Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1916-04-27
Vote on -Four Amendments.

1ue laleS OI lOur new auleLu-
ments proposed to the constitu-
tion of North Carolina will rest
with the people Of the State in
the fall OF the present year.
The amendments now in tn e
balance. or soon to be, would pro.
vide ~ for Judges by appoint
ment OF the governor in emerg-
encies. That is the chief executive
OF the state could Telegraph a To-
cal lawyer Of good standing to
60 ON the bench, with his own
case eliminated from the calen-
dar, IN the event of the necessity
for a special term Of court when
a regular Judge was not readily
available. The second amend
lnent proposed would prevent the
issuance OF legislative charters to
corporations. At the present time
the bulk OF the commercial char.
ters are issued by the secretary
of state, but persons with some
special corporation planned Of
ten 60 before the general assem-
bly, and secure by special legisla-
tion q charter which allows cer-
tain privileges which the general
laws would not prove.
1t has pointed out that there
have been times when charters
were thus issued by the legisla-
ture for tax immune corpora
tions or FOR corporations W t h
condemnation powers t o "a I'd
land and property which the gen.
eral laws in equity would not en-
dorse.
The third amendment propos-
ed would provide for the incorpo-
ration OF towns by the secretary
of state and prevent their char
tering in the Legislature. This
would compel the issuance of in
corporation papers to towns and
cities on a petition of a certain
percentage OF the qualified voters
of the towns in question and the
incorporation would be under the
incorporation would be under
the general law. The fourth a.
lnendmendment would prevent
"local' legislation IN the gener
al assembly; namely, such legis'
lation coucerninghu throw
ing sawdust into creeks or han
ding the ROAD buildingq questions,
which might be handled by the
boards OF county commissioners.
The amendments are framed
in each instance to expedite mat
ters and to provide system where
chaos exists, according to t h e
proposition. The provision for
the emergency Judge which is sug-
gested is already operative in
South Carolina and is declared
to be economical, expedient and
satisfactory. Proposed amend
ment number 2is claimed to have
as it's reason for raising it's head,
the safeguarding OF the state from
predatory commerce or special
privilege business, which might
and its way through the chan
nels OF a busy or ill-lnformed leg
islature. and to save the time OF
the legislators from the burdens
OF the minutiae connected with
the investigation OF such cases.
Three and four OF the amend.
ments are alleged time savers, al.
though it isarguedfor the amend
ment which which would reduce
the amount OF "local" legisla.
ton in thegeneral assembly, that
it is in keeping with the best in
democratic government; to wit
the principle of the prevalence OF
vox popll. This is asserted on the
base OF the contention that q leg
lslator might put through an un
interested or unawakened legis
lature a provision for his home
county which would be detestible
to his owu constituency, whereas
when those things are HANDLED
; by the county commissioners