Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-02-01

the reasons given by those opposing
1t we're not substantial and | hope
It viii be the pleasure or this iegis-
lature to ratify this amendment. One
OF the arguments made against 1t is
that it gives to the Congress of the
United States power 10 lay and col
lect taxes on incomes that should be
a source Of revenue to the states. /
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 | 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
1t 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.
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 a change of
the present method was first agitat-
ed there was but a small per centage
of the people who favored a changs
of the plan provided by the Constitu-
ton as adopted in 1889, but as time
went on sentiment began to change
on this subject and | believe that IL
1t were submitted to a vote of the
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.
Womal's Suffrage.
believe the time has come when
the right of suffrage should be ex-
tended to women. Our con stitution
provides that only male citizens shalt
vote and that no person, not a voter,
shall be elected or appointed to any
State, county or municipal office. 1t
this right? Ii a woman has property
she must pay taxes thereon the same
as a man; but she cannot be elected
or appointed to N Office. She can
not be appointed, a trustee of a school
or a notary public. / am in favor of
, amending our constitution. so as to
give her al the rights and privileges
that are guaranteed to our sex
CONSTITUTIONAL Convention.
II Believe we should have a consti-
tutional convention. Our present or
ganie law was not anything TO boast
bof when adopted. However it has
suficed for many years But we
have long since outgrown 1t. 1t was
made for a State of440,000 people, in
round numbers. At the time of its
adoption we had practically no indus
tries and u great natural resources
we're not even thought of, At that
time we had but few elementary
schools. no high schools and no o
NAL schools. Our State was truly in
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 a constitution that was not
made for existing conditions. A con-
stitutional convention would provide
for the initiative referendum as IL
should do; | know something of the
fODJCGNtVho lAth1 w NhNHN
but the time is here 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 sisterSState of
Ohio, can trust its people with the
initiative referendum so can we
Criminal and intermediate Courts
I ~ 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