The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1912-10-18
Proposed BY Initiative Petition

ers reserved by the people.
Proposed BY Initiative Petition.
EIGHTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENT.
Providing that grand IurIes, in inves-
tlgatins elections, may open ballot
boxes, compel the production Of registrar
ton lists, voting lists and tally sheets;
providing for trials on indictments re-
turned In such investigations; prescribing
the manner Of selection and the qualltca.
lions of election officials; requiring po-
licemen to be stationed In and near
polling places In certain cities and pre-
seriblng 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 Of
November, A. ID. 1912, and empowering
grand iuries to investigate offenses 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 quali4e-i-
lions and selection Of judges and clerks
Of election throughout the state and in
cities of $4,000 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 of the
guilty. The investigation of all elections
In which 1t Is sought 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
ballotsi also to subpoena witnesses and
take their testimony also to COmpar any
part OF the evidence, oral, written or print
ed, with any other part Of the evidence.
Voters ma state under oath what their
ballots were as voted. The jury, grand
or peJit, shall decide under the law and
all the facts whether or not ballots have
been wilfully and knowingly uampered
with, or changed, or misread, or falsely
counted, or false ballots placed in their
Upon any indictment returned a
speedy public trial shall be had, and the
ballots and documentary and oral evil
dence considered by the grand jury, and
competent evidence, may be intro
duced in the trial under the rules OF law.
a grand jury, for the Investigation of
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
jurtes, within thirty days after each gen.
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 JLry shall take the
place of a regular annual grand Jury.
provided for by law to investigate
and for other purposes, and
when convened shall possess all the pow
ers as to Investigations and the indict-
ment Of offenders for f~elonie and mis-
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 investi-
he may charge them to investigate Of
in other elections not barred
under the law by limitation.
Section II. Competent persons who re-
ceive the protection OF the law shall
II 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,
magnitude Of business, nor profess
5ional callings however exalted, shall ex-
the citizens unless serious injury
would result, but druggists and physi-
may be excused if they demand it.
judges and clerks of elections in
cities above 5000 inhabitants shall hold
lHelI oHlceS LOT a Specllled term, and
be examined thoroughly as to their
qualifications. Any election commissions
sr 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 25.0 900 in
habitants or more two competent judges
mr. ma nawannAAnH A1nw1w - hill ---N
character shall be chosen for each pre-
from the city at large, and who
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
precinct between the two political
having the largest number OF
votes In the state az shown by the last
luch cities there shall be stationed two
policemen, one outside and one inside
he booth, who shall protect all election
'niciais, o~hallengers, watchers, voters
70 do so, shall be a%djudged guilty OF a
Wherever registration Is
the person who registers shall
sign his name on the registration book,
nd when he comes to vote he shall again
Iign his name opposite his number on
he poll book, and the election officers
nay compare the signatures. II the
1oter cannot sign his name then he shall
his mark IN the usual way on the
book. duly attested in writ
ng BY two or more reputable witnesses
Q whom he In known, and when any in
offers to vote under such name s
he judges may determine from the tes-
imony Of the attesting witnesses, or II :
hey canno be produced her from other
proof, whether or not he IL the same
person who made his mark on the regis-
ration book, and In voting he shall again
his mark attested as above re-
luired. II any person signs any other
han his true name In registering or vot-
ng he shall be adjudged guilty OF forg-
~ and punished as may be prescribed
~ statute. Every political party and {
Of passing any constitutional
amendment shall be entitled to a repre-
inside OF the booth to watch
he balloting and counting, and IN addl-
Ion thereto shall also be entitled to one q
challenger. Where II IL provided herein :
g violation OF any provision Of this I
shall be a misdemeanor the
punishment shall be fxed by statute. II ]
he offender Ia a regular official he shall.
lpon conviction, forfeit his office, and he
nay be prosecuted under this amendment
nd his office forfeited independent Of
ny statute. The word election as used {
lerein shall be construed to mean any :
Election, general or special, whether
tate, county or municipal, including any
election held under the law.
This amendment shall be self-enforcinE.
ut legislation may be enacted to facii-
Its operation. 3
Section III. Any constitutional pro.
'ision, or law, or part thereof, in conflict
fifth this Amendment In hereby renaoisd