The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-08

number of side issues, important locally
in themselves, hut which are lost slght
of IN tho whirl and clatter OF the cam
paign. Most Of them are in the shape
of constitutional amendments which are
to be submitted 10 "a vote Of the people
but concerning which not ono man in
ten knows anything about before he
goes 10 the pulie. Public attention Is
usually centercd Oh some leading issue.
state or national, AID everything else Is
pushed TO the rear,
10
This year there are q large number
OF such questions to he voted on and
their adoption or rejection is matter
of local interest For instance: Rhode
Island will vote on the adoption of an
entirely rev constitution which has been
framed for that state and which makes
important changes in its fundamental
| law. 1t abolishes annual elections, sub
stituting biennial elections. does away
with double legislative sessions, estab-
fishes an educational qualification for
voters. gives the governor the veto power
and makes u majority of the votes policc
suthctent for the adoption Of d new con-
sutntion or an amendment, the require
nient now being a three.fifths vote. It
Will be seen that the new constitution is
a modern instrument differing In many
| ways from The present antiquated consti-
portant changes that will be made II ihc
voters approve. the matter is receiving
less attention than the election OF town
constable usually does.
--.:o:-
But the most interesting constitutional
amendments to be voted on are pending
in western states In two of them,
| South Dakota and Washington, female
suffrage propositions are before the peo-
nj VaiA ing1 nm 4
suffrage prevailed for some years IN
Washington when it was a territory,
| hut when its state constitution was
Voted on separate proposition giving
III" ballot to women was submitted and
rejected. Tho prospect of the present
| amendment ar" not very clear. IN South
| Dakota. however, the adoption of the
| amendment appears probable. This
| state will llsU vote on an amendment
| repeating the clause in tho constitution
| prohibiting the manufacture ana sale o.
| intoNicantS ana substituting IN Its place
| Il system much on the disp"nsarN plOn
nov in force In South Carolina. An
| other proposed amendment in the same
| state provides that vhen ) p"r cent. OF
| the voters petition for a law on any
| subject the legislature shall frame such
| law and submit it to the voters at the
| nest election.
| In North Dakota the voters viii say
what they think of an amendment eS
| tablishhE an educational qualification
| for voting and whether the Legislature
| shall prescribe penalties Tor failing
| ncGlecting or refusing to vote at any
| general election. Tho Minnesota bal.
| lots will decide whether proposed
| amendment mist have only n majority
| of the vote cast for that amendment or
| a majority of all the votes cast at that
! election, and in Iowa the question of an
| increase in the size of the legislature
| is before the people. California, how
| ever, has the largest number OF consti-
| tuuonal amendments proposed OF any
| state There are seven of them, but
! only one Is Of general interest. It is
| designed TO prevent hasty legislation
and divides the session into two periods.
| the first of which lasts for twenty-five
! days and during which new bills eau
| be introduced. Then q recess of from
| thirty TO thirty-siX days is taken wien
! the legislature comes together again
| and votes on the bills. But during the
| latter session no new bills can be in,
| troduced without the consent OF three.
| fourthS Of the members.
! The single tax question will come be.
| fore the people of Washington and Cali.
| forna but in different WAYS. In the
| former state "A constitutional amendment
will be submitted permitting municipali.
| ties TO decide by vote what class or class
| oS of property shall be taxed for munici.
| pal purposes. But in California the quCs
tion of Il single tax is presented in the
| record of the Democratic candidate Coi
| governor, who is an advocate of thai
| form of taxation and has made speeches
in congress and at home i'll it's favor
| 1t Will need much study and attention
| on the part of the voters of all these
| states to decide the many questions
submitted TO them inteligently.