The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-10-28
DAHeERous PRoPosrr1ozs.

We invite the attention Of our read
ers to the article elsewhere in thu
issue. prepared and signed by the com
mittee appointed At 9 recent conference
in Nashville. in opposition TO the pro
posed constitutional amendments.
These arguments are very strong. and
TO ouI mind convincing. why these
proposed amendments TO the organic
law Of the State. should be defeated.
The pertinent question is asked. why
are the terms of Office of State Treas
urer ana Comptroller heightened to
four years. and these officials allowed
TO succeed themselves. and County
Trustees and Registers and SheIiffs
not allowed to succeed themselves
Why this favoritIsm toward the State
officials? Is not the political ing at
Nashville. with headquarters in the
State Capitol. quite strong enoughy
Attention lie also called o tine fact
that the adoption of the amendments
will cost the school fund $50. 900 an
nually. in unpaid poll taxes. Friends
and patrons of the public schools of
Tennessee should bear this In mind.
$50, 600 taken out of the school fund
every year would necessarily reduce
the number of school days In the year.
An idea prevails. more OF less. that
the adoption of these amendments will
call for fewer elections The public
mind should be disabused OF that false
notion. Whether you elect Governor
for two years or for four. Legislators
and congressman must still be elected
every two years. The biennial cleo
tIons will come just as regularly, then
as now. And while you are at the polls
it will be no more trouble to vote a
long ticket than an abbreviated one.
The sixth amendment seeks to favor
corporations at the expense of the
people. Corporations are favored too
much already; and the people are
taxed for their benefit too much |
already; hence the sixth amendment |
should be defeated.
The seventh amendment seeks to |
destroy, or If not It at least tends to ;
destroy. municipal ownership in Ten
nessee. 1t seeks to limit municipal I
Indebtedness, in order TO prevent cities
the State from issuing
bonds to build OF buy. own and control.
their own water and light plants.
Why should the people of the towns
and cities be bound and gagged after
this fashion? Are they not capable of
judging for themselves and governing !,
for themselves? Columbia has mis-.
erably poor contract tor its water .and1i
light. We should be slow to advised
ownership. but something +;
ought tQbe done to secure for the city
better fire protection and cleaner, purer ,
water than we are now getting. And /;
# Columbia should want to buy out of
heir present bad contract. why should !.
Columbia not have the right to do SO?
Why should the people Of any municl !
,allty divest themselves of any right?
t were better, we think, to hold to :.
III the rights they have, tor even then
he captains of industry" who man.
ge the corporations. trusts and COM
lines. manage, somehow or other, to :
un things pretty much to their liking. :
The bill providing for vote on
hese proposed amendments, specifies O
ow the ballots shall read, but the II
republican and Democratic State Ex- s
cutive Committees. have assumed II
uthorlty to change the callot. In b
hese days of machine politics. the D
Executive Committee is It. The Law Il
not It. ID
The law says that leach of said pro- 81
osed amendments shall be printed
pom the ballot That in certain
OWNS and counties, towns and coun u
es where the Dortch registration law II
revalls like Columbia and Maury n
'unty) "a Cross mark (X) opposite g
le work yes will indicate that the al
,rson SO marking his ballot desires to pi
ote for the amendment and the ballot
i'll he so counted.
The word Eyes" is required to be =,
inted on the ballot. There Is no =,
DIVISION under the law for the word ~
MOTTO he on any ballet. But the afoIe- "
I'D committees have ordered it to be =
It there. whether or no. Under the :.
W. every ballot not markeu in this :.
unity, would be counted against the -
nendments; and only those voting :.
es' would he counted for them. But -
der the State Committee ruling 1t
ould seem necessary to vote mo- IL n,
N do not want to vote yes. All ba
marked ballots IN this county, &C. IN
riding to the law, should be counted NJ
ainst the amendments, But what az