The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-03-24
NEEDS REVISION
Of CONSTITUTION
Present Organic Law OF Mich
igan IS a Patchwork
hnalI.
VOTERS ARE TO EE EDUCATED
Only a Sn1al Per Cent. Vote on
Propositions to Amend
Constitution.
Another Sparrow Bounty Law May
BE Enacted, Sort Of Local
Option Affair Notes of
Legislature.

lansing Mich, March 21.-The fact
that only a very small percentage OF
the electors who vote at elections at
which propositions to amend the con-
stitution are submitted ever vote eth
er way on such propositions, is be-
lieved by many legislators to be due
to Il lack of knowledge of the subject
matter of the proposed amendment on
the part of the electors. 1t is a notorl-
Gus fact that most Of the amendments
that have been made to our constitu-
ton have been made by only handful
of the total number of electors who
recorded their votes for candidates Tor
office at the same election, only ma
jority of those voting on the particular
question being necessary to carry the
amendment. For the same reason II
has thus far been impossible TO pro
vide for the calling of a convention
to prepare a general revision of the
constitution, iuaSmuch as 10 carry this
proposition a majority of the highest
number Of votes east at 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 10
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
ator Iinsley's bill which provides that
the secretary of state shall, sixty, thirty
and fifteen days previous to election
mail TO each newspaper in the state a
statement covering the provisions of
any proposed constitutional amend
ment 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 n new
constitution The present organic law
Of the state is n 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 i'm a
fair way to have a similar statute upon
its books again. The house has passed
the Bosley bounty bill, which, how
ever. is sort of local option meas
ure 1t does not become operative in
any 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
destructive than the insects they are
popularity supposed to destroy That
is a very old and much discussed QucS-
ton Doubtless many readers of this
letter will recall the ancient tale Of
the bashful young man who permitted
the conversation to lag sorcly when
calling upon his best girl Finally i'm
sheer desperation the girl introduced
the sparrow question which. then as
now. was agitating the good people Of
the state After few preliminaries
she asked the bashful swain which he
considered the most undesirable spar
rows or worms. whereupon the diff
fident young man blushingly remarked
that he really could not say inasmuch
as he had never had sparrows
The indications at present are that
the two houses viii as in former years.
lock horns on the primary question
the house standing for the St"no H.,
which provides for diroot nominations
all along the limo. while the senate will
favor tho rroVn bill The latter is
pattorEcd after the New York law. 1t
ratains the convention system. but pro-
vides that delegates 10 state conven-
lions shall be chosen by direct vote,
and embodies n local option provision
under which counties may elect to
by direct vote. In all probability the
question VIII be 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 a stiff fight against the Simpson bill
which seeks TO make them common
carriers Of I've stock. Farmers and
stock buyers throughout the state com
plain that the companies will accept
five stock for shipment only when the
spirit moves, as it were. or, i'm other
words. whenever il is altogether con
venient for them 10 do so. 1t is al
legged furthermore that II is not con-
venient most Of the time. so that ship
ments from many points are impos-
sible. At hearing on the bill n couple
of days ago the companies argued