The Wagner post. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-current, 1912-04-12
The Evasion of the Constitution

people of Dakota territory fought the
strenuous battles of Division and State
hood.
i In order to successfully combat
hostile and exacting Congress We must
needs, perforce, present strong. incon-
trovertible claims. and the best ar
gument was conceded to be. A STATE
CONSTITUTlON--superior to the fun
damental document supporting the
statutes of any state in the Union.
! The document was drafted and adopt
ed by the people of South Dakota
winning statehood and lending moral
influence that extended it's benefcent
helpfulness to North Dakota. Montana
and Washington admitted contempor-
aneously.
Immediately after and ever since
the Constitution was adopted certain
elements of orr citizenship have sought
/. to change it by amendment or repeal.
Many of the amendments proposed
and some of them adopted
sought to cnange 1t by amendment or
repeal.
Many of the amendme nts proposed
and some of them adopted-have been
efforts to emasculate the Constitu-
tion-hatred because of its rigid ard
far reaching excellence.
So stealthy and insidious are these
efforts to weaken tnot amendD the
constitution that it Is now state wide
slogan "vote 'em down.
3 No legislature can submit a good
amedment to be voted on without hav-
/. ing endangered by one or more bad
ones seeking success as riders-"hyp-
ocrites in the shadow of the cross.
Failing to chauge the Constitution
they often pass law that is unconsti-
tutional which will remain in force
until someone fights it out in the
courts. 1t is possible that some of our
laws enforced against the best inter-
ests and we'll being of the citizens or
state would be rs worthless and impo-
tent as blank sheet were it submitted
to the scrI tiny of an honest Court.
Take the trouble to glance at Sec.
2ll0 of the Political Code.
"Said board shall not increase the
aggregate assessed valuation in the
state by more than three million doll
ars'.
Now if can understand the English
language, the last three words are in
violation of the language and spirit Of
the Constitution. The Constitution
limits taxation as follows: Article x,
Sec. l. "Not to exceed in any one
year two mills on any one dollar of
the assessed valuation" "ascertained
by the last assessment. Also same
section provides in the sane terms for
two mills for deficiency. For years
the people have been taxed to the con-
stitutional limit of four mills.
Now is it legal to stretch that valu-
alton three million dollar because
they cannot say Al mills? A crook
sr thief always has his apologist,
and imagine hear one say, "Oh,
bosh! What is b three mi llion raise
to South Dakota?" | answer that it
is simply an entering wedge to break
the Constitution and raise the four
mill limit. Let US see.
Glance at Chapter SIS, Session La VS.
of 1903. Said board shall not increase
by more then one hundred million dol
lars"
Not enough that the legislature of
1903 should prostite itself to build q
foundation for the state gang to levy
four hundred thousand dollars ($400,-
600. 00) additional tax beyond that al
lowed by the Constitution, but the leg
islature OF 1906 mnst be party to the
infamy.
Glance At Chapter 8, Session Laws
of 1906. For one would like to have
some of the builders of an elastic law
do some hemp stretching the twine
plant
The state first, the party next.
]. G. Jones. in the
Wheeler Courier.
CALL FOR DEMOCRATIC COUNTY
| MEETING.
A meeting of the democratic county
central committee Of Charles Mix