The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1870-03-10
The Amended Constitution.

The Chicago Evening journal, "a truly
Loyal" organ discourses of the propOse.iai
changes in our State Constitution, as fOl--i
lows: ad rH
"The Tennessee Constitutional Conven-
tion is making thorough work of remodel
ing the organic law ofthe State. Its ses-
sion has already extended one month,
Eight amendments have been agreed up
on thus far, viz:
/. Making universal the franchise with
poll tax qualification 2. Giving the Coy
ernor a limited veto, so be overcome by
two-thirds vote of all the members to each
House. 8. Restricting the Legislature to
seventy-6ve days for regular, and twen-
ty days for called session. a. Requir-
ing three-fourths' majority Of the qualified
voters of town, city, or county to loan
the public credit. 5. Prohibiting the
State from becoming a stOckholder with ,
others, or issuing bonds in aid Of any en-
terprise 6. Raising the number of .Su-
preme Court Judges from three to five,
and making their term of office eight years,
and throwing out the preseut Judges
with disqualification of the new Constitu-
ton. T. Requiring Clerks and people,
instead of appointing as heretofore 8.
Taking from the Legislature the power to
pass special acts of incorporation.
These provisions are in the main equi-
table. The State has been so deeply in-'
volved in debt that the fifth proposition.is
in that case good policy. The blow at
special legislation will correct grievous
evil. The ousting of the State Judges is
a political measure, and is only what any
party would do in a State where party
lines are so sharply drawn. The tax quail
ifcation is an indirect but unmistakable
stab at negro suffrage. A Nashville cor
respondent, writing about this proposition,
says:
"Everybody who has kept at all posted
in regard to Tennessee affairs knows what
a fuss the Conservatives have made about
certificates of registration, but now, when
they have come to act for themselves and
remodel the organic law, they have substi-
tuted the worst of all certihcates-a tax
receipt.
"The Franchise amendment whichswas
adopted by the Convention last week, pro-
vides that before man shall be allowed
to vote he must furnish to the Judges Of
Election satisfactory eyidencelthat he has
paid the poll-taxes due from him up to
some specified time. This provision has
been cunningly devised by the enemies of
negro suffrage for the purpose Of gaining
control of negro votes. There are about
10000 colored voters in the State, and ma
ny fthese will be effectually disfranchised
by requiring payment of So or $4 poll
tax. This provision will prove odiOus and
obnoxious in more than one particular.
1t will give the wealthy candidate for Of
fee great advantage over the poor man,
The former can secure votes by paying the
poll-taxes, and thus beat the most worthy
man. In heated contest, for instance, a
tax collector, who is Republican, may
refuse to give receipt to Democrat, or
pice rsr8d, or he may absent himself from
home and refuse to issue receipts at all.
Thus it is easy to see that by this provision
the door will be opened to an almost end
less amount Of corruption"
This is an exageration. Every man
: should pay poll tax. A great many e.
wade it, thus defrauding the State in which
they live, and to which they are indebted
/, for protection of life and property. The
poorest laborer is in duty bound to con-
tribute something to the State exchequer.
The proposed amendment will make it for
the interest of every man to do his duty.
In few instances it might be the instru-
ment of corruption, but if the proper Off
cial to receive the tax and receipt therefor
should refuse to do his duty, by any device,
he would be guilty of malfeasance in oficNs
and liable to punishment.