Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-10-22
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE
CONSTITUTION OF N. CAROLINA.
Brief Outline Of Conditions 10 Amend
ments Seek to Remedy; To be
Voted ON November 3.

- F
On Election Day, November 3rd next
ten amendments to the Constitution
of North Carolina will be submitted to
the voters. 1t becomes every voter to
inform himself upon these amend
ments and to vote for or against them,
according to his Judgment.
In the General Assembly of 1913
more than twenty amendments to our
Constitution were introduced. This
gives on idea of the demand for
changes in the Constitution. As that
General Assembly did not have time
to consider these amendments. it au-
thorized. the appointment of a Com
mission of twenty citizens to carefully
go over the present Constitution and
to prepare and report to the General
Assembly in special session sucn
amendments rs they might deem good
and sound. This the Commission did.
The General Assembly, in session in.
the fall of 1913, carefully reviewed
the report of the Commission, and af-
ter thorough discussion, passed for
submission to the voters the amend
ments now before us. The fact that
these amendments received almost
unanimous support in the General
assembly is one of the best assur-
ances that each of them is calculated
to advance the interests of the people.
CT North Carolina.
Further evidence to the same effect
is the fact that these amendments are
heartily endorsed by the Governor and
leaders of the political parties, the
State tBr0rc ACCnnio tino on1 official
leaders of the Farmers Union, who
declare that if adopted they will make.
for progress in this State and for the
advancement of our farming interests
and all other worthy interests in the
State" These leaders especially en-
dorse the taxation amendment because
it "sets free our people to work out
necessary reforms in taxation while
leaving in force the present restric-
tons in rate"
Another fact of great significance as
to the merits of the proposed amend
rents is this: That Notwithstanding
that they were proposed by a General
Assembly Overwhelmingly Democratic,
they have received the emphatic en-
dorsement of the Republican State
Convention.
So much in general. We propose
now to briefly set forth the meaning
of each of the ten amendments, in the
order in which they will be voted upon
for the purpose of informing the
reader:
The first amendment proposes TO
strike out of the Constitution the
phrase Instruction or rebellion
against the United States" and to
substitute for that odious character
ization of the Civil war, the phrase,
WAR Between the States"
This will appeal to every patriotic
North Carolinian.
The second amendment proposes to
increase the pay of members of the
General Assembly from four dollars
per day to six dollars per day, and of
the respective presiding officers of the
Houses thereof from six dollars pei
day to eight dollars per. day.
1t is hoped thus to make it possible
for more of our people to afford the
expense of being members of the Gen
eral Assembly, as the present compen-
sation does not begin to meet the ne
cessary campaign expenses, board
bills, and the time a citizen must lose
from his regular duties.
III.
The third amendment has for its OBJ
ject the restriction of local, private
and special legislation, with the two
fold view of % having many of these
matters referred to boards of county
commissioners and the governing
of our towns; (2) of afording
the General Assembly liberty to en-
gage in the consideration of matters
If Statewide Importance.
Every session of the General AS
is c~ongested with thousands
# bills of no general Importance; mat
ers that should be the subject of uni
orm legislation, on the one hand, or
ocal self-government on the other. If
his amendment shall be ratified by
he people they will emancipate the
Assembly from its present
ondage of local and special legisla-
and endow it with liberty to at
end to matters of interest to all the
This amendment gives the General
1ssembly power to pass general laws
egulating the matters set out in this
ection;" that is, local, special and
matters, and if it is ratified all
nese smaller matters will be disposed
1 once and for all in general acts.
Let the reader consider what it will !
,ean to the Commonwealth to have
S General Assembly rid of the thou ,
ands of little bills of no general value
4 order that it may treat the matters
f great concern to all the people.