keep bridges which are over sixty feet long, on state or county roads. At the annual meeting the citizens tax themselves for all the necessary purposes of self-government, and elect their officers. These consist of clerk, treasurer, assessor, constable, justice of the peace, and one overseer of roads for each road district within the township. All except the justice of the peace and constable hold office for one year. OFFI. The clerk, assessor, and justice of the peace form the town board, which has three regular meetings each year to audit all the town accounts. One meeting is just before the town meeting, and one is also held before each of the two meetings of the county board. BOARD The legislature of 1895 changed the township organization law very much. Among other things, the number of supervisors was reduced. A super SUPER visor was formerly elected from each townVISORS ship. Now, however, only seven are elected for the whole county. The county may have been divided by the county board into seven districts, from each of which a supervisor is elected. If, however, there is a city of over 1,000 inhabitants, one district may have two, or even three, supervisors. In that case, only enough more districts are made to fill out the number seven. The term of a supervisor is two years. The law of 1895 was perhaps intended to remedy the fault of having too large a county board, as was the case where a supervisor was elected from each of the twenty or thirty districts. REVIEW. How did counties originate in England? Describe the origin and development of the township. What minor officers do the people of a precinct choose? What names are given to this court? What exclusive rights has this court? What is the origin of the name coroner? What are the duties of the coroner? Describe the duties of the county superintendent. What right of appointment was given the county judge in 1897? What does the word town mean, as used in our laws and generally in the East? Discuss the comparative merits of the commissioner and supervisor systems, as to cost and efficiency. Who should pay for the cost of a bridge across a river, when one end is in one county and the other end in another county? Who should pay for a bridge across the Missouri? How large must a bridge be before the county has to pay for it? In case of vacancy in the office of county superintendent, who fills the vacancy? In case of vacancy in office of county treasurer? Supervisor's office? Should a county superintendent be chosen at the same time, in the same manner, and for the same term as other county officers? Is there anything gained in requiring bonds of officers? Derivation and meaning of shire, precinct, probate, town. CHAPTER V.-THE STATE. The citizen of the school district is not only a member of the precinct and county, or of the township and county, as the case may be, but he also belongs to the greater corporation called the State of Nebraska. The number of districts' to which he belongs, one within the other, is confusing. Nevertheless it is his duty to know what his place is within the Commonwealth and the nation. PLACE OF A CITIZEN. The most important principle of democracy is, that all rights of government belong to the people themselves, and not to kings or other rulers. In a small democracy, where it is possible for all the citizens to come together to discuss what needs to be done, there is no need of representatives. But in an extensive democracy like the United States, or a part of it like the State of Nebraska, it is evidently impossible to get along without representatives. The right of government belongs to the whole people, but the work of government cannot be done by them altogether. So they select certain of their number to determine what laws shall govern them, and select others to do the work of government in accordance with those laws. 1 (1) Road Districts. (2) School District. (3) Town. (4) Commissioner District. (5) County. (6) Representative District. (7) Senatorial District. (8) Judicial District. (9) United States Land District. (10) Congressional District. (11) United States Judicial District. (12) Circuit of U. S. Judicial System. This explains why voters do not make laws, while they possess the power. The first step in building a state is for the people to adopt a written statement of principles affecting rights and wrongs, persons and property, and to arrange a method by which the public duties may be performed. Even the making of this document is not by the people themselves, but by men selected from among them for that purpose. When the document is drawn, it is submitted to the people, to be adopted by them as their mode of government, or rejected for a better one. Sometimes a state repeats this process several times before it is satisfied. Even then the people can change what they have adopted, as they think best. Such a writing not only outlines the system, showing what officers there shall be and of how many members the legislature shall be composed, but it also prescribes minutely how each part shall be organized, and how each officer shall perform his duty. It regulates very carefully the manner of making, adjudicating, and enforcing the laws. This very important writing is called the State Constitution, or fundamental law. With these primary instructions to be followed, the people may safely intrust the public interest to chosen men, only providing penalties for a betrayal of the trust. It may be well to notice a very interesting fact before beginning a study of the constitution of Nebraska. The earliest written constitutions contained only the most general statement of principles. They divided the work of governing into three departments, that of making laws, judging them, and of enforcing them. In order to make more secure the rights belonging to the individual, they declared that one should not be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law (Const. of Nebr., Art. I., § 3). They did not go beyond the limits of what is termed "constitutional". But gradually there crept into constitutions regulations of ordinary affairs, which were usually made into laws by the legislature. This means that the people wish to put many important matters which ought not to be frequently changed, beyond the reach of the legislature. With this adding of new subjects and particular regulations to constitutions, they have come to be lengthy documents. I.-CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES: THE FRAME OF GOVERNMENT. [In Appendix I., at the end of this book, the constitution of Nebraska is to be found. It is placed there to use. The following topics are intended to aid the student in studying its provisions. The language of that instrument is plain, and a student will seldom fail to understand it, as far as his Vocabulary goes. Certainly there are words to study, but that is just what every scholar does all his life. Webster's International Dictionary, or some other complete work of the kind, should be within reach. Notes are added, explaining some of the more difficult points. No attempt has been made to repeat what there is in the constitution. The judgment of the teacher should decide the amount to be discussed at a lesson, for not only are the topics of different importance, but the recitation period varies in different schools.] 258512B |