The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-02-25
BENNINGTON. VT. FEB. 25. 1918.
The CONSTITUTION

For the first time in thirty years
the voters of Vermont will next Tues
day have before them the duty of de-
Gliding for or against several constitu-
tional amendments. These proposed
amendments are printed in The Ban
ner today on the fourth page, and
should be looked over carefully by
every voter. If they are approved by
a majority of the voters next Tues
day, they will become a part of the
constitution, and are not likely to be
changed for many years.
There are eight of these proposals
of amendment, but, really only two
about which there should be any ques-
ton. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth,
seventh and eighth should be adopted
without question, and so far as The
Banner knows there is no opposition
to them from any source. The third
and sixth proposals are of only slight
importance. The fourth takes away
from the legislature the right to com
mute a death sentence and gives it to
the governor, where it belongs. The
fifth will compel uniform charters OF
incorporation, and thus do away with
the fight for special privileges, which
| is made in the legislature every ses-
sion. The seventh proposal, if adopt
ed, will permit a compulsory work
mems compensation act, which Will
be better both for employers and EN-
ployes than continual fighting in the
courts without benefit or profit to
either party. The eighth proposal gives
the supreme court judges the right to
put such amendments as are adopted
into the constitution. Somebody must
have this right and better the su
preme court judges, doubtless, than
anybody else.
For these reasons the voters should
approve the third, fourth, fifth, sixth,
seventh and eighth proposals without
hesitation, and devote their chief at
tention to the first and second propos-
ais, which are of chief importance.
The first proposal provides that it
shall require a two-thirds majority OF
the Senate and House to pass bill
over the governors veto instead OF
fp,. nf This Is a
more radical change than would ap
pear at first glance, as its effect
would be to put the law making pow
err principally into the hands OF the
| governor. With some governors this
might be a good thing, while with 9th
ers it would be decidedly dangerous.
| BY means of such power a governor
in the future would be given club
| that he could WELD at all times for
his own personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
and to carry through his own ideas by
force, instead of because they We're
right or proper Vermont has gotten
along pretty well down to this time
without this radical one man power,
and The Banner is inclined to be
lieve that this first proposed amend
ment should be voted down.
The second proposal Of amendment
changes our state election from Sep
TENDER to November and the opening
| nf tho caccion of tho iaufc1nt,,ro from,
October to January. There are argu-
ments on both sides of this question
1t will do away with one election in
presidential years and compel a de-
cision on all the issues at one time
1t Will stop interference from outside
the state in Vermont elections and il
will start the session OF the legisla-
ture after the holidays and discour-
age long legislative sessions. as the
approach of spring will tend to hast
en- the farmers in the legislature to
complete the work and adjourn.
On the other hand it will take away
from Vermont considerable advertis-
ing that the state now gets from its
September election; it will prevent
the several parties getting speakers
of national reputation into Vermont
during the campaign, and it puts the
contest into the latter part of Octo-
Der, rather than the latter part OF
August. when outdoor meetings can
be comfortably held and a campaign
waged much more pleasantly for The
voters.
These first and second proposals OF
amendment are the ones that the vot-
ers should give their attention to. and
every voter who goes to the polls
next Tuesday should be sure to ex-
press his convictions on these impor-
tant matters lest the decision be left
to those who give no thought OF heed
The choice OF Col. Thomas Harmon
TO be the head Of the Vermont depart
ment Of the G. A. r. would be most
fitting and it would be giving due hon
, OF to a man who has honored the