El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-26
HOBBY DID NOT DIsFRANCFIISE THE
CONSTITUTION DID THAT

GOV ". P. HOBBY, Of Texas, than whom no IN the
u state higher regard for the soldiers Of the United
States nor downright appreciation Of the service
they performed IN war has Just been made to feel the
weight Of TIE dispeasure Of Of them Dispatches
San Antonio relate that number Of returned Texas
soldiers refused 70 march IN the San acnto day parade
the governor They said he taken the soldiers
away. They referred his Of the bill passed by
the last legislature allowing soldiers to vote without the
payment Of the poll tax
Had the soldiers been at home at the time the governor
vetoed the bill they probably would have understood his
worthy The fact that they did blame him illustrates the
facility with which Temoteness from the scene Of an act
may breed misconoeptiou.
The governor did not deprive the soldiers Of their votes
Had he approved the bin and had they voted the result
Of any election in which they participated might have been
challenged and the election held invalid
The constitution deprived them of their vote and neither
Gov Hobby the recent legislature made the constitu
ton The constitution, in article W. section l. enumerates
among the classes Of persons not allowed to vote "A sol
dier marines and seamen IN the service Of the army or
navy the United States" The second section specifies
The payment Of the poll tax prerequisite to voting by
any person
The constitution thus erects two barriers against such
bill the Gov. Hobby vetoed. It bars first, voting
by IN military naval service Second If bars voting
BY any person without the payment Of Doll tax No subse
guent bin passed by legislature could stand valid in
the face Of those prohibitions Only by change Of the
constitution could the desired changes be made
The constitution, TO the sections cited Is al out OF
date Of That unfortunate but No citizens
earned the right Of expression at the polls the
soldiers sailors and MARINES But TO nave made tha pos
sble, constitutional amendment not bill, should have
been introduced The the governor vetoed evl
IDENTIFY proposed by someone unfamiliar with the con-
stitutons provisions and it passed By majores IN
both houses who also OF the constitutional
prohibitions Whatever commentary that may be the
legislators of Texas, the fact is self evident.
When the bill Gov Hobby, he its weakness,
doubtless but took the pTecaut0n Of sending It to the
states attorney general for opinion The attorney gen
rral declared It unconstitutional In his veto message,
the governor specifically pointed out that it was on the
basis Of the attorney generals construction Of the bill that
be disapprOTlng It.
The constitutions provision for suffrage is archaic
travesty free government It needs changing to allow
the Of soldiers and sailors to be cast and also to al
low the ballot. There persons who ought not
be allowed to vote but they not the persons who Of
fered their lives the bsttiefeds Of Europe the
mined and submarine infested Nor they the
OF this state who endowed with much virtue
intelligence and patriotic purpose men possess.
Fortunately, 1t VII be great while until all the sol
deT Of Texas out Of the service and liberty to vote
equality with their fellow citizens who made,
paratvey sacrifice whatever TO preserve the worlds
Liberties As civilians the Of the military and naval
service VIII have great influence politics Of the state