The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-10-17
Proposed BY Initiative Petition
EIGHTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND.
MENT.

Providing that grand Jurles, In lnves.
tgating elections, may open ballot
boxes, compel the production Of registra-
tlon lists, voting lists and tally sheets
providing for trials on indictments re-
turned In such Investigations; prescribing
the manner OF selection and the qualifea-
tons Of election officials; requiring po-
licemen to be stationed In and near
polling places in certain cities and pre-
seribing the manner OF voting therein
Proposed amendment to the Constitu-
tion OF Missouri, To be submitted 10 the
legal voters thereof, for their approval or
rejection, at the regular general election
to be held ON Tuesday, the nfth day OF
November. 4. ID. 1912, and empowering
grand juties to investigate onCnscb com
mittsd In elections, to return indictments
thereon. and providing for the trial upon
such Indictments III the courts Glso pro-
viding for the manner u conducting c!sc-
tiouB, the duties Of officers ana voters
with reference thereto. ana the uuallhcd-
tons and selection Of judges and CLERKS
OF election throughout the state ana IN
cities of $500 inhabitants or more.
Section ]. The ballot shall remain Sc
cret In Missouri, but where crime has
been committed IN any election secrecy
shall yield to justice, and no impeachment
shall be placed In the way OF III" u"-
lection, prosecution ana conviction 81 the
guilty. The Investigation of all elections
In which IL Is sought 10 open ballot BOXES
In search OF crime shall be conducted ny
a grand jury composed Of competent. IN
tclligent citizens Of high moral chtTac-
ter. Such grand jury shall nave power
to Compel the production OF REGISTRATION
lists, voting lists, ANY Sh''ls ana ~
documentary evidence OF every ktud.
also to compel the production OF btilpl
boxes to open the same ana examine thc
ballu.S; also to subpoena witnesses anu
take their Testimony, also to compare any
part Of the evidence oral, written or print
cd, with any other pait OF the evidence.
Voters may state under oath what thelr
ballots were as voted. The Jury, grand
or petit, shall decide under the law ana
all the facts whether or not ballots have
been wllfully and knowingly tnmpurcd
with. or changed, or mi5rrad. or ialSelS
counted, or false ballots placed IN men
stead. Upon any Indictment returned a
speedy public trial shall be had and the
ballots and documentary and oral evil
dence considered by the grand jury. ana
other competent evidence may he intro
duced IN the trial under the rules OF law.
A grand Jury, for the investigation OF
elections as above provided, shail he
called In each county and In any city
with n government independent Of the
county. by the several judges throughout
the state empowered by law TO call grand
juries. Within thby days after each gem
eral election. or II judicial circuit or
district In composed OF several counties,
then at the next term Of the court there
after Such grand Jury shall take the
place Of regular annual grand jury,
now provided for by law TO Investigate
elections and for other purposes, ana
when convened shall possess all the pow
ers as TO investigations and the lndiCt-
ment Of offenders for felonlcs and mis-
demoanors possessed by regular grand
jury. 1t is hereby made the imperative
duty Of the Judge OF the court To specific
ally charge such grand jury to invest-
gate the preceding general election. or
he may charge them To- investigate OF,
tenders In other elections not barred
under the law by limitation.
Section II. Competent persons who re-
celve the protection of the law shalt
owe II to the state to act as election
officials, and individuals Of the very high
est moral character to be found shall b"
selected Neither poverty, nor wealth.
nor magnitude OF business, nor profess
siOnal cailings however exalted. shall eN-
cuse the citizens unless serious injury
would result, but druggists and physi-
clans may be excused II they demand IT,
All Judges aud clerks OF elections IN
cities above 20 600 Inhabitants shall hold
their offices for specified term. ana
shall he examined thoroughly us TO their
qualifications ANY election commission
sr or other officer charged with the Sc
lection OF election officials who shall fan
To make diligent search for men Of good
character. or who shall willfullY pass by
men Of good character and knowingly
select persons Of bad reputation as cleo.
ton officials. shall be deemed guilty Of
mlsdemcanor. In all cities OF $4,000 In
habltants or more two competent Judges
and one competent clerk OF high moral
character shall be chosen for each pre-
clnct from the city at large. ind who
do not reside In the precinct for which
they are chosen. These, with the two
Judges and one clerk chosen from the
precinct. shall constitute the Judges aud
clerks for such precinct, and all judges
and clerks shall be equally divided iu
each precinct between the two political
parties having the largest number 81
votes In the state as shown by tho last
n
such cities there shall be stationed two
policemen, one outside and one inside
the booth, who shall protect all election
officials, challengers, Watchers. voters
and others and who, for willful failure
to do so, shall he adjudgcd guilty Of n
misdemeanor. Wherever registration +
required the person who registers shall
sign his name on the registration book,
and when he comes To vote he shall again
sign his name opposite his number Oh
the poll book, and the election officers
may compare the signatures. II the
voter cannot sign his name then he shall
make his mark In the usual way ON the
registration book. duly attested In writ
ing 10y two or more reputable witnesses
to whom he liz known and when any IN
dividual offers to vote under such name
the Judges may determine from the tes-
timony OF the attesting witnesses, or II
they cannot be produced then from other
proof whether or not he IL the same
person who made his mark on the regis
tratiun book, and In voting lac shall again
make his mark attested as above re-
uuirod. II any person signs any other
than his true name In registering or vot-
ing he shall be adJudsed guilty Of forg
cry and punished AS may be prescribed
by statute Every political party ana
every body Of citizens organized for the
purpose Of passing any constitutional
amendment shall be entitled to a repre-
sentative inside OF the booth TO watch
the balloting and counting. and In addi-
ton thereto shall also be entitled TO one
challenger. Where II IL provided herein
that a violation Of any provision Of this
amendment shall be a misdemeanor the
punishment shall be fixed by statute, II
the offender is a regular official he shall.
upon conviction, forfeit his Office. and he
may be prosecuted under this amendment
and his Office forfeited independent OF
any statute. The word election as used
herein shall be construed 10 mean any
election. general or special, whether
state county or municipal, including any
primary election held under the law
This amendment shall be self enforcing.
but legislation may be enacted TO facIl-
tate its operation.
Section III. Any constitutional pro-
visloi. or law, or part thereof, in confi"i
ala L.. tar