The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-10-29
LOOK WITH CARE INTO The
AMENDMENTS OF CONSTITUTION.
To the Voters of Wisconsi n:

| ~ uiic OleTS VI w iSCOuSlb'
AT the coming election one of the
most important questions upon which
you will be called to vote is that relat-
ing to certain proposed amendments to
the constitution. On this matter the
Home Rule and Tax Payers league de-
sres 10 address you briefly.
The constitution is our fundamental
law. 1T outlines our form OF govern
meut 1t provides for different depart
ments of government, Legislative, eX-
ecutive, administrative and judicial, -
and clearly states the duties, and limits
the powers, OF each.
All political power is vested n, and
derived from the people, but as thy
cannot exercise that power directly,
they have vested certain portions OF 1t
in their representatives. AS all the
people cannot get together TO make
laws, they have vested the law-makin
power in a legislature, that is, In a
senate and assembly. AS they cannot
in body execute the laws, they have
vested the executive power in COVER
nor. Ps they cannot construe the
laws, and apply them to the practical
affairs of life, they have vested the lu-
dicial power in the courts:
Thus each department has its own
legitimate field in which to act. and it
is this judicious division, and wise bal
ancing of powers that have enabled
our people to prosper, TO preserve er-
der within our state boundaries, to Sc
cure to each person all his legal rights,
and to the state and its government
that loyal support and great respect
necessary to human progress and social
advancement.
IL is clear then that our government
must continue TO be a representative
democracy The constitution secures
this. 1t is the mandate of all the peo-
pie, telling their representatives In
the different departments what they
may do, and what they may not do.
With these thoughts in mind we ask
YOU 10 tAdl1l1t GhItl diiAA hii VI thN PAc
posed amendments. You will find, on
careful examination, that those that
are not vicious, are useless and unnec-
essary. Most Of them are proposed in
utter disregard of the underlying prln-
ciples of tne constitution as is. They
have be = prepared and are supported
Il ne n =. sut'utFss-s - posi- 5ly IL, oul
present high taxes, the large number
of commissions, and almost numberless
officials, that now alllict and impover-
ish our people, and the recently estab-
llshed bureaucracy that is utterly for
eign to, and in direct conflict with our
American institutions
Glancng hastily over these proposed
amendments, it is seen that the objects
sought by their adoption are to have
the state go into the Insurance busi-
ness: TO recall officials after they have
been regularly elected; to make it easy
to amend tue constitution: to let muni'
cipalities adopt their own charters,
and do anything they please; to take
part OF the legislative power from the
legislature, and let the people about
half million voters enact laws: to
more than double the salary of legisla-
tors: to take private property from the
owner, whether it is needed for public
use, or not, and TO provide for altering
the limits, and increasing or decreas-
ing the number of judicial circuits in
the state.
Think of a home rule amendment,
proposed and supported by men who
have, by foolish and freak legislation,
deprived the people of the right to
manage their own local affairs, to
build their own roads, assess their own
property, and build and operate their
own public utilities. The Home Rule
amendment that is proposed (anl it is
the only one of the lot that has even a
semblance of merit, would give to
our state such crazy-quilt of munich
pal governments as would make US the
laughing stock of the country. Under
it there would be 90 protection what
ever for the minority. One munich p
atty might run an ice plant, another a
coa yard another a grocery store,
another clothing store and so on.
Such a proposition is simply socialism
gone mad- The socialists support all
these amendments. They filed and
paid for publishing the arguments in
their favor in the election pamphlet.
Those who support all the proposed
amendments ought ia all honesty to
come out and announce themselves AS
extreme socialists. for such they are in
effect.
We ask yoa, by voting against each
and all OF these proposed amendments
to save our fundamental law from what
we must regard as species Of political
andalism. While some Ut them are
less dangerous and vicious than others,
they are all bad and unnecessary, and
the safety of our government demands
that they all be rejected
HOME RULE AND TAX
PAYERS LEAGUE.
Madison, October 22, 1914.