The weekly intelligencer., 1900-10-27
Constitutional Amendments.

To the editor OF he Intelligencer
There Is subject Of much impor-
tance to the people which in the heat
OF political excitement may be over
looked. ask place in your valuable
columns 10 call their attention TO 1t.
There are seven amenu ments to the
state constitution, submitted TO the
voters Of the state al the election TO be
held November the sixth. give be-
low a synopsis OF them.
The first amendment provides that
no person shall be criminally prose-
cuted, otherwise than by indictment or
information. This is only a slight
change from the present mode. The
constitution now provides that no per-
son shall be criminally prosecuted
except by indictment. The amend
ment authorizes courts to prosecute by
information also. This will remove
the necessity for having grand juries.
The second amendment authorizes
county courts 10 levy a tax of fifteen
cents for roads aud bridges on the 800
of assessed valuation In addition 10 The
current tax now levied for county
expenses. The constitution now limits
the amount that the county courts may
levy. II is different In different couR-
ties. In Lafayette county the limit is
fifty cents upon the 600 valuation.
From this tax ard the license levied for
various purposes the county derives It's
income. A very large portion Of thi:
rs required to meet the other expenses
Of the county, leaving but a small sum
to be expended on roads and bridges.
Ths farmers and Others who travel the
roads know whether there should be on
additional tax for this purpose. Il
should be remembered that the county
court Is not compelled to levy this tax
II IS left to the discretion Of the court
But when levied this tax is to be used
for road and bridge purposes only.
The third amendment also refers I,
the question Of assessment and Taxa
tion. II provides that when land O
personal property is morigaged, tn
assessor shall deduct from the assessa
ble valuation Of such land or othe
property, the amount Of Indebtedness
secured by such mortgage. Aud tha
the holder or owner Of the morlgag
shall be assessed with the amour
thereof.
Under the present law a tract Of Ian,
may b. mortgaged for its full assessa
BILE value, yet the owner must b
} assessed 10 that amount and pay th
taxes on it. The holder Of the mort
gage is also taxed on the amount Of tn
debt he holds against it. II is claimel
that this Is double taxation and th
object OF the amendment Is TO reliev
the land from taxation TO the amour
Of the debt upon 1t. This is to preven
what m claimed to be double assess
ment.
The fourth amendment authorize
the city of St LOUIS 10 subscrib
s5,0O0,O 900 TO the louisiana expositio
TO be held in 1908. The people Of 81
Louis have individually subscribe
50, 100000 TO this exposition. Con
gress at its last session appropriate
s6,O00,000 upon condition that III
city OF St. Louis In its corporal
capacity subscribe $4,000, 900. Th
s5,OOO,0O0 given by congress canBo
be utilized without the subscription b
the city Of ST. Louis. II this fails th
exposition will fail.
1t should be understood that thI
will be q debt against the city Of 81
Louis only, and that the property q
the city OF St.. Louis only, will be take
TO pay 1t. As this subscription
necessary to secure the Loulsina expo
sition, il is important that II should b
adopted.
The fifth amendment authorized th
Legislature TO subscribe 81, 200, 900 ou
Of the state sinking fund 10 pay th
expenses Of the state exhibit at III
Loulslna exposition. That the state q
Missouri should have an exhibit
admitted. That this exhibit should b
on grand scale will not be questioned
Being in this state, its agricultural
mineral, mechanical and lndustria
IPr0ducts, as well as lie creations OF AZ