The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-17
TIE " HABIT.


In the same month that the voters
of Virginia will be called upon to de-
eide the fate of the four proposed
amendments to our Constitution, the
voters of Louisiana viii have to record
their Judgment on no less than fifteen
constitutional amendments. From the
history of the efforts made to amend
the Constitution of the Pelican State
since the adoption of its latest Con-
stitution in 1898. four years before the
adoption of the present Constitution OF
Virginia, perhaps Virginia may extract
some conclusions which may be of
benefit peculiarly at this time.
The esteemed New orleans Times
Democrat tells us that the present
Constitution is Supposedly complete
and up-to-date, for 1t is 40 per cent.
longer than the Constitution Of 1879,
ante bellum Constitution of 1852. AL
together seventy amendments have
been thrown at the voters for their
Judgment, many OF them faulty, some
of them most Objectionable, a majority
hastily and carelessly prepared, the
good so mixed with the evil that it
has been difficult to separate them.
One amendment VIGOROUSLY unconsti-
tutional was submitted, Inc several of
doubtful constitutionality. Several of
the amendments are Identical, having
been resurrected after one popular de-
feat. the idea apparently being that
they would slip through by popular
neglect or oversight. the attention Of
the voters being concentrated on some
particular amendments to the neglect
of others"
The people of Louisiana are very
much confused-just as are the people
of Virginia ow-ov the proposed
amendments to their Constitution. The
voters there. as here, have nothing TO
guide them. In oregon, the state dis
tributes to each voter the. complete text
of the suggested amendment, accom-
panied by a statement of the law be-
hind 1t. the effect of the amendment if
passed. and concise argument on both
sides of the suggested amendment by
its defenders and opponents. Voters, in
this way. are enabled to pass intelli-
gently on far-reaching questions. II
Louisiana. as in Virginia, this work of
political enlightenment is left wholly
to the press. In both Virginia and
Louisiana some of the newspapers are
doing their full duty; but what the
n maS-Dnmncro 4 cuyc pf ,nniGiann rao
be said likewise of the Old Dominion,
some OF the State papers remain
mum or are muzzled on certain points,
and great confusion exists"
What is the result of this confu-
sion and lack of information on the
part of the e1ectorate? Hear our con-
temporary again:
"The amendments have ceased. there
fore, to express the popular VIII. On
some of them less than a quarter of the
popular vote is cast, II a number
have been carried by less than one-
sixth of the voters. 1t is time to call
a halt upon the methods and practices
that have prevailed and to make the
vote on the amendments a true, intelli-
gent expression of the popular will"
Change the name of the State, n
this applies to Virginia with startling
e&actness. The ease and rapidity with
which the four proposed amendments
Slided noiselessly through the General
Assembly here seems to have been re-
peated in Louisiana. The Times-Dem-
ocrat further declares:
NO legislature has eve submitted
such important constitutional amend
ments to the voters, so crudely pre-
pared. so without explanation or ar
gument. There has never been in
Louisiana nor any other State of the
Union a Legislative meeting so abso-
lutely devoid of discussion, of any In
formation that could throw the Slight
est light on the work of legislation as
the two last sessions. The great mass
of the constitutional amendments
passed without debate and without op-
position"
The name having been changed, the
story applies to Virginia! The amend
ing propositions "gum-shoed" through
the General Assembly here In prac-
tically the same way that they did in
Louisiana, and the apathy and silence
here was not in anywise different from
that manifested in the Pelican State.
Now, what is the logical and inevi-
able result, of conditions in Louisiana?
In a short time, the original constitu-
tion will be so dissected and patched
together and then torn apart again
that a constitutional convention Will
have to be called. The Legislature
will go on until it has amended the
constitution to the point Of assassi-
nation.
The reason for this is that the legis-
lature of Louisiana, starting out with
u few proposed amendments, as Is the
case now in Virginia. has acquired
the amending habit Having once
started, there is no end to the pro-
posing Of changes in the organic law.
While Virginia has waited six years
longer than Louisiana to make the
first attempt to amend, the principle
is not altered by that fact. Get Vir-
ginia started once, and it will not be
long until our General Assembly will
have proposed a considerable proper
tion of the number of changes pro-
posed in it's sister State.
L.LL L ~. -.E SALT ---A