The Washington times., 1911-04-29
"REGUL ATING" THE
WILLOF THE PEOPLE
Constitution Proposed for New Mexico Boon for Reac-
tionary Politics and the Interests" But Demo-
cratic House Committee Will Modify 1t.
BY JUDSoN c. wELLIvER.

made practically unamendable. This
is done by a most marvellous provision.
The section on amendment provides
first that at any regular legislative ses-
sion, an amendment may be submitted
by two-thirds majority in each house
of the Legislature: once in eight years
amendments may be submitted by a
simple majority vote in each house.
When thus submitted. the amendment
must be ratified by majority vote of
the people voting on it; but II must
have at least 40 per cent of all votes
cast at that election. AS a constitutional
amendment Is always neglected by a
large percentage of voters, this 40 per
cent provision is regarded as almost
prohibitive of change.
Difficult to Amend.
But, to make ii stronger yet, the
amendment must be ratified in this way
by at least one-half the counties in the
State So great are the inequalities in
the distribution of population that it has
been calculated thar an insignificant
percentage of people, corruptly handled
IN the smallest counties. could prevent
all possibility of amendment, though the
overwhelming majority might want the
changes ever so badly Not over three
amendments may be submitted at one
time.
No other State has ever attempted to
surround the constitution with such
rigors. But Judge A. B. Fall, who
wrote most of the instrument and ex-
poets to be elected Senator when the
State gets in, frankly tells the commit
tee that he made 1t tnat way because
he likes II that way; ne doesn't want
any changes; doesn't believe in them;
And Judge Falls view is echoed by
Charles Springer, who wrote about all
of the instruments that Fall didn't
write, and who expects to be the other
Senator from the new State.
But the most curious thing in the con-
stitution is the plan for keeping the
State forever in control OF the Repuo-
lican organization that now rules II.
There is provision for an apportionment
Representative districts. 1t starts on
thus:
Senatorial districts-First-The coun-
~ of San Miguel, and one Senator:
SeCond-The counties OF San Mlguel
and Mora, one Senator, to be resident
Of Mora, but elected by the electors OF
both counties.
Third-The counties of Guadalupe and
San Miguel.
No such apportionment scheme was
ever before tried. Its effect is to give
the Republicans everything in sight, tor
this reason:
San Miguel is an overwhelmingly Re
publican county. II gets. first, sena-
tor of its own. Sure to be Republican.
Republican Senator Assured.
Mora is a close county. BY itself, It
would elect Democrat half the time or
more. But 1t is districted with San MI
guel, and the electors of the two vote
for its Senator. The two counties to-
gether make a safely Republican dis
trict, and Democratic Mora has a Re-
publican Senator elected by the San Mi
guel people.
Again, there is Guadalupe county. also
close or Democratic So It. too, is hitch
ed to the tail of the San Miguel Repub-
lican kite, and assured a Republican
Senator. elected by the San Miguel peo-
pie.
The list throughout presents a series
of such curious gerrymanders. It is a
new kind, and has excited the liveliest
curiosity among big politicians from
Eastern cities, who thought Tammaay
and George Cox and Matt Quay had
thought up all the funny wrinkles In
gerrymanders. The effete Eastern poll
ticians have their hats off to the wild
and woolly New Mexico boys.