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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1938)
KCJTOAY, OCTOBER 17, 1933, HATTSYOUTH SEJII WEZLY JOTTR27AX PAQETH2Z2 ( legae notice as to Measure to be voted UPON NOVEMBER 8, 1938 Tha following lmraJnent to the Constitution of tha State of Ne braska will be rabmitted to the electors of this state ior approval or rejection at the general election to be held November 8, 1938: B it Enacted ly the PeopU cf the Stat of Nclrutkaz Section 1. That at the general election In November, 1938, there hall be submitted to the electors of the State of Nebraska for approval or rejection upon a ballot separate from that upon which the names of candidates appear the following' amendments to tha Constitution which are nereDy propcsea dj me J-gTaiiuie; t2 AMENDMENT A' r Section I. That Section 1, Article IV, Constitution of Nebraska, It amended to read as follows: Section 1. The executive officers of the state shall b the Governor, T Untenant rrtrnnr. SMretrv of the State. Auditor ox Pubue Accounts Treasurer, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction and the heads of such other executive departments as may be established by law. The Legislature may provide for the placing of the above named officers as heads over such departments of government as it may by law create. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Auditor of Public Ac counts shall be chosen at the general election held in November, 1940, for a term of two years, and in November, 1942, and every four years there after, and. commencing in 1943. their term ox omce snau oe iour yen hall b elected and oualifled. The Superintend ent of Public Instruction shall be elected in November, 1942, and every ff vnr th.rftpr and Ms term of office shall ba 1 our years ana uniu his successor shall be elected and qualified. The records, books and papers of all executive officers shall be kept at the seat of government, and such officers, excepting the Lieutenant Governor, shall reside there during their respective terms of office. Officers in the executive depart ment of the state shall perform such duties as may be provided by law. On or after the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January and before the first day of February, 1941, for a term of two years from the first Thursday sfter the first Tuesday in January, 1941, and on or after the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January and before the first day of February in the year 1943 ana every lour years tnereaiter ior a term of four yars from the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January, and until their successors shall be appointed and qualified, the Governor, with the consent of three-fifths of all the members elected to the Legislature shall appoint a Tax Commissioner, an Attorney lenerai a Secretarv of State and a state Treasurer. Said officers so appointed may be removed by the Governor during their terms for causes provided by this Constitution. The respective compensations of said officers so appointed shall be as provided by law. The heads of all offices established by this Constitution, or which may be established by law, other than those to be elected or appointed as provided above herein, and whose appointment or election is not otherwise by law or herein provided ior, shall be appointed by the Governor, with the consent of three-fifths of all the members elected to the Legislature, but officers so appointed may be removed for cause bv the Governor. Imo such officer shall be appointed or elected bv the Legislature. Subject to the provisions ef this Constitu tion, the heads of the various executive or civil departments shall have power to appoint and remove all subordinate employees in their respective departments. . The Legislature may, by law, assign to the Auditor of Public Accounts the supervision of the accounts of the several govern mental subdivisions of the state. The Attorney General, Secretary of State and the state Treasurer, chosen at the general election in November. 1938, shall each hold over his respective term until his successor shall be appointed and qualified. No person shall be nominated at the primary election in 1940 or elected at the general election in November. 1940 to the offices of Attorney General, Secretary of Stat or state Treasurer, and from and after the time their successors shall be appointed and Qualified in 1941. each of said offices as an elective constitutional execu Uve state office is hereby abolished completely and shall be an appointive constitutional executive state office. See. 2. Ttiat Section 2, Article TV, Constitution of Nebraska, be amended to real as follows: Sec 2. No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor, Lieuten- . ... . . i . 1 11 4. 1 1. 