The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-10-14
NUMBER IL.
CHIEFS SUGGESTION APPROVED
Consideration of Proposed Amend
ments Made Easy for Voters.

The New Orleans Daily States, in
its issue of Oct. 5, devotes its lead
ing editorial to an approval of The
Chiefs suggestion concerning the
| division of the proposed constitution
| al amendments into specified groups
for the purpose of facilitating their
consideration by the voters. The
States says:
s'' An intelligent way for the voter
to consider the pending constitutional
amendments is suggested by The Dom
jacksonville Chief II is to roup them
lin three parts of six eaehi meanwhile
assuming that all eighteeaGwere sub
mitted by more than a two birds vote
Kin each house, which is reasonable
presumption that each possesses some
merit.
In the first group The Chief would
| pat the six amendments which are
purely local in character, five of thena
| from Orleans and The sixth from Cad
ldo. The Caddo alleisiment covers the
funding of certain debts of the city
Iof Shreveport. The Orleans amend
ments look to the construction Of
bridge across the river. abolishment
| of the fees of the district attorney, au-
thorization of the local leyee board to
build a seawall on the lake, enlarge
ment of the powers of the civil dis
l.trict court and the refunding of cer-
tain debts of the city.
| 'sThe Chief properly holds that
electors of the remainder of the state
will be justified in assuming that local
needs and community welfare prompt
ed the framing and support of the
measures by the delegations. from
| Caddo and Orleans and, therefore,
! that they should be approved. We
venture to confirm this with the state
ment that the Orleans amendments
| will be overwhelmingly supported in
| this parish e
six other amendments cover OBJ
jcets concerning which, in the opinion
of The Chief, there can be no appre-
eiable difference of opinion among tho
people, of the state. These refer to
| Confederate pensions, the funding of
the penitentiary indebtedness, requir-
ing railroad and other public service
corporations to maintain general of
| fees in Louisiana, exempting certain
barge and steamship lines domiciled
| in Louisiana and engaged in overseas
trade and commerce from taxation,
and extending the powers of the rail-
road commission.
| Therefore, there are only six
amendments which properly can pro-
| woke discussion, and, hence, little
room for confusion in the mind of the
voter. These six give women the right
to serve on boards, repeal section
Of article 118 relative to juvenile
Icourts, provide for the voting and
levying of taxes in aid of fairs, pro-
hibit the general assembly from pass
mig local or special laws on certain
subjects, authorize salaries instead of
fees to clerks of courts and other Of
icials, and create board of affairs to
| nave jurisdiction of assessments for
state purposes.
/ If the voter will follow the advice
of The Chief, decide to vote for tha
| first two groups and so dismiss them
| from his mind, he will have little room
for perplexity. Of the last group on
| ly the last two amendments are likely
| to trouble him. Their merit is undeni-
| able. They deserve to be ratified for
the general good. But certain inter
ests are carrying on a surreptitious
campaign against them and the voter
will do well to be on his guard against
the Misrepresentation which will be
made concerning them.
Zone of the amendments must be
passed if the pledges of the Demo
cratic party to wipe out the system of
fees are to be made good. The other
must be passed before there can be
any equalization of assessments or
any guarantee of adequate revenue
to meet the essential needs of the
state"