The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-02
STATE LAWS.
What the Different Legislatures
Are Doing.
A Review of Measures and
Methods.
FEW ANNUAL SESSIONS.
Nearly ALI State Law Makers
Meet Biennially.
FEW ANNUAL SESSIONS.
How Bicycles, Trading Stamps
and Assessments Are Treated.

| The New York state library has near
| ly ready it's. ninth annual comparative
summary and index Of legislation by
states, covering the laws passed in 1893
This bulletin digests and organizes the
enormous annual output of legislation
so as to render available with mini
mum OF labor the most recent exper-
fence of other states, enabling those in
terested in any specific law to find
readily what states have recently
passed similar laws.
A new feature of the bulletin this year
is a review of the most important and
distinctive legislation of the year, indi-
eating the general trend of legislation
by reference to laws of previous years.
But a few of the more interesting topics
treated in the review can here be
COVERING FRANCHISES IN THE
SOUTH.
The movement to place on more sat
isfactory basis the existing white SUI
premacy' throughout the black belt of
the south has made considerable prog
resS during the past year. Mississippi
adopted an educational qualification for
suffrage in $780, and South Carolina
provided an alternative educational or
property qualification in 1895. The new
constitution of Louisiana is a much
more radical movement in the same di-
rect1on. The acknowledged aim has been
to secure as nearly as possible the dis
REIMBURSEMENT of the negro while re-
tanning universal manhood suffrage for
the white race. About one-fifth of the
native whites in Louisiana are illiterate.
Some scheme seemed desirable to avoid
the disfranchisement of this large num-
Der of white voters. By an ingenious
continuance the new constitution vir-
tually establishes an alternative educa-
tional property qualification for all
negroes, but for those whites only who
did not at the time of the adoption of
| the constitution nQSSQSS the franchise
! The example set by these states seems
likely to be followed by Alabama, the
legislature at present in session having
provided for the submission of the ques-
ton of holding a constitutional conven-
ton to the people.
Delaware is the first state to go back
to the old system of voting after having
adopted the Australian ballot. A con-
stitutiOnal amendment adopted by
South Dakota provides for the initia-
tive and referendum in state and NUM-
cipal legislation. This is the first gen.
eral application of the principle in any
state and it's operation will be watched
with great interest.
| FEW YEARLY LEGISLATIVE SEES
SIONS.
Only New York, New Jersey, Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, Georgia and
South Carolina now have annual ses-
sions of the legislature, and the New
York legislature of 1898 adopted a reso-
luton referring to the legislature of 1899
a constitutional amendment providing
for biennial sessions
In 1896 the national conference of
commissioners on uniform legislation
recommended for adoption by the var
ious states a uniform negotiable instru-
ments law. This act was adopted by
New York, Connecticut, Florida and
Colorado in 1897, and during the past
year by Virginia, Maryland and Massa-
chusetts. If this law is adopted by the
rest of the states a reform of the great
est value to the business interests of the
nation will have haPn ACCOMPLISHED
THE VARIOUS ASSESSMENT LAWS.
Massachusetts and Illinois have made
serious attempts to reform the present
unsatisfactory system OF assessing the
general property tax. In Massachusetts
the state commissioner has been author
lied to appoint deputy who may visit
any city or town and inspect the work
of it's assessors and require of them
such action will tend to secure uni
formity in assessments throughout the
commonwealth. Illinois has thorough
ly revised it's very unsatisfactory sys-
tenn of assessments.
WHAT STATES HAVE BICYCLE
PATHS.
Massachusetts, has empowered cities
and towns to lay out bicycle paths. In
Ohio county commissioners have been
authorized to levy a license tax of 81 a
year on bicycles and with the proceeds
construct and maintain bicycle paths.
In this state also a law has been passed
requiring that in sprinkling streets in
cities of the first class a dry strip three
feet wide shall be left in which BIZ
cyclists shall have the right of way. Be
ginning with New York in 1896, twelve
states have passed laws requiring BIZ
cycles to be carried as other baggage.
Virginia was added to this list during
the past year.
CENTRALIZING EDUCATION.
The review states that one of the
most marked features of recent educa-
tional legislation is the general central
izing movement. The weaker schools
are being consolidated. the unit of local
administration enlarged and the local
authorities subjected to increased cen
trail supervision
The movement in the direction of Ii
brary extension through the establish
ment of state travelling libraries, first
undertaken by the New York state Ii
brary in 1892, has since spread to Mon
tana, Michigan, Ohio and Iowa, and
during the past year to New Jersey.
l. South Dakota has decided to adopt
the South Carolina plan of dealing with
the liquor traffic A constitutional
amendment providing for the manufac-
ture and sale of liquors exclusively I'M
der state control was ratified at the No
vember election Georgia has devised a
plan to test again the conStitutionality
of the national 10 per cent tax on state
bank notes. A commission has been es-
tablished with power to issue circulat-
ing notes to any bank If an attempt
is made to levy the 10 per cent tax the
attorney general is required to carry
the case to the United States supreme
court.
THE STATES THAT PROHIBIT
TRADING STAMPS.
The new constitution of Louisiana es-
tablishes a railroad, express, telephone,
craft and sleeping car commission, con-
sisting of three members elected by the
people with most extensive power to
esta blieh rates and regulations, deter
mir iqr2-