1. - ' 1 ant liovemor or Auditor ox jruoiic Accounts who snsu not nave aiiainro the age of thirty years, and who shall not have been for five years next i . i i - 3 m. -i ix. ,l preceding nis election s resident ana a ciuicn oi. in" e uu uuitn of the UrJted States. None-of the officers mentioned in this article shall he eligfbl to any other state office during the period for which they have . a a y - ' oecn eiecrea or appointea. Sec 3. That Section S, Article IV, Constitution of Nebraska, be amended to read as follows: Sec 5. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Auditor of Public Accounts shall be ineligible to their offices, respectively, for four years next after the expiration of any four year term for which they were elected. . . Sec 4. Tliat Section 21, Article IV, Constitution of Nebraska, be amended to read as follows: J5ec 21. If the office of auditor of public accounts, or superintendent of public instruction, shall be vacated by death,' resignation or otherwise. it shall be the duty of the Governor to fill the same by appointment, and the appointee shall hold his office until his successor shall be elected and qualified in such manner as may be provided by law. Sec 5. That Section 28, Article IV, Constitution of Nebraska, be amended to read as follows: .Sec 28. The Tax Commissioner shall have jurisdiction over the administration of the revenue laws of the state,- and together with the Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor and State Treasurer shall have power to review and equalise assessments of property for taxation within the state. ... Sec 6. Tliat Section 8, Article XVII, Constitution of Nebraska, be amended to read as follows : Sec 3. Until otherwise provided by law the following salaries shall be paid: Chief Justice, Judges of the Supreme Court and Governor, each 37,500 per annum: Judges of the District Court, and the Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts, Treasurer and Attorney General, while elective officer!!. Superintendent of Public Instruction and members of the State Railway Commission, each 35,000 per annum. The Lieutenant Governor shall receive twice the compensation of a member of the Legislature. Sec 7. That Section 10, Article IV, Constitution of Nebraska, is hereby repealed. Sec 8. Tliat an additional section be inserted in Article XVII, Con stitution of Nebraska, as follows: Sec 10. This amendment (1938) shall be self-executing and legisla tion authorized hereby shall be supplemental hereto; and this amend ment, except as otherwise herein specifically provided, shall be in full force and take effect on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January, 1939. AMENDMENT B Section 1. That Section 1, Article VII, Constitution of Nebraska, te amended to read as follows: Section L. The Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, and Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, under the direc tion of the Legislature, constitute a board ox commissioners, for the sale, leasing, and general management of all lands and funds set apart for educational purposes, and for the investment of school funds, in such manner as may be prescribed by law. Sec 2. That an additional section be inserted in Article XVII, Con stitution of Nebraska, as follows: Sec 11. This amendment (1938) shall be self -executing,' and after it becots effective, all statutes and laws and provisions of this Constitu tion referring to the present Board of Educational Lands and Funds shall mean and include, while in effect, said board of commissioners, the Board of Educational Lands and Funds, as constituted hereby; and this amend ment shall b in full force and take effect on tha first Thursday after the first Tu-ssday in January, 1939. " AMENDMENT C . Section L. That Section 13, Article IV, Constitution of Nebraska, be amended to read as follows: Sec 13. The Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Auditor of Public Accounts shall constitute a board to ba known as the Board of Pardons, of which the Governor shall be chairman. Said board, or a majority thereof, shall have power to remit fines and forfeitures and to grant commutations, pardons and paroles after conviction and judg ment, under rich conditions as may be prescribed by law, for any offenses committed against tha criminal laws of this state except treason and eases of Impeachment. But no fine or forfeiture shall ba remitted, and no commutation, pardon or parole granted except upon the approval of a majority of the board after a full hearing in open session, and not until notice of the time and place of such hearing, and of the relief sought, shall have been given by personal service thereof upon the judge of the court by which the sentence was pronounced and the county attorney of the county where the offense was committed.' Provided however, the Governor shall have power to grant respites or reprieves in all cases of conviction for offenses against the laws of the state, except treason and cases of impeachment, but such respites or reprieves shall not extend beyond the next meeting of the Board of Pardons, and in no case for a greater period than thirty days. The proceedings and decisions shall be reduced to writing, and