Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-10-03

the manner Of selection and the quailfca.
lions Of election efflcIaisi requiring po-
ileemen TO be stationed in and near
polling places in certain cities n pre-
seribIn1 the manner Of voting therein.
Proposed amendment to the constitu-
ton OF Missouri. TO be submitted TO the
legal voters thereof, for their approval or
rejection, at the regular general election
to be held on Tuesday, the fifth day as
November. A. ID. 1912, and empowering
grand juries to investigate onenses COM
mitted in elections. TO return indictments
thereon, and providing for the trial upon
such Indictments in the courts; also pro-
viding for the manner of conducting cleo
lions, the duties Of officers and voters
with reference thereto. and the quallica-
tions and selection of Judges and clerks
Of election throughout the state n in
cities Of 5000 inhabitants or more.
Section l. The ballot shall remain Sc
cret in Missouri, but where crime has
been committed in any election secrecy
shall yield to justice. n no impeachment
shall be placed in the way of the de-
lection, prosecution and conviction OF the
guilty. The investigation of all elections
in which it is sougii to open ballot boxes
in search of crime shall be conducted by
a grand jury composed of competent, in
telligent citizens of high moral charac-
ter. Such grand jury shall have power
to compel the production of registration
lists. voting lists, tally sheets and all
documentary evidence of every kind;
also to compel the production of ballot
boxes, to open the same and examine the
ballots; also to subpoena witnesses and
take their testimony; also to, compare any
part OF the evidence, oral, written or print
ed, with any other part Of the evidence.
Voters may state under oath what their
ballots were as voted. The jury, grand
or petit, shall decide under the law and
all the facts whether or not ballots have
been wllfully and knowingly rampered
with, or changed, or mlsread, or falsely
counted, or false ballots placed in their
stead. Upon any indictment returned a
speedy public trial shall be had, n the
ballots and documentary and oral evil
dence considered by the grand jury, and
other competent evidence. may be intro
duced in the trial under the rules of law.
A grand jury, for the investigation OF
elections as above provided, shall be
called in each county and in any city
with a government independent of the
county, by the several judges throughout
the state empowered by law to call grand
juries, within thirty days after eachs4gen-
eral election, or If a judicial circuit or
district is composed of several counties.
then at the next term Of the court there
after. Such grand Jury shall take the
place OF a regular annual grand jury,
nov provided for by law to investigate
elections and for other purposes, and
when convened shall possess all the pow
ers as to investigations and the indict-
ment of ffender for felonies and mis-
demeanors possessed by a regular grand
Jury. 1t is hereby made the imperative
duty of the Judge OF the court to specific
ally charge such grand jury to tnvesti-
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-
ceive the protection of the law shall
owe it to the state to act as election
officials, and individuals of the very high
est moral character to be found shall be
selected. Neither poverty, nor wealth,
nor magnitude OF business, nor profess
sional callings however exalted, shall ex-
cuse the citizens unless serious injury
would result. but druggists and physi-
cians may be excused If they demand 1t.
All Judges and clerks of elections in
cities above rs, 900 inhabitants shall hold
their offices for q specified term, n
shall be examined thoroughly as to their
qualifications. Any election commission
err or other officer charged with the Sc
lection of election officials who shall fail
to make diligent search for men of good
character, or who shall willfully pass by
men of good character, n knowingly
select persons of bad reputation as cleo
ton officials, shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor. In all cities of %, 900 in
habitants or more two competent judges
and one competent clerk OF high moral
character shall be chosen for each pre-
cinct from the city at large. and 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 and
clerks for such precinct, and all judges
and clerks shall be equally divided in
each precinct between the Two political
parties having the largest number OF
votes vi the state as shown by the last
general election. In every precinct in
such cities there shall be stationed two
policemen, one outside and one inside
- 1T u .l.- 49, Ill AlnAttAT
officials, challengers, watchers, voters
and others, and who, for willful failure
to do so, shall be adjudged guilty of a
misdemeanor. Wherever registration Is
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 on
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 by two or more reputable witnesses
to whom he is known, and when II in
dividual offers to vote under such name
the Judges may determine from the tes-
timony of the attesting witnesses, or If
they cannot be produced then from other
proof, whether or not he is the same
person who made his mark on the regis
tration book, and in voting he shall again
make his mark attested as above re-
quired. If any person signs any other
than his true name in registering or vot-
ing he shall be adjudged guilty of forg-
cry and punished as may be prescribed
by statute. Every political. party and
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 1t is provided herein
thai 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 to mean any
election, general or special, whether nH aml,
primary election held under the law.
This amendment shall be self reinforcing,
but legislation may be enacted to facili-
tate its operation.
Section III. Any constitutional pro-
vision. or law, OF part thereof. in conflict
with this amendment is hereby repealed.
Proposed By Initiative Petition,
NINTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENT.
Providing for levying md collecting,
| on each one hundred dollars assessed
valuation, a state tax Of ten cents for
the support Of the public elementary
and high schools, state normais, LIN
coin institute and the State University
Proposed amendment to the Constitu-
ton Of Missouri to be submitted to the
legal voters Of the state Of Missouri fol
their approval or rejection at the regular
general election to be held on the Tues
day next following the first Monday in
November, A. D. 1912, providing for
revenue for the support of public educa-
ton, by adding to article x of the Con.
stitution one new section to be known
as section tw~enty-eight 1881, which Is II
words and figures as follows:
Section rs. A state tax of ten cents or
each one hundred dollars valuation shall
be annually levied and collected on thu
assessed value OF all property subject BY
law to taxation In this state. The pro
1ceeds of said tax shall be set apart in thu
state treasury and appropriated by thu
general assembly for the support ant
/ naInfnnanca of nuhIin Elementary am