Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-03-10
TO VOTE ON SEVERAL
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Chief in Interest Are Those Pertain
.ng TO Iiteracy Test as Election
Qualification, and the Question of
Suffrage for Women.

nations at the August primary Ok
lahomans will vote on Constitutional
amendments as we'll
One of the amendments framed by
the Legislature is of general import
ance, for the reason that It affects
the rights of suffrage. This amend
ment is sort Of grandfather clause
based upon patriotism or service i'm
the armies and navies Men who
have thus served and their descend
ants are exempted from any literacy
test; others must pass such test in
order to be entitled to vote. II is
obvious that the test will fall most
heavily upon the negroes.
Another amendment is that initi-
ated by the Socialists, which is in
tended to change the election laws
so that the three parties having the
largest following in this State shall
have equal representation in the
management of elections. This
would, of course, give TO the Social
lists and Republicans the same power
that the Democrats would have in
these elections.
The regular session of the Fifth
Legislature passed eight resolutions
submitting proposed amendments to
the people and providing that they
shall be voted on in the August pr-
mary election. One of these would
repeal the section of the Constitu-
tion known as 12s, which was adopt
ed in 1914, having been initiated by
Senator Campbell Russell of Musko-
gee County. This section provides
that all taxes collected for mainten-
ance of the common oscohls of the
state from public service corpora
tions shall be paid into the common
school fund of the State and distrib-
luted as are other common school
funds of the State. 1t will be OBJ
served that this would benefit some
counties by taxes collected in other
lcounties, the variance being govern
led by the amount of public service
corporation taxes collected in the
Icounties. This amendment has new
er become operative, the courts hav-
ing held that is is not self-executing
Senator Russell probably submit for
the voters an initiated law vitalizing
this provision at the same time they
are asked to vote to repeal the sec
Ition.
An amendment tht is contained in
the resolution of the regular session
would abolish the county courts of
the State and give to the District
Courts all the jurisdiction that is
now enjoyed by the County Courts
This is one of the amendments thata
Governor Williams sought to have
submitted 1t will bring about a
bitter fight and the campaign is ex-
pected to be very vigorous. 1t would
abolish a lot of offices and the ten
dency of the Oklahoma officeholder
and office-seeker is such as to hold
on to the last resort.
l. Another amendment that was urg-
ed bv Governor Williams would con
solidate the Criminal Court of Ap-
peals and the Supreme Court and
permit the court thus constituted to
sit in divisions. This amendment
This amendment will also be oppos-
iNhs II - bNAl0fNhs Oy lnt JuoIlNNH vi
the Crimonal Court of Appeals.
The right of trial by jury is declar-
ed to be a good thing and that 1t
shall remain inviolate is also assert
ed in the preamle to another propos-
ed amendment that also has the ap-
proval of Governor Williams. This
amendment would make juries of
eight men ample in civil and Grim
inal cases and would permit a Ver-
dict by concurrence of three-fourths
of the jurors in all cases save felOn-
les This amendment is also des-
tined to meet with opposition.
Incorporated cities and towns are
particularly interested in proposed
amendment that would permit the
issuance of bonds to the extent of 5
per cent of the valuation of the tax
able property therein when three
7 fifths of the qualified taxpaying vo-
, ters of such town or city should as
, sent thereto.
An amendment that is likely to be
opposed on principle by the embat-
tied array of patriots who want all
the elective offices maintained would
provide that the Clerk of the Su-
: preme Court be appointed b ythe Su-
preme Court. The office is now cleo
tive.
Compulsory compensation by en-
ployers in case of death of an en-
ployee is the subject of another pro
posed amendment that will be on the
ballot in the August election.
The other proposed amendment
as prepared by the regular session OF
the Legislature wiuld create a State
Tax Commission which would take
the place Of the present State Board
of Equalization. This proposal seems
to be popular, and it may nct result
in drawing the opposition Of all the
people who seem likely to oppose
the other amendments.