with the reasons for such action in each case, signed by the members of the board concurring therein, and with all papers used upon the hearing including the dissent of any member who may not concur, shall be filed in the office of the Auditor of Public Ac counts. The Governor shall communicate to the Legislature, at each regular session, each case of remission of fine, forfeiture, reprieve, com mutation, pardon or parole, granted since the last previous report, stating the name of the convict, the crime of which he was convicted, the sentence and its date, and the date of remission, commutation, pardon, parole or reprieve, with the reasons for grantir g the same, and the objections, if any, of any members of the board made thereto. The board shall have power to suspend the execution of the sentence imposed for treason until tha case can be reported to the Legislature at its next session, when the Legislature shall either grant a pardon, or commute the sentence or direct the execution, or grant a further reprieve. Sec 2. That an additional section be Inserted in Article XVH, Con stitution of Nebraska, as follows: Sec 12. This amendment (1938) shall be self-executing, and after it becomes effective, all statutes and laws referring to the present Board of Pardons shall mean and include, while in effect, the Board of Pardons as constituted hereby; and this amendment shall be in full force and take effect on the first Thursday after the Irst Tuesday in January, 1941. AMENDMENT D Section 1. That Article TV, Constitution of Nebraska, be amended, said amendment to be known and numbered as follows: Sec 29. Every elective constitutional executive officer of the state Is subject to recall by the legal voters of the state. Upon the filing of a petition for recall of such an officer signed by electors to the number of at least twenty-five per cent of the number of electors who voted in the state at the preceding election at which a governor was elected, setting forth the reasons for said demand, if such officer shall offer his resigna tion, it shall be accepted and take effect on the day it is offered, and the vacancy shall be filled as may be provided by law. If he shall not resign within five days after such petition is filed, the proposal to determine whether the people will recall him shall be submitted, on a separate ballot at the general election held in November, 1944 or every four years there after: Provided, no special election shall be called to determine the ques tion of recall. On the ballot at said election shall be printed in not more than two hundred words the reasons for demanding the recall of said officer as set forth in the recall petition, and, in not more than two hundred words, the officer's justification of his course in office. The incumbent shall continue to perform the duties of lis office until the result of said election shall be officially canvassed and declared by the Legislature. In case an officer shall be recalled by a majority vote of the electors voting thereon, his office shall be declared vacant and said vacancy shall be filled immediately in the manner provided by law for filling a vacancy in that office arising from any other cause The recall petition shall be filed with the officer with whom a petition for nomination to such office should be filed. No recall petition shall be circulated against any officer until he has actually held his office six months. Supplemental legislation which may aid the operation of this section may be enacted. Sec 2. That an additional section be inserted in Article XVII, Con stitution of Nebraska, as follows: Sec 13. This amendment shall be in full force and ttL effect on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January, 194L Sec 2. That all of the foreeoing proposed amendments, A to D. Inclusive, to the Constitution shall be submitted to the electors at said election upon one ballot separate from that upon which the names of candidates appear, after publication once each week for four weeks in at least one newspaper in each county where a newspaper is published immediately preceding said election. Said ballot for the submission of said proposedamendments shall be in the following form: "PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS'' "FOR an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Nebraska. amending Sections 1. 2. 3, 21 and 28. Article IV, and Section 3, Article XVII, and repealing Section 10, Article IV, to provide that the elective constitutional executive officers of the State of Nebraska shall, after tha first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January. 1941. be the Governor. Lieutenant Governor and Auditor of Public Accounts; that the offices of Attorney General, Secretary of State and state Treasurer shall not, after the expiration of their terms commencing in January. 