Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-10-17
Propoged BIZ Initiative Petition.
EIGHTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENo-
MENT.

providino for trials on indictments re-
turned IN such investieationsi prescribing
the manner Of selection and the quahrea-
tions of election officials; requiring pc,
Iicemen to be stationed In and near
polling places In certain cities and pre-
scribing the manner of voting therein
Proposed amendment to the Constitu-
ton OF Missouri. to be submitted 10 tne
legal voters thereof. for their approval OF
rejection, at the regular general electon
to be held on Tuesday. the nIth Gay OF
November, A. ID. 1912, and
grand juries to investigate offenses com
thereon. and providing for the trial upon
such Indictments in the courts also pro-
viding for the manner OF copduetlng elee-
tions. the duties Of officers ana Voters
with reference thereto, ana the qQauncd-
tions and selection of judges and clerks
of election throughout the state and in
cities of rs, 900 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 the de-
lection, prosecution and conviction or the
guilty. The investigation OF all elections
in which it is sought to open pallot 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 reglstratoM
llSlS, NOlAlt6 AloNot hoAAJ
| documentary evidence of every kind;
also to compel the production OF Danot
boxes, to open the same and examine the
ballots; also to subpoena witnesses ana
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 oatn What thelr
ballots were as voted. The jury, grand
or petit, shall decide under the law and
all the facts whether or not ballots have
been willfully and knowingly tempered
with, or changed, or misread, or 1alseiy
counted, or false ballots placed IN tnelr
stead. Upon any Indictment returned a
speedy public trial shall be had, and the
ballots and documentary and oral evl,
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, snail pc
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 each gen
eral election, or II a judicial circuit OF
then at the next term OF the court there-
after. Such grand jury shall take the
place of a regular annual grand jury,
now 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 lndlct-
ment of offenders for felonies and mis-
| demoaIlOTS pOSStSScu ny a lV6o Aoi SiShN
jury. 1t is hereby made the imperative
duty of the judge of the court to specific
ally charge such grand jury to investi-
gate the preceding general election, or
he may charge them to investigate Of
tenders in other elections not barred
under the law by Imitation.
Section III. Competent persons who re-
ceive the protection OF the law shall
owe 1t 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 probes
cuse the citizens unless serious injury
would result, but druggists and physl-
clans may be excused If they demand it.
All Judges and clerks of elections in
cities above Is, 900 inhabitants shall hold
their offices for a specified term. and
shall be examined thoroughly as to their
qualifications. Any election commission
er 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 and knowingly
select persons of bad reputation as cleo
ton officials, shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor. In all cities of 5000 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 ana 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
l. parties having the largest number of
votes in 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
the booth, who shall protect all election
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 anne 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
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 any 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 n 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 it is 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 to 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 facili
tate its operation.
Section Ill. Any constitutional pro.
vision, or law, or part thereof, in conflici
with this amendment is hereby repealed
Proposed BY Initiative Petition
NINTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND,
MENT,
Providing for levying and collecting
on each one hundred dollars assessed
valuation, a state tax of ten cents fol-
the support Of the public elementar,
: and high schools, state normals, Lin
coin Institute and the State University
Proposed amendment to the Constitu
i ton Of Missouri to be submitted to tn,
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 ii
November, a.. D. 1912, providing fol
revenue for the support Of public educa
I ton, by adding to article x of the Con
, stitution one new section to be know
/ as section twenty eight (2S). which is ii
/ words and figures as follows:
Section rs. "A state tax Of ten cents OF
, each one hundred dollars valuation shall
! be annually levied and collected on tn,
assessed value Of all property subject b,
: law to taxation in this state. The pro
ceeds Of said tax shall be set apart In tn,
state treasury and appropriated by tn
general. assembly for the support an,
, maintenance of public elementary an,
high schools, state normal schools, Lin