Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-10-23
The Proposed Amendments
to the Constitution.

lie ITOpOSeu AulC1luiAcHtS
to the Constitution.
The following editorial relating
to the November election is taken
from the Carthagenian. one of the
newsiest and best edited papers in
the State. We heartily commend
il to-tbe careffall pernsaf OF every
voter in Lafayette County:
Eat the last session of the Legis-
both houses OF that body
adopted resolutions proposing
three several amendments to the
State constitution, In our judg-i
ment the merits Of these proposed
amendments should commend !,
them to the voters at the coming
election and insure their adoption
by a rousing majority. A brief
discussion of the matter, however,
may not be amiss. inasmuch as
some OF our readers may have
given the subject little attention,
and it is desirable that each voter
should vote intelligently thereon.
and cote directly for or against
each amendment, to the end that
the true sense of the people shall
be determined by the result of
the election.
"One of these amendments re.
|lates TO the method by which our
organic law may be alterated,
changed or amended. Under the
present constitution lsectiOn 273)
when an amendment to the con-
stiution is proposed and submitted
to the people at the ballot box for
ratification or rejection, every bal
lot which is not marked either for
or against the amendments is
counted as having been polled
against it. An instance of how
the present constitution works In
this regard was furnished when
at the last State election the pro-
posed amendment providing for
the election of judges received an
overwhelming majority ofthe bal.
lots of the voters who voted
directly thereon; yet as every bal
lot which ignored the amendment
by not being marked either for or
against the amendment, it was de-
clared by the Supreme Court that
such amendment was rejected.
Now it looks a trife hard that
those who, either from Ignorance
or indifference, fail or refuse to
vote on an amendment should be
able by the sheer force OF interest
to annul the active and intelligent
endeavors OF their more patriotic
and enlightened fellow citizens in
such way. The object of the pro.
posed amendments to section 273
is to eliminate the barnacles from
the old ship of state, and in the
determination of whether a change
in the organic law has or has not
been ratified only those ballots
will be considered which show a
direct affirmative or negative vote
"The next proposed amendment
to the constitution so far modifies
section 1873 as to permit counties
cities, towns or magistrates dis
tricts of a county to become stock
holders in a railroad company, OF
to vote aid to a railroad company
to secure the construction OF q
railway. The presen: constitution
adopted when the fight against all
corporations led the people to
lose the sense Of distinction be-
tween these channels of trans
pOrtatiOn and other less essential
corporate bodies, unwisely tied
the hands of our communities:
and many people are now hauling
their products over weary miles
of bad roads who, but for the un-
wise restrictive clause in the
constitution, might have had all
the benefits of railway transporta'
ton. Our State papers have fOl
some months past been urgent in
their demands for "good roads,
The Carthagenian now raises the
| cry for railroads" That the gods
help those who help themselves
was never truer than it is today
Those who build railways do SC
with less hesitation when the peo-
pie along the proposed line take
stock in the enterprise. Leake
County has had an experience
which should have taught us a
lesson. Twenty years or so ago
Gen. John b. Gordon had the
money and the wish to build a
road through our territory. Al
his instance Mr.. Fl. G. McCabe
came to our county to ask the
county to take stock In the road.
Public sentiment was SO adverse
to this that the proposition was
1 withdrawn and the road was never
built. We would have done better
to have made an absolute dOna-
ton of s250,000 to that enterprise
than to have let it pass US by as
it did.
sAnother thing: Under the
present plan of consolidating the
great railway systems competition
in freight rates is fast disappear
ing. 1t may in the near future
become necessary for the cities,