1939. be elective constitutional executive state offices find that said offices and the office of Tax Commissioner shall thereafter be appointive constitutional executive state offices; that said appointive offices shall be filled by appointment by the Governor with the consent of the Legislature and that tha" terms of said appointive offices shall be for jfour years, respectively, unless tha incumbents thereof are sooner removed for cause by the Governor; to provide for the appointment and removal of other constitutional officers not mentioned above in the same manner except as otherwise provided by law; to prohibit election or arpointment of such officers by tha Legislature; to provide that the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Auditor of Public Accounts shall ba elected in November, 1940, each for a term of two years, and in November, 1342 and every four years there after, each for a term of, four years witla a prohibition against the same person holding any of said offices for consecutive terms after 1943; to provide that the salaries of appointive constitutional executive state officers shall be as provided by law; that vacancies in elective offices shall be filled by the Governor; to prescribe qualifications for elective execu tive state officers; and to provide that this amendment shall be self executing and effective, except as otherwise herein specifically set forth, on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January, 1939. ' . "AGAINST an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ne braska, amending Sections 1, 2, 3, 21 and 28, Article IV, and Section 3, Article XVII, and repealing Section 10, Article IV, to provide that the elective constitutional executive officers of the State of Nebraska shall. after the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January, 1941, be the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Auditor of Public Accounts; that the office of Attorney General. Secretary of State and state Treasurer shall not, after the expiration of their terms commencing in January, 1939, be elective constitutional executive state offices and that said offices and the office of Tax Commissioner shall thereafter be appointive consti tutional executive state offices; that said appointive offices shall be filled by appointment by the Governor with the consent of the Legislature and that the terms of said appointive offices shall be for four years, respec tively, unless the incumbents thereof are sooner removed for cause by the Governor: to provide for the appointment and removal of other con stitutional officers not mentioned above in the same manner except as otherwise provided by law; to prohibit election or appointment of such officers by the Legislature; to provide that the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Auditor of Public Accounts shall be elected in November, 1940, each for a term of two years, and in November, 1942 and every four years thereafter, each for a term of four years with a prohibition against the same person holding any of said offices for consecutive terms after 1943; to provide that the salaries of appointive constitutional executive state officers shall be as provided by law; that vacancies in elective offices shall bs filled by the Governor; to prescribe qualifications for elective executive state officers; and to provide that this amendment shall be self -executing end effective, except as otherwise herein specifically set forth, on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January, 1939. "FOR an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Nebraska amending Section 1, Article VII, and providing that the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, from the fiist Thursday after the first Tues day in January, 1939, be a member of the uoard of commissioners, com monly known as the Board of Educational Lands and Funds. "AGAINST an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ne braska amending Section 1, Article VII, and providing that the Super intendent of Public Instruction shall, from the first Thursday after tha first Tuesday in January, 1939, be a member of the board of commission ers, commonly known as the Board of Educational Lands and Funds. "FOR an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Nebraska amending Section 13, Article IV, and providing that the Governor, Super intendent of Public Instruction and Auditor of Public Accounts instead of the Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State shall consti tute the Board of Pardons from the first Thursday after tha first Tuesday in January, 1941. "AGAINST an amendment to -the Constitution of tha State ef Ne braska amending Section 13, Article IV, and providing that the Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Auditor of Public Accounts in stead of the Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State shall con- j History of the Public Schools in Plattsmouth (Continued from I-age 1) ititute the Board of Pardons from tha first Thursday after tha first Tuesday in January, 1941. w "FOR an amendment to tha Constitution of the State of Nebraska authorizing the recall of elective