The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-03-06

Parsed except by bill and no bin
shall be 10 altered or amended on
~ passage through either house
AZ 20 change "a original pur-
pose The cnactinE clause Of all
bills shall he; "nc Il enacted By
tho legislature Of the state q New
Mcxlco~ Any bni may originate
In either house. No hin. except
hslls 20 provide for the public
peace. health and ulfesy. and the
Qualification and revision Of the
laws. shall become a law unless
Il has been printed and read
three times in each house. not
more than two Of which readings
shall be on the same day. and the
third Of which shall be In full.''
During the present session Of the
legislature. bills notoriously not for
the preservation OF the public peace.
health OF safety have oeen rushed
through this house or Tint OF
through both houses. in the same
legislative day. without printing,
without reading In fun. without
meeting any OF the requirements OF
section rs. one pauses 10 wonder "
cynical smile could have been lack
ing from the lips OF the man who
wrote This act Is necessary for the
preservation OF the public peace,
health and safety' at the bottom OF
the county salary law: at the end Of
the mine tax bill before that measure
was hustled through the lower house;
at the foot OF a dozen measures in
which the last consideration at stake
was the public peace. health and
SAFETY"
In the minds OF able lawyers Il has
become a grave question whether the
abuse Of this emergency clause"
taken in connection with the provi-
sIons Of section IS. quoted above. do
not lay open 10 constitutional con-
test every one OF the laws passed al
this session with clear sioIation OF
the intent OF hat section and Of the
spirit Of the emergency clause"
The emergency clause" was made
the governing qualification OF the
referendum paragraph, written into
our constitution. and as such makes
that referendum a deliberate insult
which the Republican amer of the
constitution hung into the faces Of
our people. For the constitution
provides that laws q which IL at
tached this emergency clause shall
not be subject TO the referendum. In
the name OF free government. what
laws should be subject - final APP
prevail OF rejection by the people II
not those dealing directly with the
preservation of the public peace.
health and safety?
A"th' was blbbtt IN Auc hAkl'
circle which wrote bur constitution
as they tackled tho emergency clause
onto the referendum. and thus MULTI
fed that referendum
Thcer IL "A giEgle IN tho same little
circle of Republican bosses now at
Santa Fe a. they read their "emer-
.gency clause" attached to the tail of
more than 500 OF the more than 500
bills for laws which have been intro
Iduced In this legislature.
Why. you dear, defenseless people
OF New Mexico; do you know that al
the bottom u a bill which the house
has passed. and which all but nulii-
files the law Of this state against the
crime OF gambling. there is attached
this emergency clause. asserting This
act is necessary for h preservation
Of the public peace. health and safe
lty. and shall take effect immediatols
upon It's passage and APPROVAL"
Can you beat that?
Don't you think Judge Hewitt Il
right when he wants to wipe out TIM
clause which makes a farce OF you
right Of the referendum. and a iok'
of about half the laws offered FOL
your government?