The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-07
AMENDMENTS IN
 GEORGIA PLENTIFUL
Ratifying Them Has Almost
 Second Nature
RECENT ELECTION
Interesting Instance Is Ratification of Five Amendments Last Week.
 Smiths Measure Increases BOr- { rowing Power of Governor

Atlanta, October 6.-(Special.) )-Ratifying constitutional amendments has almost come to be second nature with Georgia In fact, memory does not supply an oc- casion when Georgia voters turned down an amendment submitted to them. They can usually be counted upon to put it through
 This fact has frequently been nsed as an argument why the legislature should go slow about enacting constitutional amendments to be submitted to the voters it is also used as an argument against the ''referendurn.'
 "The people are competent to pass on submit it to the people" has been time and again the argument of some deter mined advocate of an amendment to the constitution.
 "The people? Why, of course they'll vote for it." replies the gentleman from Bibb or somewhere else. Half of them never stop to think about what they are voting for
 An interesting instance in point was the recent state election held last week. The people ratified five constitutional amend ments by majorities varying from 5000 or coco to something around 20,o00. It is a peculiar fact that while the amendment which increases the borrow ing power of the governor from s20O GOO to $50oOOo, was. perhaps the hardest fought of all the five, it was not at the foot of the list
 This amendment was one of the pet measures of former Gov. Hoke Smith He proposed it as one means of more promptly meeting the states obligations to the school teachers. Joe Hill Hall of Bibb fought the passage of the amend ment by the legislature on the ground that it was placing dangerous power in the hands of the executive. Then he made his opposition to it one of the blanks of his platform in his recent race for governor and opposed the amendment in speeches all over the state. Notwith- standing this. the amendment has been carried by majority which will run from 1000 to 5000 with an exceptionally light vote.
 On the other hand there was no evil dence of any particular opposition to the amendment which requires all public util- ity corporations which make their tax returns to the comptroller general to pay their taxes to the state on or before Sep tember 1 each year. And yet this amend ment was at the tail of the list in the voting.
 These two amendments, both of which were urged by former Gov. Hoke Smith. and enacted while he was in the execu- tive office. received the smallest vote of the five. Just why the amendment with refer ence to the early payment of corporation taxes should have tailed the list is some what of a mystery. The corporations themselves made no fight upon it, and it was nowhere apparent that it had any material opposition. There may have been a real good reason or it may have been one of the freaks of the electorate.
 The amendment removing the limita- tions from the common schools of the state, so as to enable them to go be- yond the elementary branches of an English education" appears to have been the favorite, and it's majority, when all the returns are in, will be somewhere around 20,000
 Next to it comes the amendment pro- vidng for the creation of the new county of Bleckley, to be made from portion of Pulaski, with Cochran as the county seat, and this will probably have a ma jority of 11,000 when all the votes have been counted.
 The majority for the amendment per hitting the abolition of justice courts in cities of a0000 inhabitants or more, will run somewhere around 12,000.
 Such is the usual result with regard to constitutional amendments submitted to the voters of Georgia. In fact. there was no particular reason why any of the amendments voted upon on Wedncs- day should have failed; there is no way in which they can do any special harm, unless there be some soundness in Mir Halls contention with regard to increas- ing the governors borrowing power. But the general view is that it would be the same regardless of the nature of the amendment submitted.
 Two more constitutional amendments will be voted upon in the November cleo ton, one providing for the creation of Wheeler county from a portion of Mont gomery, and the other giving the legis- lature power and authority to exempt from taxation for period of one year farm products in the hands of the pro ducer.
 This makes seven constitutional amend ments submitted in single year. At this rate it will not be long before the amendments exceed in volume the origi- nal constitution of the state.