The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-10-26
THE CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS.

the nineteen proposed amendments
OF the state constitution to be voted
on at the general election Of Tues
day, November 5, given in the order
in which they will appear on the Of
fetal ballot.
The full text Of all these measures
has been published in each OF the
issues of this paper during the past
eight weeks, and the last two Of the
ten publications required by law Will
be made in our issues Of today and
next Saturday. Citizens who have
not heretofore availed themselves OF
the opportunities thus offered to be-
come acquainted with the details OF
the propositions, still have ample
time to repair the omission and
to form their own conclusions as to
the merits of the respes tive amend
ments.
The deliberate Judgment of The
Chief is that the people can safely
adopt all the nineteen amendments.
It is of course possible to pick
some flaws and raise some objections
as to nearly all of them, but the aver
age voter, who has no particular ak to
grind and no interest to subserye be-
yond the welfare Of himself and the
commonwealth, can well afford to
ignore these captiaus criticisms, and
to rest secure in the assurance that
if any of the amendments-Whlch
have ali received careful consldera-
ton at the hands of the general as
sembly and the goVernor--shaH prove
TO be inequitable or harmful in their
operation, speedy means Will De
found and applied to cure the faults
and counterfeit the harm.
This assurance is particularly ap-
picable to the tax reform amend
ment-No. l in the list and first on
the ballot-because the power is in
vested in the general assembly OF
changing the details regarding the
segregation Of taxable property by
d tWo-thirds vote. If it be found,
for Instance, that the plan Of segre-
cation expressed In the act lnures
ineuuitably to the disadvantage OF
! the state or parish. the general as
sembly can repair the injustice or
inequality-it can restore to local
taxation any class Of property seq
regated to the state by the act or
add to the states segregation list
such property as may be found IN
suited or unnecessary for purposes
5Eof local taxati on he measure IS
thus mad elastic ftIle rep resent
4 ISiS.tiTes of the people car cure its
lllmperfectlons as they develop. With
! this fact in view, coupled with the
knowledge that our present system
4 Of taxation is glaringly crude, inef-
i fficient and unjust, and the further
knowledge that there is virtually uni
sersal Concurrence in the correctness
of the basic principle of segrega-
ton of sources Of state and local
/ taxation, there would seem to be
no good reason why any intelligent,
reasoning and reasonable voter
should refuse his approval Of this
wholesome and badly-needed reform
Iatory measure.
+ There has been no adverse scriti-
4 cism of a majority of the amend
i l?ents, and the decided preponder-
anee of argument is in favor OF
these to which opposition is mani
i tested. Hence The Chiefs conten-
tion that the whole nineteen can be
! properly and safely adopted. The
i measures are as follows:
No. l--Remodeling Louisiana's sys-
tenn Of assessment and taxation and
segregating the sources oil state and
local revenue.
+. NO. authorizing parishes ana
! self-taxing municipalities to exempt
4 new industrial enterprises, and also
improved value, inclusive OF struc-
/ lures, added TO unimproVed lands by
Immigrants into the state who oc-
. Ecupy said lands as honlesteads, from
local taxes for a period not to eX-
coed ten years.
/ No. attempting from taxation fol
twenty years corporations organized
Tor the sole purpose OF lending
money on country real estate stu
ated IN Louisiana at not more than
I6 per cent interest to the borrower,
With power to negotiate and handle
local securities.
/ No attempting from taxation all
money on hand or on deposit
4 No attempting homes occupied
by bona fide owners up to the value
of $4,000.
Mo- Establishing referendum
! to the people Of each parish TO &c.
termine whether or not cities and
incorporated towns and villages shall