New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-01
THE NOVEMBER REFERENDUM

The State Canvassing Board after many de-
lays has certified the votes cast for and against
the seven constitutional amendments submitted
for approval On November T. AS was to be ex-
pected all the amendments carried. In each
instance the affirmative vote was more than
twice as large as the negative. The biggest
majority recorded ,007-was that given for
the fifth amendment, which The Tribune heart
lily supported, allowing the state to issue $780,
100000 in bonds to carry out the provisions of
the Higbie-Armstrong good roads law The
next largest 236 693-was that rolled up for the
first amendment, which permits New-York City
TO issue bonds to enlarge its water supply with
out charging this new Indebtedness against the
city's debt creating capacity, limited by the con-
stitution to 10 per cent of its assessed real
estate valuation The smallest majorities-
1G3, $40 and 162, 57S-were given for the third
and seventh amendments. enlarging the judici-
airy and splitting the present Second judicial
District into two districts. The amendments
were opposed by no political organization. OPP
position was expressed in certain quarters to
the adoption Of the fourth, empowering the state
to regulate wages and hours of labor in cases
in which the state is employer, directly or In
directly But this protest sporadic and
unorganized and the majority for the fourth
amendment ran to 204, 964. The total negative
vote was. however 49,. Goethe second largest
negative total recorded.
An effort is now being made to discredit the
November referendum as "farcicaP'-on the
ground chiefly, that the poll was not full one
and therefore not representative. The hghest
vote cast on any Of the seven questions SUBMIT
ted was 5OO,36 In 1904 more than 16OOOOo
votes we're cast for Presidential candidates, and
the average vote Of the state in recent years has
been between 100000 and 100000. Com
mode
questions of importance are being decided by
minority of the actual voters. This criticism,
though plausible is not convincing; for 1t fails
TO show that the vote as taken did not represent
the true wishes and feelings Of the electorate
Of the seven amendments submitted none raised
an issue on which parties divided or on Wnlch
nonulsr sentiment could be widely aroused. One
amendment-the water supply bonding proYi-
sion-interested New-YOrk City. The GOOD roads
project interested the interior counties, especial
" those in the southern tier. One judiciary
amendment directly affected Kings County ana
the other counties in the Second Judicial DIS
trct IF any special fight was made for the
a;ob+ hour amendment it was made by the labor
organizations in the principal cities
rho oraa+ hulk of the electorate undoubtedly
stood toward the proposed changes in an atu-
t71da IF benevolent neutrality. wiling 10 NAYS
+bano apnroved or defeated by the voters hold-
~, nositive and well developed opinions either
NO or con This is logical and defensible at
t,tude: and it is certainly clear that voters VINO
saw no reason for either opposing or supporting
~ amendments were more willing to acqu1esce
- +boir adontion than to aid in their defeat IL
Is more than probable that on fuller vote inc
affirmative major1ties would have been larger
for if can hardly be said that any serious popu-
lar opposition existed to the amendments "nen
the highest negative total recorded against any
of them was only 183.999-less than
- . o1oo+ora+a The referendum Of November
: tavor NAV be said Of its results, rejected
-! :, ar,inione and wishes Of the voters OF the
state.