The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1921-09-16

ll-lncOfne tax 3S,-SS laS,tti fllSsttS
l2-Alilitia ............. 54.92l l44S tS.4lS
l3-Salaries ............ Sl.025 llS9O 1926
'For. tAgainst.
indianapolis, Sept 10.-According TO
the complete but unofficial returns
from the 1884 precincts in this state.
211, 917 votes were cast for amendment
No. 1, which proved TO be the most
popular proposal in the special cleo
ton on constitutional amendments.
This number is slightly less than II
per cent of the total vote for governor
at the election last fall.
The unofficial figures show that the
electors ratified the citizenship amend
ment by majority of 5S,961, and re-
jected the other twelve proposed
changes in the constitution by MAORI
ties ranging from 1925 on the reg
istration proposal TO 135,Sl7 on the
general tax amendment.
The amendments which were most
Objectionable TO the voters were No. .,
No. 10, No. II and No. l.. The first OF
these, intended To make the Office OF
the state superintendent of public in
struction appointive. was rejected by
a majority of 2,072 the general tax
amendment by majority of 1857:
the income tax by 119,772, and the mi
litia amendment by S9.41S.
Legal Opinion to Be Asked.
The exact effect of the adoption of
amendment No. l and the rejection Of
No. >. on the registration law, prob
ably will not be determined until some
official legal opinion is demanded on
the question.
George o. Hutsell, Indianapolis city
clerk, announced that he would call
Samuel Ashby, corporation counsel,
for an opinion on the subject. Mr..
Hutsell said he had consulted several
attorneys and their opinions differed,
but most of them believed the regis
tration law would not be invalidated
by the adoption of amendment No. /.
Mr.. Hutsell proceeded with plans
for the first registration day regard
less of any possible effect the adoption
OF amendment No. l might have on the
registration law.
1t has been pointed out by U. s.
Lesh, attorney general of Indiana.
that another section Of the constitu-
ton gives the general assembly au-
thority to enact registra don laws, and
for that reason the elimination of ref
erence TO registration i'm article ., sec
ton of the constitution, by the adop-
ton of amendment No. 1, will i'm no
way affect the registration laws. This
view. however. is not an official opin-
ion.
Section H. article of the constitu-
ton, referring to registration. saws:
"And shall also provide for the reg
istration of all persons entitled TO
vote"
This section was not altered by the
adoption of amendment No. 1.
May Weaken Law.
Article >, section of the present
constitution, which was amended by
the adoption of amendment No. 1, es-
tabishes who shall be permitted to
vote and ends with the following
words: If he shall be duly registered
dCCOfulHs 10 INV
In the adoption of amendment No.
/, enfranchising women and prohibit
ing aliens from voting until natur-
allied, this condition IF he shall be
duly registered according TO law is
omitted.
The question has been raised whether
the elimination OF this clause from the
constitution will operate TO weaken or
invalidate the registration law. not
withstanding the reference 10 registra-
ton made I'm another section. by
making ii unlawful TO deny citizen
the ballot even though he has not reg
istered. if he has complied with the
other qualifications necessary TO exer-
else the right of franchise.
In an address at KokOno before the
Lions club &. G. Shirley. an attorney
of that city and known as an authority
on the state constitution. said that the
election was only a skirmish in the
real battle TO come.