Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-01-31

II viii be the pleasure of this iegis-
latupe to 'ratify this amendment one
OF the arguments made against it is
that it gives to the Congress OF the
United States power to lay and col
leot taxes on incomes that should be
a source OF revenue to the states. l
think we ought to be willing to trust
congress in this matter and see no
reason for any particular anxiety up
on the part Of the average citizen,
but l can see reasons why men of
vast wealth might desire to avoid
any taxes of this kind by the govern
ment of the United States. am a
firm believer in income taxes, both
for the state and nation, and | hope
it will be your pleasure to ratify this
amendment.
Amendemnt to the Constitution of
the United States providing that
United States Senators shall be elect.
ed by the people of the Several states.
F. The Sixty-second Congress of the
United States of America, at Its sec
ond session, proposed an amendment
to the Constitution OF the United
States
For almost two decades the people
of this country have been debating
the question of how their United
States Senators ought to be elected
When the question of change of
the present method was first agitat-
ed there was but small per ceutage
of the people who favored a changs
of the plan provided by the Constitu-
tion as adopted in 1889. but as time
went on sentiment began to change
on this subject and | believe that il
people today that very large per
cent of our voters would record them
selves in favor of this proposed
amendment. There are several rea-
sons for this change in sentiment,
and indeed, | think there are several
resons why the old plan should be
changed
Woma, is Suffrage.
believe the time has come when
the right of suffrage should be ex-
tended to women. Our constitution
provides that only male citizens shall
vote and that no person, not a voter,
shall be elected or appointed to any
State, county or municipal office. 1t
this right? Ii woman has property
she must pay taxes thereon the Same
as q man; but she cannot be elected
or appointed to any office. She can
not be appointed a trustee of u school
or a notary public. | am in favor of
amending our constitution SO as to
give her all the rights and privileges
that are guaranteed to our sex
Constitutional Convention.
| believe We should have a consti-
tutional convention Our present or
ganic law was not anything to boast
of when adopted However it has
suiilced for many years But we
have long since outgrown it. 1t was
made for State of440, 900 people, in
round numbers. At the time of its
adoption we had practically no indus
tries and our great natural resources
were not even thought of, AT that
time we had but few elementary
schools, no high schools and no nor
nal schools. Our State was truly iii
its infancy. We are now fifty years
old. Conditions have changed since
our State was admitted into the I'm
ion. We need new laws to meet new
conditions and in the enactment of
these laws We should not be hamper
ed by constitution that was not
made for existing conditions. A con
stitutional convention would provide
for the initiative referendum as it
should do; | know something of the
objections offered to these reforms
but the time is mere when our people
are demanding a more certain meth
cd or way of amending our laws and
providing new ones This is an era
of progress and unless we keep pace
with the times We are going to find
our State tagging behind. If other
great States like our sister State Of
Ohio, can trust its people with the
initiative referendum so can we.
Criminal and intermediate Courts
recommend the repeal of all the
laws heretofore enacted creating
Criminal and Intermediate Courts
with the exception of the one Great
ing the Intermediate Court of Kan
awha county and the one creating the
Criminal Court OF Mcdowell county.
find that the courts in these two