The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-10-20
The Constitutional Amendments.


the Louisiana constitution which are
to be voted on at the coming election
will not be referred to on the Official
ballot ia the same numerical order
lat they passed the general assembly
and were promulgated by the secre-
sary of state. For the informant OF
voting readers of The Chief and the
avoid ance OF confusion and loss oil
time in marking ballots at the polls,
we cite the amendments herewith in
the sequence of their appearance on
the ballot:
l. Authorizing the city Of New Or
leans to issue So, 900, 600 of bonds for
the purpose of completing its sever
age, water and drainage systems, the
bonds to be based on the surplus de-
rived from the special tax OF two mills.
2. Providing for the payment OF the
back salaries OF public school teach
ers in New Orleans for the years 1885,
1886 and 1887, by giving authority to
the Board of Liquidation OF the City
Debt to Issue and sell sufficient bonds
to pay this debt.
3. Increasing the salary OF the At
torney General from $4,000 TO $4,000.
4. Providing for the election by
popular vote of the seven assessors
and tax collectors Of New Orleans,
now appointed by the governor.
5. Authorizing one of the two judges
of the city criminal court of New Or
leans to sit for the other 10 case Of
such vacancy, resignation, absence or
disability of the other judge.
6. Relative to drainage and sewer
age districts.
Z. Creating al additional district
Judge for the first district, the parish
of Caddo.
8. Reforming the judiciary system
by creating courts of appeal for the
country parishes.
8. Making the salaries Of district
judges uniformally $4,000 throughout
the state.
TO-. Removing the limitations placed
on the appropriations for the Ruston
Industrial Institute, which it is now
provided shall not exceed $4,000 per
annum.
IL. Providing for male or female in
spectors or factories throughout the
state.
II. Increasing the exemption from
taxation by providing that all mort
cages given for loans on real estate,
which real estate has already borne
it's due proportion of taxation, as well
as mortga age notes in the hands of the
mortg agees or his or their tr ansferees,
shall be exempt.
While The Chief has been disposed
to favor the adoption of all these pro-
posed amendments from the standpoint
that they are either distinctly meri5ori-
GUS or innocuous, discussion of the
provisions Of the twelfth proposition
discloses defect th at seems to warra
withdrawal of the Endorsement pre-
viously given the measure. The ostensi-
BILE purpose Of the amendment is merely
TO exempt from taxation mortgages on
real estate that has already borne its
fair share of taxation, and this was
no doubt the sole intent of the Trainer
Of the bill and Of the general assembly
that passed it. Ittranspires, however,
that church parsonages and rectories
have been omitted from the enumera-
tion OF property exempted from tax
alton, and il the amendment is adopted
churches and RELIGIOUS congreg atiops
will be compelled to pay taxes on the
dwellings of their priests, ministers
and rabbis, from which no revenue is
derived. A similar omission occurred
in the. framing of article 230 of the
of 1898, but it was cured
in 1902 by the adoption of an amend
ment specially exempting parsonages
and rectories from taxation. The
pending amendment fails to take cog
nizance of the one adopted four years
ago, hence it is being actively opposed
by members of the various religious
denomin ations throughout the state.
No very serious objections to any
OF the other eleven amendments have
been developed by the discussion car
ried on in the press OF the state, and
the voter may cast his ballot for all
the measures without apprehension of
doing any particular harm to himself
or the public welfare. It is true that
several OF the propositions are vir-
tually identical with others that have
been heretofore submitted to the peo-
pie and rejected, but this ought not
to constitute valid objection to their
now. Each amendment is
entitled to be considered on it's own
merits in the light of present condi-
tlons, and SO judged all will doubtless
be found worthy of adoption except
the twelfth.
Pay Your Poll Tax or Lose Your Vote.
The man who became Il years 81
age in or before 1904 and did not pay
his poll tax for 1905 and 1905 during
those years respectively, will not be
permitted to vote at the election to be
held on the 9Th OF next month. If he
aacane 2I during 1908 ha was liable