The Yale expositor., 1905-03-24
VOTERS ARE TO Be EDUCATED
Only a Small Per Cent. Vote on
Propositions to Amend
Constitution.
Another Sparrow Bounty Law May
Be Enacted, n Sort OF Local
Option AfIair-Notes of
Legislature.

Lansing, Mich, March 21.-The fact
that only IA very small percentage or
the electors who vote at elections at
which propositions TO amend the con-
'stitution are submitted ever vote eth
er way or such propositions. is he
lievesl by many legislators to he due
70 a lack Of knowledge Of the subject
matter of the proposed amendment on
the part of the electors. 1t is Il notori-
GUS fact that most Of the amendments
that have been made 10 our constitu-
,tton have been made by only handful
of the total number of electors who
recorded their votes for candidates for
Office Mt the same election only a ma
jority of those voting on the particular
question being necessary to carry the
amendment. For the same reason it
has thus far been impossible to pro-
vide for the calling Of a convention
to prepare Il general revision of the
constitution, inasmuch as 20 carry this
proposition Il majority Of the highest
number of votes cast ut the election
mot on the particular subject is nee
essary. and far less than such maJori-
ty took the trouble TO vote on the re-
vision proposition. II is proposed TO
hereafter inform the people Of the state
Regarding these measures In the hope
that greater interest will be taken in
them. Both houses have passed Sen
stor Linsley's bill which provides that
thesecretary Of stateshall, sixty, thirty
and fifteen days previous to election
mail TO each newspaper in the state
Statement covering the provisions Of
my proposed constitutional amend
inent to be voted upon. 1t is figured
that the newspapers will publish these
statements for the information of the
public. The bill also provides similar
statements printed in the English, Ger
man, Holland and Polish languages
Shall be mailed to all election inspec-
tors and posted prominently at polling
places. What Michigan needs is new
constitution. The present organic law
of the state is patchwork affair
which needs revision badly in order to
make it cover modern methods and re-
QuirementS
Sparrow Bounty Bill
Although It is only a very few years
Since the sparrow bounty law was re-
pealed because it developed that some
thrifty citizens of the state were
making more from its operation than
they were entitled to. the state is in
fair way to have a similar statute upon
fts books again. The house has passed
the Bosley bounty bill, which, how
ever IS a sort of local option meas
ure. 1t does not become operative in
my county until ratified or adopted by
the board of supervisors. The consid-
Grafton of this bill opens up the old
Question whether sparrows are more
Instructive than the insects they are
popularity supposed to destroy. That
Is q very old and much discussed ques-
ton. Doubtless many readers of this
letter will recall the ancient tale Of
the bashful young man who permitted
the conversation to lag sorely when
railing upon his best girl. Finally in
sheer desperation the girl introduced
The sparrow question which, then as
now, was agitating the good people Of
The state. After a few preliminaries
she asked the bashful swain which he
rows or worms, whereupon the diff
Hdent young man hlushingly remarked
that he really could not say inasmuch
as he had never had sparrows.
The indications at present are that
the two houses will. as in former years,
lock horns on the primary question,
the house standing for the Stone bill,
which provides for direct nominations
all along the line. while the senate will
favor the Brown bill. The latter is
patterned after the New York law. 1t
retains the convention syttem. but pro-
yides that delegates to state conven-
lions shall he chosen by direct vote,
and embodies a local option provision
under which counties may elect to
nominate candidates for county Offices
by direct vote. In all probability the
question will he thrown into the hands
Of conference committee, which will
settle the differences between the two
houses.
Railways Fighting Simpson Bill
The railroad companies are putting
up n stiff fight against the Simpson bill
which seeks 70 make them common
carriers of live stock. Farmers and
stock buyers throughout the state COM
plain that the companies will accept
live stock for shipment only when the
spirit moves as it were, OF, in other
words. whenever il is altogether con-
venient for them 10 do so. IL is al
legged Furthermore that ii Is not con-
yenient most of the time, so that ship
ments from many points are impos-
sibie. At hearing on the bill n couple
Of days ago the companies argued