The San Francisco call., 1896-11-04
CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS,
Many Citizens Did Not
Pass Upon Them
at All.
Consequently They Made a
Mistake Of Some I'm.
portance.
EFFECT OF NOT VOTING THEM.
What the Amendments Provide The
Woman Suffrage One Fought by
the Liquor Dealers.

Six constitutional amendments were
voted upon at the election, and the usual
thing happened, that is that many voters
tarrying too long over the offices folded.
up and handed in their ballots without
voting on the amendments at all.
Considerable interest was felt in the
suffrage. The lady watchers who had this
amendment at heart and who remained
up in the booths until the small hours re-
ported that the Republicans generally
voted against woman suffrage while the
Democrats seemed to favor it.
This remarkable phenomenon was ex-
planned on the supposition that the ma
jority of the liquor dealers association
were Republicans and that they voted in
accordance with the published request of
the association to vote against it, because
it was feared that the Women's Christian
Temperance Union might exercise the
ballot to introduce prohibition in this
State.
Many voters thought that not to vote
for an amend ment would serve 10 defeat
il, because it would be required to have
two-thirds of the total vote cast. But the
phrase "two-thirds of the total vote cast"
means two-thirds of the vote cast for or
against the amendment. Consequently
the opponents of woman suffrage missed
point when they neglected to vote on the
proposition.
Amendment No. l exempts mortgages
and trust deeds from taxation.
Amendment No. 2 provides that all cleo
tions shall be by ballot or by such other
method as may be prescribed by law, pro-
viding that secrecy in voting be preserved.
No. is important and is here given in
full.
ARTICLE XII.
Section 3. The liability of stockholders of
corporations or joint stock associations shall
be limited by the face value of the shares of
the subscribed capital stock or shares of such
corporation or association; and whenever any
! such shares shall not be further liable to such
| corporation or association, the creditors
| thereof, on that account. Each stockholder of
| a corporation or joint stock association whose
| be individually and personally liable for
| such proportion of all its debts and liabilities
| contracted or incurred during the time he was
q stockholder or shareholder, the amount
| unpaid upon the stock or shares owned by MIN
| bears 10 the whole amount unpaid upon the
| subscribed capital stock or shares of the cor
poration or association. The directors OF
| trustees OF corporations and joint.stock asso
Citations shall be Jointly and severally liable &c
/ the creditors and stock lders for all moneys
| embezzled or misappropriated By the officer:
| OF such corporation or joint-stock association
| during the term OF Office of such director Oh
| trustee.
No. prohibits corporations for muni.
| cipal purposes being created by special
| laws.
| No. 5 allows city charters to fix the
times, ETC., for the terms of Police Judge
| memb bers OF the Board of Education, Police
| Commissioners and Boards of Election.
No. strikes the word ''male" out of the
| constitution and allows women to vote.