The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-10-07
DEFEAT AMENDMENT
NO, 7 IS URGENT DUTY
PittSburg Chamber Of Commerce
Sounds Alarm TO Voters.
POINTS OUT STARTLING DANGER

! ZION CIICeTS, " tne OeNCntn ATenu-
ment Is Adopted.
Defeat of amendment No. Z, of the
series Of constitutional amendments
on which the people of Pennsylvania
are to vote this fall has been called
for by the Pittsburg Chamber of Com.
merCe.
1t is the fear of the Chamber of
Commerce that amendment No. Z will
allow political schemers to gain con.
troll city election boards for crooked
! purposes. Should this particular
amendment be adopted, it would open
. the way for the naming of such boards
in the city by appointment instead of
by election. That change undoubtedly
would serve to make election boards
more corrupt and to multiply ballot
frauds
In a public statement the directors
of the Chamber Of Commerce say:
The board of directors of the Cham
bcr OF Commerce of Pittsburg would
respectfully call attention to the fol.
lowing matter of vital Importance to
the citizens of Pennsylvania. and one
worthy of the most careful consider
alton and action by the electors OF the
state:
BY joint resolution of the senate and
house of general assembly of Pennsyl.
vGnia, passed AZ the session of 1907. a
number of amendments we're proposed
. 20 the present constitution of this
state. Among thcm are the following:
"AmendmCnt To Article VIII.
Section Ii.
Section 5. Amend Section II
of Article VIII, which reads as fol-
lows:
District election boards shall con
sst of judge ana two inspectors.
who shall be chosen annually by
the citizens. Each eleCtor shall
have the right to vote for the
Judge and one inspector, and each
Inspector snail appoint one clerk.
The first election board for any
new district shall be selected and
vacancies in election boards filed
as shall be provided by law. Elec-
tion officers shall be privileged
from arrest upon days of election
and while engaged in making up
and transmitting returns. except
upon warrant of a court of record
or judge thereof, for an election
fraud, for felony or wanton breach
of the peace In cities they may
claim exemption from jury duty
during their terms of service.
80 as to read:
District election boards shall
consist of Judge and two inspec-
tors. who shall be chosen bien.
nially by the citizens at the mu-
nicipal election; but the general
assembly may require said boards
to be appointed in such manner
as it may by law provide. Laws
regulating the appointment of said
to cities only; provided that such
laws be uniform for cities of the
same class. Each elector shall
have the right to vote for the
judge and one inspector and eacn
inspector shall appoint one clerk.
The first election board for any
new district shall be selected, and
vacancies in election boards filed
as shall be provided by law. Elec-
tion officers shall be privileged
from arrest upon days of election
and while engaged in making up
and transmitting returns, except
upon warrant OF court of record.
or judge thereof, for an election
fraud, for felony or for wanton
| breach of the peace. In cities they
may claim exemption from jury
duty during their terms of ser
vice"
This proposed amendment will be
submitted to the voters at the election
this fall for approval or rejection. II
approved, ii becomes a part of the
state constitution, and must be OBJ
served as such, unless eliminated by
a future constitutional amendment In
asmuch as the constitution cannot be
amended more than once in five years.
this proposed amendment would have
considerable time to operate before it
could be replaced or superseded by an
other.
The amendment is surrounded by a
multitude OF other proposed amend
ments, which divert the mind from its
purport, and it is only by close read
ing that its meaning and mischief be-
come clear.
Only forty-eight words seek to
change the practice respecting selec-
tion of election boards for almost a
century, and to destroy the first loun-
dation of the peoples political free.
dom. These words are So obscure and
the amendment so sandwiched between
others of more or less harmlessness,
and placed with such cunning in the
proposed amendment itself, that only
a close reading reveals the true pur-
port of the change.
The proposed amendment first pur-
ports to leave the constitution just as
Z IL is respecting lNe SelGcllOn Oh elec-
tiOn boards. 1t begins by repeating al
most the exact words of the same Sec
ton of the present constitution, viz. :.
District election boards shall consist
of judge and two inspectors, who
shall be chosen bennially 0nstead of
annually by the citizens at the mu-
nicipal election" A hasty reader
would overlook the meaning of what
follows, for the last part of the pro
posed amendment is similar to the par,
agraph on the same subject of the
present constitution. 1t is as follows
But the general assembly may require
said board to be appointed in such
manner as it may by law provide
Laws regulating the appointment OF
said boards may be enacted to apply
to cities only, provided, etc"
1t leaves the cities in a worse con,
dition than the country districts, for
by its provisions the country districts
may be left in full enjoyment of their
, ancient privileges, while the cities may
be deprived of them, or both city and
country may be legslated into the
merciess hands Of the political party
In power, either or both at the will OF
, n 10 JorbtfrI c,tob /.