New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-12-02
EXTRA ELECTION FAVORED
Suggestion Made That Constitu-
tiOnal Amendments be Voted
on in Odd Numbered Years.
This Rule to Apply Also to the Sc.
lection of Occupants of
the Bench.

An election every four years, in the
odd numbered years, when judges and
constitutional amendments could be
voted for, is the suggestion of a we'll
known state official for the prevention
of the common results of the indiffer-
ence Of the voters on these matters I'M
der the present system.
The constitution provides that con-
stitutional amendments shall be voted
on only at Irregular elections. But
by making these special elections re-
gular every four years or so, constitu-
tional amendments could be voted on
and still practically all of those that
go to the elections would vote on the
amendments, and there would be a
positive expression as to whether the
voters wanted the amendments or not.
When the constitutional amendments
are voted on at the same time as presi-
dent, governor and number of local
officers, the people become so absorbed
in these other contests that they do not
think of voting on the amendments.
Worse than that, they do not take
enough time or interest to investigate
whether the amendments are good Or
not. If there were special elections in
the odd numbered years, only those
voters who take real interest in pub
}ic affairs would take the trouble to
go to the polls and these would be
sure to take the trouble to inquire
somewhat into the meaning of the
amendments and give an intelligent
vote
Every one of the four constitutional
amendments submitted at the election
this fall was defeated, although the
times as large as the vote against
them. Whether their defeat was a
good thing may be a matter for dis
pute but it is plain that it would be
better if people took more interest in
these questions and voted either for or
against them. Often the proposed
amendments affect the people far more
than the question of who is going to
be governor, yet the people give their
undivided attention to the head of the
ticket aud forget all about the amend
ments. This is partly because no one
has enough direct interest in the
amendments to take the trouble to
arouse any interest for or against
them.
That the people vote when their at
tention is called to che amendments
was shown by the vote in the last cleo
ton. Where the people and the bust
ness men had a direct interest in the
tax amendment, as in st. Louis coun-
ty, where they were opposed to it's
passage, a large negative vote was
cast. The amendment providing for
an educational qualification received
several thousand more votes than the
Other three, which is unquestionably
due to the interest which State Super
intendent Olsen took in the amend
ment. A couple Of weeks before cleo
ton he sent out a circular to all the
newspapers which many of them prin-
ted urging the voters to vote for the
fourth amendment.
In the same way the people are very
Indifferent about the judgeships, even
more SO than they are regarding some
Of the other minor positions. The can
didates for judicial positions usually
come down near the bottom of the
ticket and the people have been so alb
sOrbed in the contests for the Offices
at the top that they have never in
CURED about the qualifications of the
candidates for Judge, although these
are as important as the candidates for
governor.
If such a change were made as pro-
posed, it is also likely that the nomi-
nation of candidates for district Judge
would be made by conventions instead