The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-09-10

Dealerl
Four amendments to the state con-
stitution and two referendums on
laws passed by the last legislature
will claim the attention of voters as
special features at the fall election,
Behind each of the constitutional
amendments will be found an organ
ization, ready to give liberal atten-
ton to promoting its interests. And
there will be a fairly complete organ
ization resisting most of them. The
same is true of the referendums.
The usual fight to vote Ohio
probition state is one of the amend
ments that will bring on the usual
strenuous wet and dry contest. The
dry forces will not rest with defeats
of the past and want another contest.
The wet forces grown wiser from
experience, have enlarged their re-
sistance against prohibition. The
liberals are losing no time and have
their forces in the field battling pro-
hibition.
The Constitutional Stability league
wants an amendment that would take
much of the life out of the initiative
provision of the constitution. Their
amendment is that, after a certain
amendment has been twice defeatd,
it may not b submitted again for six
years. 1t is aimed directly at the re-
currnt submissions of the prohibit
ory amendment An active organi-
zation covering the state is behind
the movement. Supporters of the
the initiative have organized to fight
this amendment
County officers now in office, want
an amendment that will make all
terms of county offices four years in
place of two. Coupled with the "a
mendment is a term extender for two
years for the benefit of men now in
office.
There appears to be little object
ion to a four-year term. 1t is pro-
posed to put through a change of
that sort in the last legislature, but
there was strong sentiment against
the term extender There is criti-
cism of that feature of the amend
ment heard now and a fight on that
point seems certain this fall.
There i sa TecuTrent rumOr that a
combination has ben made between
the forces of the Stability league and
the term eXtenders to put both
through, the organiza-
tiOns of each working for both.
There is an amendment to make
bonds in the several poll
tical subdivisions of the state tax
free. That amendment was submit
ted by a vote of the legislature, but
the other three came in on the initia-
ted route, but had little trouble in
enough names.
The bond exemption has lost be- |
fore but there appears to be a more !
favorable outlook now, since many
have been forced to pay
much higher interest on their bonds |
anu lNt bCtll uAldBlC " get lllG Oul-
standing bonds returned for taxation. |
The referendums will each bring a |
fight One is on the congressional |
gerrymander law and was brought as
a political matter by the Democratic |
state organization.
1t will have ample aid from many |
republicans in counties and districts |
who are dissatisfied Lack of state |
will make less favorable a
hard fight on the question but inter
est will be quickened as Gov. Willis !
intends to make a contest to save
the law of the Republican legisla-
tuTe.
The other referendum is on the
Republican McDermott liquor law
and there will be a real fight prob !
ably on that Although Gov Willis
insists that the referendum is a De-
mocratic project, the facts are prac-
tically all of the workers behind the
in Columbus are Repub-
licans. It's sponsors among state
politicians are as frequently Repub-
lican as Democrat and political lines
will not divide the forces for and
against it.