The sun., 1915-02-28
Constitution

As 10 the prov .s.uns governing the
division Of State departments. most IT.
tention is given to the legislative
branch. which is surrounded with spe-
cific limitations These originally were
very few in number. but have since
grown up rapidly, recently in the form
of expressly providing for the fuuc-
tions and duties Of each department.
in this way Indirectly limiting the leg
islative prerogatiV" The latest Cor
s'itution especially provides for meth
dis Of finance. taxation. protection
over mining. irrigation and conscrva-
tinn. part icularly in the agricultural
and mining States OF the West.
The growing powers Of the eSccu-
tive branch as now outlined In certain
Constitutions are especially empha-
sized The referendum may likewise
he considered a check on the cNeru-
| tive as Wei as the legislative branch.
Ru, the tendency during the past few
years is marked toward Increasing trc
executive powers as shown ny The
favor with which the 81 ~ ballot ar
gumcnts nave been r., cived. Cors'i-
| 'utions occasionally specify "a 80 how
the several departments are 10 be
formed. indicating what departn. uts
may exercise administrative power.
how cir heads shall ne elected and
/ for v hat term.
! In New York the most common
method Of constitutional amrudrn. mt
10y legislative initiative has been fro
P qurnliN resurtcd To since its first
adoption N l>22. such a method has
; TIN certain advantage that ordinarily
amendments Initiated by this single
/ method cannot 10" defeated merely he
cause "f herug ,uII."d with certain
unpopular propositions. althou.-h such
pr"ccdur" would hc lmprlcticahle If
! an entirely new Constitution was To-
De voted upon
Will" hat five amendments were
mad" to tho first CONSTITUTION. at
least ten separate propositions for
amending the second conrtitlit .on
were submitted by The l.. ,slature ,o
, the p. oplc ana slN = these were
adopted The first, IN 1926. abolished
All property qualifications of white
voters another, in 1894, gave New
YORK. city cl@turS the right to vote
for Mayor, similar proposition being
extended IN 1898 Ia voters in all other
cities in the state.
Another mcthrd, that or C,nstit,l-
tional commissions created to propose
amendments To- tn LEGISLATURE, has
hcon trira with e marked degree of
success IN this State ON at least two
different occasions In ~. such a
comm - on was created following tho
ft'Iur" uf tho j. 0plc to ratirv n ncv
constitution four years previous Thi,
ht,i
Tld"n I'm 1876 when .u recommended
the creation of municipal cunstitu-
uon commission But stability IS an
All important essential of law Espc-
cially S this So in tho fumiimrntal
law or 'onSt futon ~ a State, but
As other forms Of law are the OUT
growth Of conditions and must he
changed to correspond. lust So IL IS
necessary that the Constitution v-
'"No am ndmrut from time to time
Twenty years have now passed since
IT, last constitutional convent on. I'll
though Nh" method ~ CONSTITUTIONS |
amendment hN - Legislative initiative
has been frequently resortod tu since
that time, resulting in almost thirty
important additions to the fundamcn-
tai law in New York state AS il now
stands. Many other amendments have
failed To receive the approval of that
body.
From the consideration. then. of
these few important facts II ia an.
parent that tho genera, revision ~ Tho
New York constitution will leo an
event of almost national importance.
as it viii not only Indicate tho g,n-
'rIi progress ~ events IN th,S STATE.
since tn" last constitution took effect.
hut il viii also uffcr tho opportuniiv
for comprehensive survey nr tho
progress of popular feeling and cxpo.
rience throughout the Union.