment, Wednesday, prescribing
qualifications for voters at school cleo
tiOns, he did so in the belief that it
was all right and proper.
81 have since learned" he stated,
there is a clause in the amendment
which will affect the private and
parochial schools of this State. |
went to go on record now that on
Monday next, within the three consti-
tutional days allowed me, l will move
for a reconsideration of this amend
ment and of the original bill. l am
not sure now as to just what the pro-
visions of the amendment call for, but
if it appears from this amendment
that the taxpayers of this State are
going to be disfranchised because they
do not happen to send their children
to the public schools, then l am GER
tainly opposed to this bill l may be
wrong in my conception now of the
amendment, but from the press anC
what | have heard of the amendment
it appears to me that it's provisions
would discriminate against parents il
the school districts who do not senC
their children to the public schools il
the district in which they live. If thi.
be so l shall certainly endeavor t,
have this bill reconsidered.
81 do not believe there is any mem
Der in this House who would plac,
himself on record here as being op
posed to any taxpayer who may sen,
his children to a private school beinj
prohibited from voting at any elect
tiOn that might be held in the distric
in which he lives, if he is qualified t.
vote in all other respects. voted fo
this bill in good faith, and certainl
did not know this amendment contain
ed any such provision as l now un
derstand it does contain"
A Challenge To Sincerity
"The members of this side of tn
House have no objection to the re
consideration of the bill and amend
ment" declared Representative Lore
III