Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-10-15

THROWS LIGHT
ON AMENDMENTS
Circular Issued Giving Sum-
mary Whereby Voters May
Exercise Franchise Wisely.

voted upon Tuesday were received by
the voters yesterday and today. They
| were enclosed with the sample ballot,
of which more than $4,000 were mailed
by the district election boards OF
| Essex county.
| The ballots themselves do not throw
! much light upon the effect of yes
or no vote upon the different amend
ments, but a cursory reading of the
accompanying statement will make
| intelligent voting sure. The attorney
generals circular is entitled "a Sum
mary statement of the existing con-
| stitutional provisions, to be amended
| by the proposed amendments to be
submitted to the voters of the State
at the special election to be held Oc-
tober 10, 1915, showing the effect which
| the adoption or rejection of the
amendments so to be submitted to the
voters will have upon the State con-
| stitution.'
The first amendment, that relating to
woman's suffrage, is quite generally
understood, of course, in its one big
feature. Under it every female citi-
zen of the United States twenty-on
years old or more would have the
right to VOTE provided she shall have
been "a resident of this State ono
year and of the county in which she
claims her vote five months next be-
fore the election"
The attorney-general, however,
volunteers the further information
that under the existing law, citizen
| ship of the wife follows the citizen
ship of the husband, so that if a
| female citizen of a foreign country
marries citizen of the United States
she Immediately becomes, by virtue of
| the marriage, a citizen of the United
| States; but under this proposed
amendment such citizen does not be-
come an elector or acquire the right
of suffrage until she shall have re-
sided in the United States five years.
The Second Amendment.
The second amendment relates to
amendments to and the method of
amending the constitution. 1.-THE ef-
feet of the proposed amendment, If
adopted" the statement declares,
will be to permit the submission of
amendments distinct from and dis
similar to those submitted within
| five years preceding, but still to pre-
vent the submission of similar or like
amendments, relating to the same
subject within the five years, and to
make plain the meaning of this clause
of the constitution" 1t is also set
forth that:
1.-THE constitution now provides that
any specific amendment or amend
ments to the constitution may be
proposed in the Senate or General AS
sembly, and If the same be agreed to
by a majority of the members elected
to each of the two houses, shall be
referred o the legisla re then next
to be chosen; and if, in the legisla-
ture next chosen, such proposed
amendment or amendments, or any of
them, shall be agreed to by a ma
jority of all the members elected to
each house, then such proposed |
amendment or amendments, or such |
of them as may have been agreed to, |
shall be submitted to the people, in |
such manner and at such time, at |
least four months after the adjourn.
ment of the legislature, as the legis
lature shall prescribe, at a special |
election to be held for that purpose
only; but no amendment or amend |
ments shall be submitted to the peo-
pie by the legislature oftener than |
once in five years.
"As the constitution now stands 1t |
seems to be the generally accepted |
opinion that If an amendment or
amendments are submitted to the |
people, and accepted or rejected, then |
for FIVE years thereafter no amend |
ment of any kind or nature, whether
similar to those last submitted or en-
tirely dissimilar and relating to en-
tirely distinct and separate matters,
can be submitted; that the constitu-
ton cannot be thereafter amended in
any manner for five years.
This proposed amendment Is in |
tended to make plain this provision
1t only changes the clause prohibiting
submission for five years by striking
out the words or amendments' and
inserting, after the word mo- and be- |
fore the word amendment, the word
similar so that 1t will read but no
similar amendment shall be submitted |
to the people by the Legislature
oftener than once in five years
Excess Condemnation.
The third amendment is the one
known as the excess condemnation
amendment This amendment is ex-
planned by the attorney general in tine |
following language:
1.-THE constitution now prohibits the |
taking of private property for public |
use without just compensation, and
the Legislature can only authorize the
taking of such property as is actually
needed for the particular use;
ment, If adopted, will be to give the
Legislature somewhat larger powers,
and to enable 1t to give to the State, |
counties and other municipalities, and
boards and commissions thereof,
power to take, for laying out, widen |
ing, extending, or vacating parks,
public places, highways or streets.
more land or property than IS actual |
ly needed for such purposes, but only
aora n tvfn form Qtlit a hla |
building sites, abutting on such public
place. highway or street, and after
the amount of land or property ac-
tually needed for the public place,
park, street or highway is appro-
priated the remainder may be sold or
leased
1T very often happens in opening
or widening streets or highways. or
laying out parks, or squares in mu
inequalities, that only parts of par
ticular holdings are needed for the
Improvement and that the remainders
are left to the owners, so cut Up as
to have very little value for build
ing purposes on account OF lack of |
depth or irregular shape, and in such |
case the public is forced to pay not |
only the value OF the land actually |
taken, but also damages for the in |
juries done these remainders.
This proposed amendment will en-
able the Legislature, in proper cases,
to grant to the State and to the coun-
ty and municipal authorities, power |
to take, pay full compensation there |
for, not only the land needed for the |
actual Improvement, but in addition |
these remainders, and so much as
will make suitable building lots |
abutting on the improvement"
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Haodc Erachmor CIaec of