Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-03

the American union, and the constitu-
tion Of the United States is the su-
preme law Of the land" Another pc
culiar feature OF tho bill OF rights
is the declaration that il is the right OF
a citizen to obtain employment wher-
ever possible, and punishment is
provided for any interference with
this right by blaclllisting, boycott
ting, or otherwise. AS TO the jury sys-
tenn il is provided that civil suits may
be tried to jury OF less than twelve,
and allows the legislature to make any
changes in the grand jury system that
1t may deem proper. The safeguards
against corrupt practices by public Off
cials are strong and the penalties for
such practices ample. The sessions of
the Legislature, except the first, are
linn ted TO sixty Gays. The veto power
OF the governor extends TO items OF APP
preparation bills, and he also has the
full power of pardon. The right of suf-
frage is granted to civilized per-
sons of Indian descent who have severed
their tribal relations two years next
preceding the adoption of the constitu-
tion, and to women having the qualifi-
cations to vote in school elections. Per-
sons of foreign birth can exercise the
suffrage only when fully naturalized.
There are no radical innovations in
the constitution of Washington except
with respect to corporations. The prin-
ciples of the Interstate commerce act
are planted firmly in the constitution
and put beyond the reach of the legis-
lature. The right to fix rates is
asserted without qualification, pools are
forbidden, and fictitious stock or in
debtedness is declared void. Compet-
ing lines of railroad can not be consoli-
dated, and the right Of eminent domain
is asserted over all corporate property
to the same extent as over private prop
erty, being expressly extended to all
telegraph and telephone companies.
| Stockholders in banking corporations
are liable to double the amount of their
stock for corporate debts, while
in other corporations stockholders
are liable only to the amount
| of their unpaid stock In all
other respects except in its dealing
with corporations the constitution of
| Washington is very con sentative.
! The Montana constitution curtails
the power and functions OF the legisla-
ture in a marked degree in comparison
with the older state constitutions. The
amplest provision has been made to
| preserve the rights of the people
from legislative encroachment and also
| to protect them against legislative cor
| ruption. In none Of the new states,
nor in any of the old, has
the popular distrust of legis-
lative power been more strongly
expressed than by the men who fran ed
the constitution of Montana. This state
is somewhat less radical than Wash
ington in dealing with corporations,
but it has incorporated in the organic
law most of the salient features OF the
Interstate commerce act.
These constitutions, representing the
views and wishes of distinct and widely
separated communities, broadly di-
vergent in important respects, but all
of them republican in form, will
now go on trial. That all of them
will remain permanently intact, not
withstanding the care and intelligence
which marked the labor Of framng
them, is not to expected. Experience
with their operation and the changed
conditions of the future will undoubt
edly suggest and compel amendments,
and some of these may remove provi
sions now deemed the wlsest and most
vital. But on the wnole the people of
the new states are to be congratulated
upon the adoption of organic laws which
reflect high credit upon their intelli
gence and their patriotism.