St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-10-03

great and manifold evils OF lnLempeF-
ance are not to be essentially al
leyiated by any scheme for licensing
the traffic
vnrred States Senator.
It becomes your duty at this SEES
sion to elect a senator to represent
this state in the Congress of the Uni
| ted States for the uneXpired term OF
the late Senator Justin S Morrill,,
which ends on the third day of March,
A d. 1903, heretofore filled by the
temporary appointment Of the Honor
able Jonathan Ross.
Reapportionment of State Senators.
The constitution provides, in effect,
that the senate shall be composed
of thirty members, that each county
shall be entitled to one senator and
the remainder of the senators shall
be apportioned to the several counties
according to their population, as ascer
tanned by the United States census.
Since 1890 there has been such a
change in the relative population OF
some of the counties as in all prob
ability to require reapportionment Of
the senators therein.
Such legislation ought to be had at
the present session as shall provide
for the expected contingency.
Constitutional Amendments.
The period has arrived when amend
ments to the constitution can be
initiated.
1t seems to me that it would b.
well to modify the present provisions
of the constitution in reference to the
: method of securing an amendment to
the instrument itself.
: The constitution now provides, iE
terms, that the community hath an
indubitable, unalienable, and indefeas-
able right to reform or alter the gov
eminent in such manner as shall be
7 by that community judged most con-
ducive to the public veal"
| But by the present method articles
Y of amendment can only be proposed
: every tenth year" So that however
1 great the occasion no change can be
i made in the interim. Under free gov
: eminent the people ought to be able
d to trust themselves.
: | think the constitution would be
y properly safeguarded If amendments
l. were allowed to be proposed at an!
t biennial session of the legislature
d leaving the other provisions in refer
e ence thereto as they are at present.
e For now, before any proposed
{ amendment can become effective, the
senate must by vote of two-thirds Of
its members propose it, and it mus
S be concurred in by a majority of the
. members of the house of representa-
tives. After that, 1t is referred to the
general assembly next to be chosen
+ and if majority of the members Of
Q the senate and the house of represen
tatives of the next following genera
l assembly shall respectively concur in
the proposal, it becomes the duty
J. of the general assembly to submit il
to direct vote of the freemen of the
state, majority of whose votes is re
/ quired before the proposal of amend
; ment becomes part of the constitu
/ ton.
So that no amendment can be adopt
ed until the third year after it is pro
l. posed. For example, If an amendment
d were proposed this session, it woul(
n be referred to the legislature of 1902
Y and if concurred in, then to the PEG
d pie in March, 1903.
s. By this method sufficient time in
tervenes to allow full discussion an(
l. proper consideration.
Il Proposals of amendment to the Con
If stitution of the United States may be
S made at any regular session of Con
n gress. Yet none have been made tt
Y that instrument within the last thirty
years. Likewise in most of the states
g of the Union, amendments can b.
# initiated at any regular session of thu
r legislature.
# | would also recommend that thu
L. day for holding the state election bt
/, changed to the first Tuesday in No
It vember, and the time for convenin&
the general assembly be altered to thu
|, first Wednesday in January.
In every other biennial term W.
d hold two elections, one for state of
It ficers and another for presidential
S electors.
The Inconvenience and expense o
the extra election might be avoided.
e The most of the states in the Unio1
II now hold their state elections on thu
federal election day. No good reason
!, can be urged why Vermont should
J. not adopt the same method.
4 I ask the senate to give these sub
T. n. = u.