I.

CHAPTER XVII

PUBLIC EDUCATION

Obsolete Provisions. (138)

Sections 1 to 15,

inclusive, of Article 9 of the Constitution created a State Board of Education, consisting of the Lieutenant-Governor and one additional member from each judicial district.

The General Assembly was given power to change or abolish this board at any time after the year 1863, and did in fact abolish it in 1864, since which time the sections above mentioned have been inoperative.

2. School Lands-By the liberality of the Government of the United States, large grants of public lands were many years ago made to the State for the benefit of its schools. Some of these lands were appropriated to the special use of the State University, others to the State Agricultural College, and the remainder to the common schools.

3. Educational Funds Funds The moneys arising from the sales of these lands constitute perpetual or permanent funds, which are kept invested in interest-bearing securities, and the income thus realized is distributed at stated periods to the several beneficiaries.

4. Escheats. (141)-When a person dies leaving no will or heir, his property goes to the State,

and becomes a part of the permanent fund for the support of common schools.

Property thus coming to the State is called in law an escheat.

5. Temporary School Fund-All forfeitures and fines, and the proceeds of the sales of lost goods and estray animals, are paid into the county treasury and constitute the Temporary School Fund. All moneys in this fund are distributed among the several school districts of the county at least once in each year.

6. How Distributed. (145)-The interest derived from the Permanent School Fund, together with the moneys in the Temporary Fund, are distributed to all the school districts in proportion to the number of youths between the ages of five and twenty-one years.

7. State University-It is provided by law that "the object of the State University shall be to provide the best and most efficient means of imparting to young men and women on equal terms, a liberal education and thorough knowledge of literature, the arts and sciences, with their varied applications."

8. Preparation Required-So far as practicable, the courses of study in the University begin where the same are completed in the high schools; and no student can be admitted who has not completed the elementary studies in such branches as are taught in the common schools.

9. State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts This institution, now commonly known as

the "State College," provides for the student a broad, liberal, and practical course of study, in which the leading branches of learning relate to agriculture and the mechanic arts. It also embraces such other lines of study as will most practically and liberally educate the agricultural and industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life, including military tactics.

10. State Normal School-The State Normal School is established and maintained for the special instruction and training of teachers.

II.

Work Accomplished-Each of these schools has been very successful in its special line of work. All have a liberal attendance of students, and many of their graduates have achieved a high degree of success and fame in the various pursuits of life.

12. County High-Schools-Each county may, by complying with certain conditions, establish a High School for the purpose of affording advanced pupils better educational facilities than are ordinarily found in district schools.

13. High-School Departments-For some reason very few counties in the State have ever availed themselves of the benefit of this law, but most of the graded schools in cities and towns of any importance have high-school grades or departments, affording all the advantages which could be derived from a county school.

14. School

Districts The organization and government of School Districts will be considered in a subsequent chapter.

1

CHAPTER XVIII

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

I. How Proposed. (146)-Any amendment to the Constitution may be proposed in either house of the General Assembly, and, if agreed to by a majority of all the members elected to each house, it is then laid over to be acted upon by the next General Assembly. Before the next election notice of the proposed amendment is published throughout the State, and if the General Assembly next elected agrees to it by a like majority, the question is finally submitted to a vote of the people. If these various steps have been regularly pursued, and a majority of those voting upon the question is found to be in favor of the proposition, the amendment becomes part of the Constitution.

2. Why these Formalities-As the standard by which all legislative acts, judicial decisions, and private rights are to be determined, it is a matter of great importance that the Constitution be as fixed and stable as possible, and that all proposed changes be thoroughly discussed and understood by the people. By the plan above outlined, at least two years are given for the discussion and examination of a proposed amendment, and an effectual guard is thus created against hasty and ill-advised changes.

3.

Separate

Vote. (147)—If two or more amendments are submitted at the same time, it must be done in such manner that they can be voted upon separately. Of several amendments the voter may desire to support some and oppose others, and this provision for a separate vote enables him to do so.

4. Constitutional Convention. (148)-Once every ten years, beginning with the year 1870, the question "Shall there be a Convention to revise the Constitution and amend the same?" is submitted to the voters of the State.

The General Assembly may also submit the question at any time. If a majority of votes is cast in the affirmative, the General Assembly at its next session provides for the election of delegates to such convention by the duly qualified voters of the State.

5. Work of Convention-The delegates thus selected meet and make such revision of the Constitution as they deem wise; but before their work is of any validity it must be approved by the voters of the State at an election held for that purpose. Since the adoption of the present Constitution, in the year 1857, no convention has been called.

6. Amendments Adopted-Prior to the year 1863 negro slavery prevailed in nearly one-half of the nation, and even in the free States there were strong prejudices against conceding equal political rights to colored citizens. Under these influences the Constitution of the State, as origi