Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-02

MEIJfODS w CONSTITUTION REVFSIDN
Secretary Of State Piper has just pro
mulgated the constitutional amendments
that were ordered submitted to the
voters of Nebraska by the last legisla.
turc. Every citizen of the state VIII
have from now until November to ia
miliarize himself with the provisions Of
these amendments and the changes
which they propose TO engraft upon
their fundamental law. The amend
ments represent what in the opinion of
the legislature is necessary to adapt
the constitution to the new conditions
that have arisen stree 1t was originally
ratified by the people in 1875.
The constitution of Nebraska provides
two separate and distinct methods for
its own revision. BY the first method
the amendments are framed and mi
tiated by the state legislature; by the
second method they are framed and ini-
tiated by q constitutional convention
specially called and assembled eXclu-
sively for that purpose. The amend
ments in both instances require the
w nv ulDIONu VI llt ullll-
fed voters of the state before they can
be put into effect.
The first mentioned method of CON
stitution revision leaves it within the
discretion of either branch of the
legislature, through a vote of three-fifths
of the members elected, to propose
amendments, which if endorsed by n
similar vote of the other branch must
be submitted for approval or rejection
at the polls. In order that an intelli-
gent expression may be had upon the
question the proposed amendments
must be published at least once n week
for a period of three months immedi-
ately preceding the election in at least
one newspaper In each county in the
state in which a newspaper is pub
liShcd. When more thar one amend
ment is submitted at the same election
they must be submitted so that the
elcctor may vote on each separately,
but the legislature may provide and has
provided that they may vote for or
against all of them collectively. Under
the Interpretation put upon the consti-
tuition by the supreme court, the ma
jority of votes required for the adoption
of the amendments is a majority of
the whole number of persons casting
ballots at the election.
Constitution revision by constitutional
convention is similar, but more com
plcated II the process necessarily
more protracted. When the legislature
by a three-fifths vote of the members of
each branch deems it necessary to call n
convention to revise, amend or change
the constitution, it may recommend to |
the electors at the next election of lepis. |
latlve members that they vote for or
against n proposition for the holding of
such a convention. If a majority |
voting at the election record them
selves in favor of the proposition the
legislature at it's next session is bound
10 provide by law for the calling of a
convention. The convention must con-
sist OF members equal in number to the
of the lower house of the
legislature, chosen in the same manner
and meeting within three months after
their election. The amendments pro-
posed by the constitutional convention
must finally be submitted to the electors
before it shall take effect and be
adopted by Il majority of those voting
for and against them. The constitution
does not provide explicitly for the publ
cation of amendments proposed by a
constitutional convention, but from
analogy the Inference is that this was
the intention, inasmuch as the necessity
for informing the voters of their pro-
Visions is the same in all cases.
The constitutional amendments TO he
voted on this year have been submitted
directly by the legislature because in
It's Judgment the desired end is to be
attained more economically and
more eXpeditiously. If ratified they
VIII be put in force within less than
TWO years from the time they were
to by the legislature, while had
a constitutional convention been called
1t would nave been not less thar six
before the changes could have
been secured.