KKNTI VKY. 



409 



law; for nil town- r citie- having less tlinn !',- 

 i not |c-s than lo.ooo, $1 "II the hlllldrod dol- 

 r all towns <>r cities having less than I","" 1 ", 

 tin- hundred dollars; ami ti.r counties 

 :\n^ di-trict.>. .'" .i-nl- mi the hundred dollars ; 

 UUless it should ) nc. -i -.--an I" clialilc Mn-h city, 

 .IIIIIN, or taxing dist'riet to pay tin- inter 

 UK! pro\idc a Milking fund tor tin- extinction 

 "litraclcd lii-lon- tin- ailo|>tii>n of 

 listitution. No county, city, town, taxing dis- 

 : municipality shall be authorized or permitted 

 inn indebted, in ain iiiimin-r or for any pur- 

 aii amount exceeding in any yi-ar the in- 

 .h,l ivv.-nui- jirovidi-il for such year without 

 nt of two thirds of tin- voters thereof, voting 

 an i -li-i-tion to In- In-Ill for that purpose: and any 

 li-l.t -diicx's contracted in violation of this section 

 all l'i- \oiil. 



The rcspeeti\e cities, towns, counties, taxing dis- 



mil inunicipalities sliall not IK- uuthori/.eil or 

 rmitteil to incur indebtedness to an amount, includ- 

 in<,' indebtedness, in the aggn-irate excieding 

 -iwiiiir- named maximum percentages on the 

 uluc of the taxable property tlierein, viz: Cities of 

 he first and second classes, and of the third class 

 laving ii i>opulatioii exceeding 15,000, 10 per cent' 

 >f the third class having a population of 

 .,n 15,000, and cities and towns of the fourth 

 i-er cent.; cities and towns nt the fifth and 

 xth cla-ses. :: per cent.; and counties, taxing dis- 

 icts, and other municipalities, \1 per cent. 

 Whenever any county. city, town, taxing district, or 

 other municipalitv is authori/ed to contract an in- 

 debtedness, it sliall he required, at the same time, to 

 provide for the collection of an annual tax sufficient 

 to pay the interest on said indebtedness, and to create 

 a uniting fund for the payment of the principal there- 

 of, within not more than forty years Iroin the time of 

 contract iiii: the sain.-. 



The Commonwealth sliall not assume the debt of 

 any county, municipal corporation, or political subdi- 

 vision of the State, unless such debt shall have been 

 contracted to defend itself in time of war, to repel in- 

 vasion, or to suppress insurrection. 



The credit of the Common wealth shall not be 

 pledged or loaned to any individual, company, cor- 

 poration or association, municipality, or political sub- 

 division of the State; nor shall the Commonwealth 

 become an owner or stockholder in, nor make dona- 

 tion to, any company, association, or corporation, nor 

 shall the Commonwealth construct a railroad or other 



ie General Assembly shall not authorize any 



'unty or subdivision thereof, city, town, or incorpo- 

 rated district, to become a stockholder in any com- 

 pany, association, or corporation, or to obtain or ap- 

 propriate money for, or to loan its credit to, any cor- 

 poration, association, or individual, except for the pur- 

 pose of constructing or maintaining bridges, turnpike 

 roads, or irravel roads. 



In distributing the school fund no distinction shall 

 be made on account of race or color, and separate 

 schools for white and colored children shall be main- 

 tained. 



No railroad, steamboat, or other common carrier, 

 under heavy penalty to be fixed by the General As- 

 sembly, shall give a free pass or passes, or shall, at 

 reduced rates not common to the public, sell tickets 

 for transportation to any State, district, city, town, or 

 count v officer, or member of the General Assembly, 

 OTJudge, and any State, district, city, town, or county 

 officer, or member of the Cent-nil Assembly, or judge, 

 who shall accept or use :i free pass or passes, or sliall 

 receive or use tickets for transportation at reduced 

 rates not common to the public, shall forfeit his office. 



Consolidation of competing lines of railroad it* for- 

 bidden. 



A commission is established, to be known as the 

 "Kentucky Railroad Commission," which shall bo 

 Composed of three commissioners, appointed by the 

 Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the 



Senate, one f rii i t-wh KUjM-rior court ditri<-t. No j^-r- 

 on in the employ, or in uny wiie pecunarily intrrmtod 

 Minion carrier, or in u railroad eor|>ration, or in 

 railroad biixinei.*, Hhall hold such oilier. The JM.W 

 crs and duties oi the Kailroud < ommisMonern shall be 

 regulated by law, and until otherwise provided by 

 law the commission -.. CM iitcd .-hull have the Maine 

 JH.WCI-S and jurisdiction, jicrform the hame duties, be 

 subject t<> the same regulation-, and receive thu nuliiv 

 compensation, u now confcnv.l. pii ribcd und al 

 lowed by law to the e.\i-t'ui(.' Railroad <', 



All wage-earners in this Mate employed in factories, 

 mines, workshops, or by OOtponOOO* shall be paid 

 for their labor in lawful money, Tin- General As- 

 sembly shall prescribe adequate penalties for viola- 

 tions of this section. 



The suit of Government shall continue in the city 

 of Frankfort, unless removed by a vote of two third's 

 of each House of the first General Assembly that 

 convenes after the adoption of this Constitution. 



If three filths of the members of each UMIIM- of the 

 General Assembly sliall approve an amendment to 

 this Constitution, it shall be submitted to the people 

 at the next Lfciicral election, and if a majority of the 

 the votes cast shall be in favor of such amendment, 

 it shall become a part of the Constitution ; but no 

 more than two promised amendments shall be sub- 

 mitted to the people at one time, and the first General 

 Assembly hereunder shall have no power to propose 

 amendments. 



This Constitution, as submitted to the people 

 by the convention, was at first attacked by an 

 influential section of the Democratic party, and 

 when the Democratic nominating convention 

 met in May the party was so divided with refer- 

 ence thereto that no platform declaration was 

 made on this subject. Later there was a change 

 of feeling, and before the election was held the 

 outspoken opponents of the instrument had be- 

 come very few. The people voted overwhelming- 

 ly in its favor. The Constitutional Convention, 

 which adjourned in April till the first Wednes- 

 day of September, reassembled on the latter day, 

 and, in spite of the fact that the people had em- 

 phatically approved their work, proceeded to 

 make amendments and alterations. The sec- 

 tion of the new instrument giving the Governor 

 power to appoint, with consent of the Senate, all 

 State officers not required to be elected by the 

 people, was stricken out. The State Auditor, 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Clerk 

 of the Court of Appeals were made ineligible 

 for re-election. Special legislation was allowed 

 on questions of local option, turnpikes, bridges, 

 and public roads, public improvements and build- 

 ings, and common schools and paupers. 



The Railroad Commissioners after the term 

 of the first board appointed by Gov. Brown 

 shall expire, shall be elected by the people. 

 Numerous minor changes were made, and the 

 instrument in its altered form was finally signed 

 and published as the law of the State on Sept. -S. 

 on which day the convention adjourned sine die. 



Political. On May 14, a State convention of 

 the Democratic party met at Louisville, and 

 nominated the following ticket for State officers : 

 For Governor, John Young Brown ^-Imsi-n on 

 the thirteenth ballot over three competitors. 

 Cassius M. Clay, Jr., P. W. Harflin, and John D. 

 (lardy); for Lieutenant-Governor, Mitchell C. 

 Alford; for Treasurer, II. S. Hale; for Auditor, 

 L. C. Norman ; for Attorney-General. \V. J. 

 llendrick: for Superintendent of Public In- 

 truction. E. P. Thompson ; for Register of the 



