Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-28
SESSION
MAY RESULT IN
HURT T0CAUSE
Idea That Meeting May BE
Concluded in One Day
May Lead to
Trouble.
Bv p. A. BARROWS.

Lincoln, July 0.-There is grave
danger that the special session of
the legislature called for next
Tuesday. July %, may result in
more damage to the cause than
would have resulted had the women
of Nebraska been forced to wait un-
til another regular session.
The danger comes in that certain
parties are endeavoring to. create.
a sentiment that the business of the
session can he done in one day.
They point to two or three other.
states which have already done that
same thing in one day and appear
to believe that it is the right thing
for Nebraska to do likewise.
However they fail to show If
these other states have constitu-
ton specifically setting forth how
a concurrent resolution shall be
passed. And even if those states had
the same constitutional provision as
Nebraska, the matter has not been
tested in those states.
Their contention that the national
constitution provides no way for
states to ratify constitutional
amendment may be true, but to a
layman it would seem that in the
event that the national constitution
provides no manner for state to,
ratify ant. amendment, the constitu-
ton of the state which provides how
resolutions of concurrent nature
shall pass, would be the logical and
only way to handle the matter.
In the past in the ratification of
amendments to the national consti-
tuition the state legislature haA fol-
lowed the constitutional provision
which calls for the reading on three
different days in each house. This
manner of passage and ratification
has never been questioned and has
stood through all the years.
A special session of the legislature
has been called to ratify an amend
ment to the national constitution
relative to woman suffrage. No
other proposition with the excep-
ton Of the passage of bill to pay.
the expenses of the session is men
toned in the call and no other can
be taken. If the ratification of the
amendment to the constitution is of
sufficient consequence to call
special session of the legislature, it
is of sufficient consequence that its
passage shall in every way be with
out question. "a
It is said as an argument in favor
of the one-day plan that lawyers
have said that it would be constitu-
tional. 1t is a we'll known fact that
lawyers disagree sometimes. There
could not be law suit if the lawyers
did not disagree, and SO the argu-
ment that some lawyers think that
one day would be all that is needed
to pass the ratification resolution,
does not indicate anything.
Says 1t VIII Stand.
In oil proba ability when the special
session meets the lawyers will no
more agree than they did IN the last
session. In the senate Peterson and
Cordial were generally found on one
side and Hoaglahd and possibly
Chapel or Neal or Weaverling or
some other lawyer on the other.
Senator Peterson is now contending
for the one day session as all that
IS needed to pass the ratification
resolution and says it will stand as
such. If the same conditions exist
in the special session as i'll the regu-
ar, Senator Hoagland and perhaps
Senator Chapel, who is something
Of constitutional lawyer himself,
may be against the Lancaster county
senator. During the last session,
Just as an example to show that even
lawyers are not infallable. Senator'S
Peterson and Cordial conteHded
that the code bill was constitutional,
while Hoagland and Chapel were
Just as, firmly of the belief that it
was not. Yet, notwithstanding the
contention of the former, the code
bill is in the courts.
The call for the special session
FIRST calls for the passage of the
resolution The second paragraph
20 provide for the payment of the
officers and employees and
the incidental expenses of said ex-
traordinary. session."
To provide for the above expenses
a bill will have to be introduced IN
the house, read three days and then
60 to the senate for like action. This
viii fake FIVE days considering that
after passing the house on the third
day il goes to the senate the same
Cay as is the custom. If the special
-z.zs e..