The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-09-11
AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION.

c and Republican parties upon the
question of extending the term Of the
Governor and other State officers truly
reflects the will of the members OF
those parties, they demonstrate a
most remarkable change in sentiment
in less than four years. Within the
past quadrenium the people of Ten
nessee, irrespective of political afhli-
ations have Overwhelmingly voted to
reject these very same propositions.
It is hardly believable that within so
short IA time there has been such a
revolution of public sentiment that
the proposed amendments, if submit
ted at this time, would be approved
by the constitutional majority.
Just how persuasive the party dec
larations upon the question will be
with the voters is a matter about
which there is much room for doubt.
The four-year plan was not an issue
in the Democratic campaign for Gov
srnor; neither candidate for the NOM
tnation mentioned it and not a paper
in Tennessee advocated 1t. Not a
delegate to the convention which
proposed the plan was elected or COM
missioned by the people. That plat
form represents the will and wishes
of one man, and that man, Ban Muir
ray, was one of the most active and
uncompromising opponents of the ex-
tension of the Gubernatorial term in
1904. Neither was the change advo-
Gated among the Republicans prior to
the assembling of their convention.
The General Assembly ,of 1901
adopted and the General Assembly
two years later ratified, as provided
by the constitution, amendments to
lengthen the terms of the Governor
Treasurer and Comptroller to four
years and Providing for the election
Of the two last named by direct vote
of the people. The amendments were
submitted to a vote of the people in
1904 and every one of them rejected
by an enormous majority. The
amendments did not receive a major
ity of the popular vote cast in more
than four counties in the State.
1t is true that when these amend
ments were submitted a number OF
other changes in the organic law were
proposed, but the amendments were
voted upon separately; each stood
alone upon it's own merits, but every
one was rejected by record-breaking
majority. In some counties not a
single civil district recorded a major
ity for a single one of the amend
ments.
While for these reasons, 1t is doubt
full Sif the people would ratify pro-
posed changes in the organic law, at
the same time the amendments should
be adopted. Tennessee has too many
elections. There is no sound reason
whatever why county officers should
be chosen in August and three months
thereafter another election should be
held to elect the State officers. Every
county and state officer should be
elected for four years, that is in the
year of the Presidential election and
at the same time. Every executive
officer from the Governor down should
be ineligible for second term.
Judicial officers should be elected for
eight years, but they should be chosen
in November when the other State
officers are selected. There are
thousand good arguments why there
should be fewer elections. If the peo-
pie were called upon 70 vote at less
frequent intervals more of them would
take advantage of that privilege.
A majority of the States now elect
their Governors for four years. Ten
nessee, Arkassas, Texas, South
Carolina, and Georgia, are the
only States in the South that elect
their Governor every two years. New
Jersey elects it's Governor every three
years. while in Massachusetts and
Rhode Island the term is one year. The
tendency in recent years has been to
lengthen the term and make the Gov
enor ineligible to reelection.
THE THIRD PARTY VOTE.