Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-04
SUFFRAGE LOSES
AT OHIO'S POLLS
Returns Indicate That AL Other
Constitutional Amendments
Have Carried.
2-1 VOTE AGAINST WOMEN
Ideas Of the Late Tom /. johnson,
Advocated by Protese, Are
Successful.

Columbus, Ohio. Sept. All con.
stItutional amendments proposed by
the recent state constitutional conven-
ticn save that providing for women's
suffrage were approved by voters at
a special election yesterday, according
70 returns received from various parts
of the state. Early returns were most
IL from cities, but they hardly will be
Offset by belated rural returns.
The amendments adopted include
Initiative and referendum, home rule
for cities, license system for saloons,
taxation of incomes and inheritances,
judicial reform, adjustment of capital
punishment. good roads, bond issue,
minimum wage. eight hour day on pub
lie work, a clause against strike in
functions and 80 others.
LIQUOR INTERESTS BEAT WOMEN.
Women agitating suffrage conduct
ed a most aggressive and spectacular
campaign. Their aggressiveness at
tracted the fire Of the organization op-
posed to suffrage. but the principal
cause of defeat is to be traced to the
liquor interests. These have been we'll
organized in Ohio for years and found
II easy to have their license amend
ment put through.
Since they had their vote we'll in
hand it also was easy for them to turn
this great strength against suffrage.
Early returns indicated that all
amendments save suffrage would car
r. by two or three TO one and that
suffrage would be defeated by a sim
liar margin.
BIGELOw IDEAS CARRY DAY.
Amendments voted on today embrac,
ed variety OF so-called radical
amendments long agitated by Herbert
S Bigelow, Cincinnati minister, pro,
tege Of the late Mayor, Tom L. John
son of Cleveland and a small group
of friends.
They held a large majority OF the
convention, and, while forced to agree
TO some compromises. succeeded in
having adopted most of their platform,
in the forefront OF which Is the init.
ative and Referendum. the recall hav.
ing been defeated by the delegates.
Rev Bigelow and his friends are
ardent supporters of the single tax
theory, but the convention would not
listen to this. In fact, it put in a
clause In the initiative and referendum
providing it was not to be used to gel
either single tax or classification o.
property for taxation.
The radicals. too, were unable tC
put into the initiative and referendum
provision for an extreme type Of
| initiative whereby the legislature
would be ignored. This form OF direct
legislation will apply. however. to fur
tber constitutional amendments ad
vanced under the initiative and refer
endum clause.
! AMENDMENT EFFECTIVE OCT. I.
The initiative and referendum
amendment becomes effective Oct l
Il provides for direct initiative upo1
petition OF 10 per cent OF the voters
on amendments to the constitution anC
indirect initiative upon Legislative
questions
Should 3 per cent of the electors o
half the counties in the state petition
tho secretary Of state for a law h,
must refer the petition to the legislat
ure. II It passes the bill It becomes
law, subject always to a referendum
petition, as are other acts of the leg
islature.
II the legislature fails to pass tn,
petitioned bill or passes It in amended
form 8 per cent of the voters in add
ton to the original 8 per cent in tn
petition may compel submission 10
vote OF the people either on the orig
inal or amended bill. either OF whicl
will become a law II approved by
majority of those voting on the proI
osition-
MAY COMPEL REFERENDUM VOTE
Within 80 days after the passage O
law. a 8 per cent petition will CON
pei q referendum vote OF the peopl
, on II and it will be approved or II
jected by = majority vote.
, Additional returns today indicate
that all OF the ~ amendments TO tn
Ohio constitution were ratified. wit
the exception OF equal suffrage an
; possibly good roads.