The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-02-20
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THE INITIATIVE AND REFER
e tNDUM JOINT RESOLUTION
: TO AMEND CONSTITUTION.

7 10 AMtND CONSTITUTION. I
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There is before the General Assem-
bly, Of this State, and the same has
passed the Senate by a decisive ma
jority. Senate Joint Resolution No. so,
to amend Section l OF Article of the
Constitution of the State Of Ohio to
read as follows:
ARTICLE II.
Sec. I. The legislative power Of this
state shall be vested in a General AS
sembly, which shall consist of Sen
ate and House of Representatives;
but the people reserve the right to
enact or reject at the polls any law or
part of law which has been passed
by the General Assembly, or any pro-
posed law which, having been intro
duced by a member of the General
Assembly, has failed to pass, or hav-
ing passed has been vetoed by the
governor, or has not been passed by
the General Assembly without amend
ment. provided, however,
that no act Of the General Assembly
shall be rejected by a popular vote,
aud no measure rejected by the Cen
eral Assembly shall be adopted by
popular vote, unless the total number
Of votes cast thereon shall aggregate
not less than SIXTY PER CENT Of
the total number of votes cast at the
election"
A majority of the sixty per cent
will carry any measure.
Were the requirements Of this pro
posed amendment such as to demand
q MAJORITY of all the ELECTORS
o. the state, the advisability or neces-
sity Of such change in our Constitu-
tion would be debatable.
When the requirements are such as
to demand but sixty per cent of the
electors voting for the head of the
ticket at amy election and a majority
of these votes, or but thirty per cent
plus one vote Of those voting for the
head OF the ticket will carry any
measure, then the amendment be.
comes dangerous.
When but sixty-fiVe per cent Of the
electors vote at an election, and but
sixty per cent of this siXty-tive per
cent is required to vote on a PROPOSE
ton, and only thirty per cent plus
one Of this siXty-flve per cent is re-
Quired to decide the question, twenty
per cent of the electors can enact or
repeal laws. This makes this pro-
posed Constitutional Amendment
menace to the State, and requires on
its account the serious thought and
prompt action Of conservative citizens.
A statement of facts and figures
compiled from official records Is sub
mitted for your information; it will
show that only in times Of great mo-
ment, such as the election Of Presi-
dent Of the United States, is anything
like full vote registered; at other
times the vote is very light.
Thus an active interest on behalf Of
those INTERESTED in a measure
(and who would constitute small
minority and lack Of interest by a
large majority would place on our
statutes law after law of the most
obnoxious kind aimed at the indus
tries, commercial interests, and re-
sources Of our State. injuring all OF
our citizens, especially those who
would unintelligantly seek benefit
through this character of legislation.
It may readily be seen what Il weap-
on this bill will be in the hands OF
the INSCRIPTIONS and unthinking.
A STATEMENT.
The voting population Of Ohio for
1900 was f,212,223.
1896.
Total vote for President, 1896. ,OO7,79S
Sixty per cent would be ........ 6O4,679
A majority OF this would equal 80
per cent or ................... SO2,3iO
This would make law.
In 1896 less than thirty per cent Of
the voting population could have
made law under Initiative and Refer
endum as proposed.
1906.
Total vote for Secretary Of state,
1906 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ........ 79O1if
Sixty per cent would be ........ 474, ,0S6
A ma jority Of this would equal 10
per cent, or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 23iOli
This would make law over the
heads Of the Legislature and governor
In 1906 nineteen per cent of the
voting population could have made
unwise law or defeated wise law un-
der Initiative and Referendum as pro-