Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-03-30


THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENTS.
BY joint resolutions adopted by the
State Legislature, there are to be sub
miiscd TO the people of the state. at the
election next Monday. two constitutional
amer dmerts. The first amends section
II of Article W.. SO as to fcad as follows:
SECTION IL. Tie Justices of the SUI
preme Court shsli appoint the clerk Of
said court; and the clerk of each county
organized for Judicial purposes shall be
clerk OF the Circuit Court Of such county.
The constitution, as it now stands, pro-
vides that 1.-The clerk of each county or.
ganized tor judicial purposes shall be the
clerk of the Circuit Court of such
county, and of the Supreme Court when
held within the same" This provision
making the County Clerk clerk of the
Supreme Court when held in the county
was adopted when the Legislature was
in the habit of designating different To-
cllities for the holding of the Supreme
Court, under tie constitution, it being
its province so TO DO. and the place OF
holding said c, urt has been changed a
nnmber of times but the l.w now pro-
vides that all the terms shall he held at
Lansing, and for several years they have
beeIfso bel and it is not at all likely
that the law in this respect will be again
changed. As the constitution now
stands, it makes it incumbent upon the
County Clerk of InglIam county TO act as
the Clerk Of the Supreme Court. This
provision of the constitution il is pro-
posed 10 amend 30 rs to allow the JUS
ices of the Supreme Court TO appoint
their own clerk. The amendment is
certainly reasonable one, and we think
there caii De no question as to It's a,lop-
ton. and would urge upon the electors
OF Chetoygan county to vote for the
amendment.
The second amendmert is in regard to
the liability of stockholders in corpora
tions and joint stock associations, and, il
adopted, will ameid section Of Article
XIV. of the constitution, SO as 10 read as
follows:
SECTION Z. The stockholders i'm all
corporations and joint stock associations
s-iall be Individually liable in an amount
equal to the par rdtue Of their respective
shares tChich they OlCn. or haze 0lCned, in
such corporations and associations for all
labor done In behalf of such corporation
or joint stock association dunng The time
of their being such stockholders.
Under the present constitution, stock
holders are individually liable for all Ia
Dor performed, and this stringent re-
quirement. we think. serves to prevent
the investment OF capital in many enter
prises which, were the requirements OF
the constitution not so rigid, might, and
would, no doubt, be invested There
are many men of means who TO not care
TO, or perhaps are so situated that they
emmett give their personal attention 10
the supervision OF enterprises Tor when
an Investment of their idle capital is
sought, and have refused from the fact
that the present constitution, in case
misfortune should attend the enterprise.
" ould make them individually liable for
all labor, and cause them 10 lose not
only what they might have invested in
the bu. mess, but large additional SUNG
besides. While we believe III protecting
labor, we do not believe i'm doing so at
the expense of capital. We believe this
amendment TO be in the interest of labor.
and, il adopted. will be the means of
encouraging capitalists to make invest
ments which will create a demand Tor
labor, and with the increased demand
We are confident would come higher
wages. Tie great trouble with labor,
TT the present time. is that it is i'm excess
Of The demand, AMI low prices will be
sure to rule until the demand is more in
keeping with The supply. We hope that
all voters will cast ballot i'm favor of
both of thes e amendments.