constitutional executive state officers by the electors after tha year 1943 at general elections held in 1944 and every two years thereafter when such officers fail to resign upon the filing of a petition for their recall signed by electors to the number of twenty-five per cent of tha number which voted for Governor at the pre ceding election. "AGAINST an amendment to tha Constitution of the State of Ne braska authorizing the recall of elective constitutional executive state officers by the electors after the year 1943 at general elections held in 1944 and every two years thereafter when such officers fail to resign upon the filing of a petition for their recall signed by electors to the number of twenty-five per cent of tha number which voted for Governor at the pre ceding election. - HARRY R. SW ANSON, " Secretary of State. - subject of definitions and dictionaries may be obtainable by an examin ation of a dictionary printed in 1755 by Samuel Johnson. Short words had no charm forhim. He used pompous words and while it is true that the English people were grateful to him for compiling the only dictionary they had, never theless there was some unfavorable criticism of his style. One critic said that if Samuel Johnson were to write a fable about little fishes, he would make the little fishes talk like whales. I think that even the teachers would have been overcome by the definition of net-work given in Sam uel Johnson's English dictionary. It is as follows: "Net-work is any thing reticulated or decussated at equal distances, with interstices be tween the intersections!" But fortunately, today, we not only have simplified spelling but simplified definition. When I began the study of his tory, I was staggered to learn that our teacher expected us to commit the list of dates at the end of each his torical period, entitled "Table of chronological recapitulation." Each date had a dry, isolated fact at tached to it and they were to be Learned in the order presented- When I became a teacher of his tory, methods had improved. Today, the "Table of Chronological Re capitulation" is used merely for ref erence. The study of history is the fas cinating study of men, not merely of names and dates, because the pupils are encouraged, to read the intimate letters, or the autobiography of the actors in this great drama of history, and thus learn, as if from their own lips, of their activities in discovery and conquest and the establishment of a higher civilization. In 1873 a four-story brick build ing was built which is now known as the Central building. The fourth story was occupied by students of the high school. But no graduating exercises were held, nor diplomas given until about 1880. Another school house, which was a frame building, was built near the southwest corner of the school grounds about 1883. In 1900 a brick building was erected on the west side of the campus, for the use of high school students only. In 1919 the commodious brick building on the east side of the campus, was erected. They say that "comparisons are odious," but in this case It is not true because we find in 1856, un graded schols and no course of study, while today, our curriculum is broad and is much improved over what it was when first established. For instance, today the social studies are featured and not so much stress is placed on the classics. Music has been Introduced into all grades,'' and football, basketball. track, manual training and home eco nomics have a place in the schools. The enrollment has grown from 90 pupils in 1859 to 1.000 pupils to day, in 1938. Each pupil costs the city about $40.00 a year. " In 1919 the convenient, comfort able and beautiful building, valued at S120.000.00 was dedicated for the use of high school and junior high school students. We are fully accredited at our State University. night sessions in those cays in order to complete the business of the eve ning, as the minutes given below will show. These minutes were taken verbatim from the original records : "School board of Plattsmouth met on Thursday, Dec. 3rd. 1863. "Present, J. H. Brown, director; S. S. Billings, director; T- K. Hanna, director; B. F. Ruffner, clerk. "The account of J. Moore for $2.00 j of a balance be allowed and an order be drawn by clerk in his favor for that amount. "Ordered that Sarah E. Harper be employed as assistant teacher of com mon schools for three months at $15.00 per month. "On motion adjourned. "S. S. BILLINGS. "Chairman. "J. H. BROWN, "Secretary." We find that in 1861 the enroll ment had increased to 214 pupils. Four teachers were employed. The principal received $37.50 per month, and the other teachers $20.50 each, per month. In 1862 a building which had been used as a wholesale and retail outfitting house was converted into a school house. This building stood where Bekins block now stands, at 6th and Main. During this time and up to the year 1872, the schools were in an un graded jcondition, but in 1872 grades were established and this fact was an epoch in the ; history of our schools. The principal at this time received $60.00 per month. In the very early days the school board could not buy equipment that was not absolutely necessary, there fore the schools gave many enter tainments. for which they charged an admittance fee, with which they purchased equipment.' These affairs consisted of ice cream socials, oyster suppers, calico parties, lectures and In winter Jolly sleighing parties with Jingling bells were given, the goal being some country home, where a pay-as-you- enter oyster supper would be served When I was a little girl, I was taught, when reading, to pause after a comma, long enough to count 1; for a semicolon, count 2; for a colon count 3; and for a period, count 4. All of this evtraneous "counting'' took the pupil's attention so that he could not get nor give the author's meaning with any emotional expres sion. As some caustic criti has said "They pointed every stop, marked every pause so strong, their words like stage processions stalked along. And I remember that In our old McGuffey's Readers, all words print ed in Italics were to be emphasized and all marks of infletlon were print ed over the words, thus allowing the pupil no individuality of expression. and rendering his reading mechan ical. In the Readers of today, all of this is eliminated and the pupil is his own interpreter. In the early days of the schools in Plattsmouth, the pupils were given lists of words which they were to spell, define and then use in sen tences. The teachers were often astound ed at some of the results of such assignments. . The indolent pupils were content to use the first .definition of the word that met their eyes and often they did not understand the definition any better than they did the word they were to define. Here are some of the results of their labor. Contiguous. Degnltion, to touch entirely on one side. "Her hat was contiguous." Thatched. Definition, covered with straw. "The boy was thatched. The next example was received by tradition. Bank-note. Definition, Bank, the edge of a stream. Note, to set down. "Bank-note, to set down by the edge of a stream." pooooooooooooocoocxsoooocc WE POINT WITH PRIDE TO THE Tailored to Order Suits ' WE ARE TCRUTNG OUT YonTl be Proud to Wear Them 220 up , VESCOTT'S Whirs Quality Count he In spite of a handicap in restrict ed revenues that causes an unsettled condition on our teaching force to day, nevertheless we feel that we are building better every year and it H our desire to inculcate upon the minds and hearts of our students the beautiful sentiment expressed by Oliver Wendell Holmes when wrote: "Build thee more s-ately man sions, O my soul. As the swift seasons roll! Leave thy low-vaulted past! Let each new temple, nobler than the last. Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast. Till thou at length art free. Leaving thine outgrown shell by Life's unresting sea!" From Thursday's Daily Searl S. Davis was a business visi tor in Omaha yesterday Miss Etta Nickles was in Omaha today where she spent the day visit ing and attending to business mat ters. Mrs. D. S. Sumner. Mrs. Jack S hriber and Mrs. D. E. Waller mo tored to Omaha today to spend the dey. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mitchell left this morning for their home in Den ver after a short visit in and near Plattsmouth. from Friday Dany Mr. and Mrs. Faul Lemke and baby of Omaha are visiting here at the home of Mrs. F. R. Guthmann. James McVey of near Nehawka was a visitor in tne city today to spend a few hours attending to some matters of business. From Saturday' Dally Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Breese of Red Oak are visiting here with Mrs. M. S. Kerr. E. P. Stewart and son Don are visiting with relatives in Spring field, Missouri. STAG PATROL MEETS The Stag patrol of the local Boy Scout troop, met Thursday evening at the W. A. Robertson home on North Sixth street. The group met on the Tery attractive lawn at tbe west of the home, where they enjoy ed their Scout work and games. The meeting also took up the election of the officers and the following were named: Billy Robertson, patrol lead er; Gerald Hennings, assistant pa trol leader; John Soennlchsen, scribe; Lars Larson, fun master; James Mauzy, hike master; Ralph Hilt, grub master; Donald Martin, advancement master. The Jolly group of boys enjoyed a lunch of weiners, buns and escal lcped potatoes to add to the com pletion of their evening. They will meet again on next Thursday. LAUD, FARM and RANCH BARGAINS FOR SALE OR TRADE Wagon and corn elevator. Phone 579-W. ol3-2tw HAMPSHIRE SH0ATS 25 Hampshire Shoats for sale. Double immuned. weighing about 125 to 150 pounds. H. E. Warden. Union, Nebr. )L0 i Better have a little pro tection on your house hold goods before you go into winter. A small pol icy costs so little and helps so much in case of a fire. Protect what you have before it's too late I Is Your Car Insured? Call or See INSURANCE ANO BONDS PHONS 16 Platts aao utm An interesting sidelight on tha