Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-06-08

the maintenance of the State institu.
tons and for the support Of the public
Schools" shall be referred to the peo.
pie and shall take effect and become
a law when approved by a majority of
the votes cast thereon and not other
wise. This provision OF the Constitu-
tion is far reaching, 1t t~ranscends the
legislative and executive branches Of
the State government. The Governor
may veto an act Of the Legislature.
but the veto power Of the Governor
does not extend to measures referred
to the people by the referendum. The
Legislature may pass laws over the
veto Of the Governor, but a referen.
dunn vote OF the people supersedes the
act OF the Legislature.
The exceptions to the referendum
For the immediate preservation Of
public peace, health or safety"--are
not meant to apply to laws passed to
relieve conditions such as may arise
in the event Of war. pestilence, plague,
insurrection. or similar extraordinary
conditions, 1t is meal to apply TO q
condition where the damage done
pending the reference TO the people
would be %irrsparable,
Suppose the champions of the single
tax lamong whom there are many able
and sincere mem should get control
of the Legislature OF Missouri and
pass acts looking to the carrying out
of their theories and should add the
peace, health or safety" clause TO
such acts, it could hardly be said that
the Governor would be justified in at.
t. npting to prevent the submission OF
endum vote, to the people, Many good
people are sincerely in favor Of the
single tax, as are many good people ia
favor Of prohibition. 1t is possible
that some day the champions of these
theories will be in the majority. Ii SO,
the Constitution Of Missouri provides
ample and fair methods By which laws
may be enacted 10 carry out the will
Of the majority.
The question of whether the State
should attempt TO promote the sale or
intoxicating liquors or content itself
with regulating such sales, was consid-
cred by our forefatners long before
the modern propaganda began to take
form or gather force. 1t is a question
as old as the State itself, and Il Upon
which wise ana good men have diff
fered, and yet Mr.. Shupp wants me ia
commit myself secretly to a program
which would prevent the people from
having an opportunity to express their
will in respect to this great question
He seems to think it is solely within
the ~pTerogative of the Legislature and
Governor to determine whether a law
passed by the Legislature shall fall
within the exception-'necessaTy fol
the immediate preservation Of public
peace, health OF safety'-provided il
the Constitution. If he is correct il
this, it certainly places a very grave
responsibility upon the Legislature AMI
the Governor, and n that should bt
considered with great care lest an at
tempt be maze to deny the people thu
very prerogatiYe which they sought t.
reserve in themselves in making thii
amendment to the Constitution. If thu
Governor should undertake to den!
the people the right to submit By refer
endum acts of the Legislature which
clearly do not fall within the excep
tions which are ordinarily enumerated
by those who are best able to constru'
this constitutional provision, he woul'
be assuming a position of arroganc
wholly Inconsistent with his oath o
office to support the Constitution 0
this State and to demean himself faitt
fully In office.
If am elected Governor shall tax
an oath to support the Constitution
not to disregard it. covet the SUI
port Of all good men
, l have no disposition to thwart tn
will of the majority, nor have ! an
desire, as Mr.. Shupp has suggested,
, prevent an expression Of their viii,
would be a dangerous thing for a Co
: ernor of Missouri, even under the d
rection Of so sincere an ~organizatio
| as the Anti-Saloon League to attemI
. to deny the people their constitution;
> rights. don't believe the people {
Missouri, including the vast majorit
3 of those who are in favor Of prohi6
ton, would want me to commit myse
to a proposition that is SO unfair, III
Z wise and unconstitutional as the a
tempt to deny them the right to su
q nit this question to referendum In II
manner suggested by MIR. Shupp.
believe in the rigid enforcement
!. the dramshop laws as they now exis
8 II elected Governor, l shall see to
/. that the dramshop laws are rigidly e
d forced and that neither the excl
e Offices nor the eleemosynary instit
n lions nor the police departments In u
,. large cities shall be used for polite
n purposes.
n I am a Democrat and have been
my life. My party win hold a Nation
G. Convention In st. Louis next week al
j. a State Convention in September.
a these two conventions the party "
set forth the issuas of the comil
r. campaign and | shall abide the pr
d ciples Of said platforms.
all probable that Democrats will gi
le the party banner into the hands Of
le indiscreet and inconsiderable d
If linger.-Clayton Argus.