Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-07-15
State Constitution Would Look
as if Dray Had Been Driven
Through It, Declares Law
yer Who Helped Frame It.
MEN IN FIGHTING LINE
DO NOT SEEK BALLOT
They Would Be More Pleased
if Franchise Were Given 10
Mothers and Sisters; Vast
Expense is involved.
p,se,Al eos.ssro.osaes 70 Aoss,~a ,ou.s.tr

! ESPECIAL cossasposnsnes TO MORNING JoussAIf
| Santa Fe. July l4.--One Of the
/ trainers of the state constitution, a
constitutional lawyers whose son is in
| the army, has pointed out some of the
( difficulties that special session OF
the legislature would have to deal
with IN framing legislation to give to
the New Mexico men in the service
! facilities to cast their ballots at the
! November election.
He declared that the constitution
would look as II four-horse dray
had driven through Ii after the
amendments necessary had been
adopted, and as to such legislation as
the Australian ballot law, which II
took years to put on the statute books,
nothing would be left Of It..
Must Change Period.
II all the men in the service at
home and abroad are to have the vote
then 1t would be necessary to have the
election extend over more than one
day for all the men could hardly be
reached and vote on the same day.
Provision would have to be made for
the ballots to be received for a long
period after the statutory time. for .
New Mexico man In German prison,
or with the British army In Mesopo-
tamia. or on the fighting line in Italy.
or on some warship In Oceaniea, or
at wireless station In Samoa. Is so
remote from ordinary lines of COM
muricsi.ian that no dsfinite time table
for his exercising the franchise would
be set
Safeguards would have to be
thrown around the casting OF the bal
lot, for naturally, there would be no
he said The ballot would have to
be mailed. Unless congress passes
federal law there would be no way OF
certifying to 1t. Federal legislation
will be necessary. anyway. before the
machinery for casting and collecting
New Mexico ballots among the fight.
ing forces could be perfected.
Foreign Courts Impractical. ~
There are no justices of the peace.
no civil courts over there that would
be available. the New Mexican In a.
German prison would have his ballot
pass through the hands OF q German
censor and what the censor might do
to II Is a-plenty. q,
Then, there would have to ba
minute definition of who would be
entitled to vote. There are New Mex
leo citizens with Montana, Colorado.
Utah. Illinois and other units. There
ure citizens OF other states and for-
eigners with New Mexico units There
can be no registering and challenging
Of individuals who claim to be entitled
20 the vote. "a
Indiscrimination Impossible. ~
"a little thought will suggest mul-3
titude of detail and mountains of cost
that would have to provided for by
the legislators. Take the case Of q
man seriouly wounded in some enemy
hospital Surely he is just as mucha'
,entitled to vote as the soldier in the
barracks at Demine. IL this proposi-
tion Is to be decided on its merits of
justice irrespective Of practicab1lity,
cost or difficulty.
my son IS not worrying about the
ballot this fall. He is willing to let
Dad do 1t for him. However, he
would be tickled immensely IL the leg
lslature were called in special session
to give the ballot to his mother. to his
sister, to his sweetheart &
Suffrage IN Women Favored. ,
There is a cause that arouses his
enthusiasm and which appeals to his
sense of justice. II we want to do
something for the boys, something
that will impress them more than.
anything else that we mean what we
say when we battle for world democ.s
racy. 1t would be the extension Of the
franchise to his womenfolk.
'They would safeguard the com-
monwealth. alright, alright: they
would see to 1t that no traitor. no
lukewarm patriot. no profiteer, no
corrupt politician. no CRATER. got the
fat jobs or made the laws That isn
far more practical than tearing con.
stitution and statutes to pieces fofs
the sake of q theoretical privilege
that thk boys do not ask or expect
and that would involve considerable
expense. uncertainty technical and
practical difficulties. possible endless
confusion and conflict ~
Time Is Factor. Ap
The speaker also doubted whether
In the time that remains 1t would bu
possible to draft, pass and adopt the
necessary constitutional amendments
and laws and have them tested In tho
courts to make them possible OF sp. \
Ilication at the November election.
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