The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-27

TIE new AMENDMENTS
Full Text of the Changes
in the Constitution to Be
Voted on Tomorrow.
SOME DOUBT ABOUT THE RESULT
Fears That Race Track Men Have
Been Working secretly Against
the Anti-Gambling Clause.
ONE DOUBT ABOUT THE RESULT
VOTE loGORRoW.


ments.
Polls open ........................... A. M.
Polls close .........-......-..-...-... P. M
Be sure to vote!
Although this State votes tomorrow at
a special election upon three. very i'm
portant changes in the organic law of
the State, little interest has been mani
tested in the matter by the people until
within the past week or so. The advo-
Gates of the amendments to the constitu-
tion seemed to then realize the necessity
of stirring up the voters, but 1t has been
uphill work Public meetings have been
held in the various cities. but they have
been slimly attended. and it is doubtful
if half the usual vote will be out Those
who were prominent in the fight against
the race tracks in the State three years
ago have endeavored to arouse public
sentiment to the Importance of the pro-
posed amendment prohibiting the enact
ment of any laws to legalize pool SELL
ing OF any sort of gambling, but the adj
yocates of woman suffrage have done lit
tie or nothing to bring that issue to the
front. The three proposed amendments
have passed two Legislatures and now go
to the people for ratification. If they
pass or fail at the polls neither these
nor any other amendments can be acted
on for space of five years.
The opponents of the so-called race
track amendment have made no noise at
all, and, indeed, whatever work they have
done has been accomplished in secret so
that no one can tell the strength of that
element The opposition, however, is said
TO be formidable, and that a quiet but
eenectlye campaign has nsen carried on
those who sat quietly by. There is un-
coubtedly large element in every po-
htical district in the State which, while
sirenuously opposing race track gambling
yet bslieye that horse racing can be car
ried on under proper regulations SO as not
10 give offense to the highly moral ele-
ment of the State.
The proposed amendment affecting the
race tracks is as follows
Amend paragraph of section VII of
article ~. SO as to read as follows:-
2. No lottery shall be authorized by the
legislature or otherwise in this State; and
no ticket in any lottery shall be bought
or sold within this State, nor shall pool
selling, book-making, or gambling of any
State. nor shall any gambling device.
practice or game of chance now pro-
hibitsd by law be legalized, or the remedy,
penalty or punishment now provided
The second amendment relates. to the
ad interim appointment of the Cover
nor-that Is, those made after the ses-
sion OF the Legislature has rendered it
impossible for the Senate to confirm or
reject. In a number of instances Gov
eTnors have sent to Senates appointments
which, for various reasons, partisan and
otherwise, failed of confirmation In
stead of sending in new names the Ex-
eeutives have found il expedient to wait
Till after the Senate has adjourned and
then reappoint, the very men whom the
Senate rejected. and in some instances
these appointees have not been the best
of public officials. To correct this the fol-
lowing amendment is proposed
Add the following to section XII of
No person who shall have been nominat-
ed to the Senate by the Governor for any
office of trust or profit under the Govern
men Of this State, and shall not have
been confirmed before the recess of the
Legislature, shall be eligible for appoint
ment to such once during the continuance
of such recess.
For years women in New Jersey voted
at school board elections in many of the
smaller towns and townships. One day,
however. there came a contention over
an election in which women had partici-
courts. The Supreme Court decided that
voting by women was against the Consti-
tuition. The Court of Errors and Appeals
sustained this view. and no more votes
from feminine hands dropped into any
ballot boxes within the State So much
Of good had been derived frdn the par
ticipatlon of women in the selection of
school boards that the advocates of the
suffrage soon got to work and secured the
passage by two Legislatures of the. pro-
posed amendment to overcome the decis-
Ion of the courts. That proposed amend
ment reads as follows
ARTICLE II
Amend Section to read as follows:-
l. Every male citizen of the United
States OF the age of twenty-one years,
who shall have been a resident of this
State one year and of the county of which
fore the election, shall be entitled to vote
for all officers that now are or hereafter
ee esen q the nted States
the age of twenty-one years, who shall
have been resident of this State one
ysa ah1 hsr o yots ne ave Months % mc heore
said meeting, shall be entitled to vote
ct any school meeting held in any school
su ,s,rir rs.,de for the members wncd Of boards
of education and all other school Off
GERS that now or hereafter may be elected
81 person neh IN the military, naval or na marine
service OF the United States shall be con-
sidered q resident in this State by be-
ing stationed in any garrison, barrack OF
military or naval place or station within
this State; and no pauper, idiot, insane
person, or persons convicted of crime
which now excludes him or her from be-
BY law to the right Of suffrage shall en-,
10Y the right of an elector; and provided
further, that IN time of war no elector in
the actual military service of the State
orfpf the United States, in the array OF
navy thereof, shah be deprived Of his vote
bysreasun of his absence from such cleo
tior district; and the Legislature shall
have power TO provide the manner In
which and the time and place at which
such absent elector may vote, and for the
return and canvass of their votes in the
election district In which they respectively
reside.
The tickets to be voted tomorrow con
tain the three amendments They are
provided by the State and require no Off
cfaI envelope such as is used at all gen.
eral elections. In order TO vote agains!
any amendment the voter will be required
to cross 1t off with pen or pencil. Other.
wise the vote will be taken as in favor Of
the amendment
ii majority of the churches through
out the State yesterday the pastors
preached special sermons bearing upoI
ffie amendments and urging their hocks
to go to the polls and vote.
VOTE TOMORROW.