Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-30
Five Constitutional Amend
mentS To Be Voted on Sept. 10

i ne people or Maine Will pass upon
FIVE proposed constitutional amend
ments at a special election, which will
be held on the second Monday of Sep
tember, and the Department of State
will furnish the first copy to the
printer for the ballots early the COM
ing week. approximately 100000 bal
lots will be printed and under the law
SO ballots are furnished for every 80
votes or fraction thereof cast at the
preceding subernatorial election The
law stipulates that the Department OF
State shall send one set Of ballots 10
be received by the city. town or plan
tation clerk - hours before election
day and a duplicate set to be received
by the clerk As hours before election
day.
Will Soldiers Vote?
The question as to whether Maine
soldiers ir the war with Germany
shall vote on the amendments has
been referred to Attorney General Guy
H. Sturgis of Portland for an opinion.
There seems TO be some doubt as 70
whether the soldiers will be permitted
to vote on constitutional questions,
whereas If IL were a state or a ma
tional election there appears to be no
question but that they must be al
lowed TO cast their ballots. The iast
general state election occurred when
the members of the Second Maine
Regiment Infantry were doing outpost
duty on the Mexican frontier. and they
voted at that time. OF course no one
knows where the Second Maine will be
on election day. but the impression has
been Of late that the regiment will not
be moved South until the first Of Octo-
Der.
Suffrage to Women
The amendment TO the constitution
granting suffrage 10 women on equal
terms with men reads a S follows:
The right to vote or 10 hold once
shall not be denied or abridged on &C
count Of sex; provided however, that
citizens by marriage only shall not be
allowed to vote or hold Office until
after a period of residence in the Uni
ted States equal to that required by
law for the naturalization of men IN
this state. In the construction of this
constitution the masculine pronoun
shall be construed as meaning both
men and women"
Removal Of Sherifts
The resolve proposing an amend
ment to the constitution relative TO the
tenure Of the Office Of sheriff reads as
follows:
''Whenevor the governor and coun-
ell upon complaint. due notice ana
hearing shall find that sheriff is not
faithfully or efficiently performing any
duty imposed on him by law, the gov
ernor may remove such sheriff from
office and with the advice and consent
of tire council appoint another sherih
in his place for the remainder OF the
term for which such removed sferlH
was elected All vacancies in the Of
flee of sheriff other than those caused
by removal in the manner aforesaid,
shall be filled in the same manner as
is provided in the case Of judges and
registers Of probate"
Divide into Voting Districts
The resolve proposing an amendment
to tine constitution empowering the
legislature tc authorize towns to di-
vide into polling districts for the rur-
pose Of holding elections is as follows
THE legislature may by law author
ize the dividing of towns into polling
districts for all state and national elcc-
lions. and prescribe the manner in
which the vote shall be received,
counted and the result Of the election
declared"
RELATING to Military
The resolve proposing an amendment
In Article Seven of the Constitution
relating to military, is as follows