The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1900-10-05
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.


| Ballot For or Against.
The properly qualified voters of Florida
will have chance at the November
election Of expressing an opinion in re-
gard to four proposed constitutional
amendments. In substance they are as
follow:
Section % of Article III, which now
gives the legislature authorize 10 provide
nv general law for the incorporation OF
''such educational. agricultural, mechan-
ical and other useful companies or associ-
atoms as may be deemed necessary"
will include in the list transportation and
mercantile companies or associations,
with provision that 1t ''shall not pass
any special law on any such subject, and
any special law shall be of no effect, pro-
vided, however, that nothing herein shall
preclude special legislation as to any
university or the public schools, or as to
a ship canal across the state" This is ap-
parently a very good amendment and
can be voted for with perfect confidence.
Section of Article VII, relating to the
formation of new counties, will provide
that new counties shall be entitled to one
representative each Sin excess of the
limit prescribed in Section of this arti-
cle," that limit being 6S members in all.
Most of the counties in South Florida are
still too large and we can see no harm in
adopting this amendment.
Section of Article VIII, providing for
the appointment of county commission
ers by the governor, will read as follows:
Section 5. Immediately upon the rati-
flcatiOn of this amendment, the county
commissioners of the several counties of
this state shall divide their respective
counties into five commissioners dis
tricts, to be numbered from one to five
inclusive, and each district shall be, as
nearly as possible, equal in proportion to
population, and thereafter there shall be
IN each of such districts a county commits
sioner, who shall be elected by the quail
fed electors of said county, at the time
and place of voting for other county
officers, and shall hold his office for two
years. The powers, duties and compen-
sation of such county commissioners shall
be prescribed by law; Provided, That
nothing herein shall effect the terms of
such division; Provided, further, That
all vacancies occurring by limitations of
terms, or from death, resignation or 9TH
erwise, before the election of 1902, shall
be filed by the governor as now provided
by law.
This is an amendment that will be
voted in the affirmative in the greater
portion of Sonth and Middle Florida, and
should be carried. 1t brings the govern
ment closer to the people, where it should
be, and tends to do away with centrali-
ZatiOn.
Section u of Article WI, relating to
the state seal and emblem, will be pre-
scribed as follows:
The state flag shall be of the following
proportions and description: Depth to
be three-fourths length of fly. The seal
of the state of diameter One-third the fly,
in the center of a white ground. Red
bars, in width one-eghth the fly, extend
ing from each corner toward the center
to the outer rim of the seal.
The voter can use his judgment on
this matter as his fancy dictates, it is a
matter of no great importance, and no
harm will come whether adopted or not.