The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-07-02
The New Constitution.

that are provided for by it in the pres
/ entfundamental law as to enable the
I reader to comprehendthem at glance.
The people are to vote upon this in
strumcnt at special election to be
held on the 18th of August, and if
adopted it will go into operation on
the first of October next. The fol-
lowing are the most important changes
that are made:
First. as to the proposed new State
LegisIature. The Senate Is to consist
OF 81 and the House of, Represents
tiVes of lI05 members. They viii be
Il chosen b Y the ctfmulative vote IN all
counties where more than two are to
be elected. No person interested in a
contract is eligible. Per diem pay is
abolished and fixed annual ,sa laries
4 are substituted No member can &C.
cept a pass from any railroad or Is ans
i porTation company. Annual sess ions
i Of the Legislature are provided for.
i joint resolutions can be passed = My
4 by the recorded vote of a majority OF
\ each branch of the legislature and
I the votes ordering bills 10 first and
! second readings are to be taken by the
\ Yeas and naysh For the. first time in
the history of the State the Governor
Il IL; to 4a We the veto power, which can
only be overruled by a three-f -fifths
\ vote of both houses. Hitherto the
\ Chief Magfstrate has been little more
titan an 0rnain entel 6gHfe head, with
the privilege OF making Tecomfn enda-
tiohs 10 the Eegfsiathre, which are
n usually treated with indifference.
Another important right conferred
Il upon the Governor is that of Vetoing
any item of Appropriation bill. He
He can thus check personal jobs with
4 out rejecting the whole BILL The
II yeas and nays OF members are TO be
recorded OH each item 0fan appropri-
alton bill, and unless SUCH itefhs re-
ceives The vote Of d ! majority of the
Iiiembers eject it shall be rejected.
The legislature can vote no extra
compensation to. any, officer public
/ agent, or eontractoTs. OH biiA Ju2itcs
The eiecfio5nd. |. for State I officers viii
take. place this year as usual, on. the
second Taesd " IN Oct ober,. but here
after all elections in the State will be
biennial, and OH the Tuesday after the
first Monday5in NoVembe Der. The next
elecflob after that, OF this year, there
fore, viii be on the 7ih of November,
1876. which il, thefday fixed by; act. Of
Congress for Ihe eIectibn of all the
mlbesiE befs Of alt the Forty fifth Con-
gfess. On that day, and on the cor
Responding day in November every
second year thereafter, all State, Con-
gressiohaI, Legislative, and county Off
GERS Will be chosen. Women are not
allowed to vote, as the strong minded
had fond1Y. HOPED, Sbut they are ellgi-
Bile for al offices under the school
law except State Commissioners OF
Schools, and may be appointed to any
Office not an elective one. = !"
The changes in the courts and judi
cial procedure are Numerous and inn
! portant. The term of Office of the Sn-
prenie Court jlidg is increased to
ten years, and the salaries are not to
be less than $1,000 each per aiinum.
at the first election OF these judges no
person is to vote for more than three
of the five judges to be elected. The
drunkenness of judicial officer when
officially engaged fs~to be punished by
removal! 9As;the business OF the SH-
preme Court has. accumulated 3 so
greatly that 1t is four years in arrears,
q special conmission is provided for
to clear the docket, and a like commits
sion may be. appointed once in ten
years for the same purpose if necessa-
ry. A notable innovation is, that in
suits for less than 500 the Juries need
rot consist of more than Sir persons
each. The immemorial prejudice in
favor of twelve men, therefore, is
boldly assailed.
The offices of Commissioners of
Public Works are abolished, and that
of Superintendent of Public Work S
is substituted, County officers are to
hold their positions four years, and to
be paid salaries, and all fees will, have
to go into the local treasuries., go.
{, The taxation upon all real and per-
sonal property will be upon its assess
! ed money value at . uniform rate.
Franchises and incomes derived from
| Investments are to be taxed when the
property. itself cannot be reached.
Banks are to be taxed on the capital
employed and business done. Coun-
ties and townships are for the first
time made bodies corporate. to enable
them TO sue and be sued, The indebt-
edness of any municipal corporation
shall never exceed 5 per. cent. of the
taxable value of the property within
| its limits without the consent of three
1 IOuftnS OF the voters.
There are several amendments re-
/ lating to private elcorporations.y In the
election ofdirectors cumulative voting
is authorized. !, Insurance companies
are forbidden to do business in the
State ii they attempt to remove suits
brought against them in the State
courts to the United States courts. No
officer or agent of any company, own
ing or operating or. using railroad
in Ohio, shall be interested, by, him-
self or with others, in the receipts,
contracts, or earnings of such cOmpa-
ny otherwise than as. an ordinary
shipper or passenger, or as, a stock
holder, creditor, or employe, nor in
any arrangement that shall afford
more advantageous terms than are Off
4 feled to the public; all Yiolatiens of
this section to be void. The consoi-
datiop of parallel or competing rail-
stock or bonds, except for money or
property actually. received or for la
Dor done, is also forbidden ifal# sid
IbuSeKeral articles are submitted to the
people separately, and their rejection
WiH lI0b Eaffeot the constitution as a
wh0le3HThe most important of these
/ ah6 AAS qucSt4OusgO Oh 1l6CnslnS VI -pEO-
hibiting the sale of spirituos liqRofs
and prohibiting subscriptions in aid
ofrailroads by municipal corporations.
These are the salient features in the
proposed new constitution, and the
hpubic, outside ofeas well as in Ohio,
will Wstehjtsf fate, with genuine inter
estsIoEIlza II bfsiz sic baa ,1a8x 4sel
lhs3Gfsi fta.s Z .fl1.1 LIZ III, 81. 4fi5+
-Bd G0sf lal1 &. 10 salIsit a4aniBiu 10
THE w ashington correspondent of
tamed4 ts % nsnor IN N MAI Matt Gsrpentet. p eS teri
which finds vent in sagacious practical
jokes Calling, new pageto him the
other day, he sent the unsuspicious
lad to the document room for a. capy
of the ssN Notification Rill.Y Then he
quietly told Edmpndsn and Vermont