The herald., 1896-10-25

each candidate. 1t Is absolutely secret.
The present system Is not as there are
ways of marking ballot which DEFY the
law and enable the fioaters to prove that
he has conveyed the goods. The amend
ment does not require the adoption OF
the voting machine but allows the leg
islature to do so should they see At.
Amendment No. 8 provides that stock
holders of corporations who have paid
into the corporation the face value Of
their stock shall not be further liable
for the debts Of the corporation. In
other words 1t provides that the stock
holder can not be compelled to lose more
than he originally put in the concern.
The adoption of this amendment would
produce myriads of corporations as 1t
would be the safest way man could
engage in business. Private individuals
or co-partnerships engaging IN business
as such in case of business failure must
respond to the claims of creditors with
their last dollar and see no reason why
persons putting their business in the
form of q corporation should not do the
same.
Amendment No. 4-The constitution
as it stands at present provides that
municipal charters shall be subject to
general laws. The proposed amend.
ment adds except in municipal affairs"
Amendment No. should be carefully
examined by the voter. It provides,
among other things, that municipal
charters may prescribe the jurisdiction,
regulation. government, ETC., Of police
courts; also the manner of election and
terms of members Of boards of educa-
ton, police commissioners and boards
Of election. Now, in the adoption of
municipal charters voters can only vote
yes or no on the whole charter. If they
could adopt part and reject part, this
amendment would be all right AS 1t is,
charter good in other respects might.
W re- 1r1o ortf vrrttI tic
ions most hurtful and odious. Under
this amendment the police court could
be given jurisdiction Of any matter or
offense. however grave or important:
right of trial by jury denied, and such
regulations made as to make 1t the most
tyrannical institution imaginable.
There Is no necessity for the amend
ment. The jurisdiction and procedure
of all courts should be regulated by gen.
eral law, that we may not have different
brands Of justice in every city in the
state. Neither do we want two sets of
election laws-one for state and county
elections, and another for city elections
Amendment No. 6 extends the right Of
suffrage to women. No one can deny the
absolute right Of women, as a political
principle, to share the elective fran
chise. Their Standard of intelligence
is fully as high as that Of men; they must
obey the laws and suffer If they are
and the rights of the masses is trampled
in the dust. none feels the degradation
or endures the pangs Of hunger with
more discomfort than womankind, and
no one-will deny for an instant that they
have the spirit to rise against the op-
pressor.
However, I am not one of those who
believe that woman suffrage will bring
any immediate blessing On the con-
trary, I believe they will waste several
years trying to make men good by stat
utes-that their hobby, for awhile at
least, will be all sorts Of restrictive blue
laws. But when they have themselves
enjoyed greater freedom for few years
they will better appreciate its blessings,
and that not in restriction, but In the d.
rection of greater freedom lie the re-
forms which will bring the greatest hap
piness to mankind.
H. c. DILLON.
Amendment No. 4 provides that "cor-
porations for municipal purposes shall
not be created by special laws" Los
Angeles, for instance, was created by q
special law, called charter. If the
amendment is adopted, this city, ana
all others now operating under char
ters, will sustain no injury, but will have
the right to become organized under
such general laws as may hereafter be
passed. Special legislation cannot long
be tolerated in republic 1t is repug-
nant to our present constitution, and
our supreme court, while it has wavered
over acts of this kind, its decisions are
now setting strongly against them.
Equal rights to all, special privileges to
none. ought to be the leading principle
IN government of the people. We con-
stantly see the evils of such legislation
In our county government acts. The
legislature has always entitled these
ut tn tnI IieI,
system OF government" etc.. but that
Is the only uniform thing about them.
The several counties never have the ben.
eft of the wisdom and experience of the
members from other counties. Each
county delegation is allowed to fix UP"
It's own section of the act to suit them
Selves and the result is that we have
"hotch-pot," unsatisfactory to anybody,
and generally declared unconstitutional
by the supreme court The same thing
Is true Of cities. No section of the peo-
pie should be permitted to have any
charter 1t wants for municipal purposes.
The whole people of the state are in
terested in the government Of their cit
les, and should enact general laws for
their operation. The amendment is.
therefore, In the interests Of good gov
ernment and should be adopted.
Amendment No. seeks to supply GER
tain defects In our constitution. It is
u. a.
and II that is adopted, will become un-
necessary. Under the present constitu-
tion, the power Of the legislature to pro-
vide In charters for the constitution,
regulation, government and Jurisdiction
Of police courts; the election, appoint
ment and salaries of the Judges, clerks
and attaches of such courts, is doubted
and denied. The same defects are found
when we attempt to define the legal
status and powers of boards of educa.
tion. boards Of police commissioners,
boards of election. and consolidated city
and county governments The question
confronting the courts and lawyers in
such cases has always been: Is the
present constitution broad enough to
warrant the creation Of these several
bodies and clothe them with their pres
ent powers We must have these
courts and boards, and experience has
taught us that there is economy in con-
sOlidated city and county governments.
Accordingly, we want them firmly and
securely grounded in the constitution. IL,
therefore. special legislation, by way 0f
Of this amendment. However, as am
opposed to special legislation in gen.
eral, and to charters in particular, shall
vote against this amendment, in the
hope that amendment No. will be
adopted. In that event the legislature
can supply all of the aforesaid defects
by a general municipal Incorporation
law.
Amendment No. 6: am in favor Of
this amendment. Senator White Is iii