The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1922-01-27

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 l. which proved TO be the most
popular proposal in the special cleo
ton on constitutional amendments.
This number is slightly less than Il
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,96l, and re-
changes in the constitution by MAORI
ties ranging from 1925 on the reg
istratiOn proposal TO 1857 on the
general tax amendment.
The amendments which were most
Objectionable to the voters were No. 3,
No. 10. No. IL and No. - The first of
these, intended TO make the Office OF
the state superintendent of public in
struction appointive. was rejected by
a majority of 102,O72; the general tax
amendment by a majority OF 135.S17:
the income tax by 1872, and the mi
litia amendment by S9.41S.
Legal Opinion to Be Asked
The exact effect of the adoption Of
amendment No 1 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. l.
Mr. Hutsell proceeded with plans
for the first registration day regard
less of any possible effect the adoption
OF amendment No. 1 might have on the
registration law.
1t has been pointed out by u. ).
LeSh attorney general of Indiana.
that another section of the constitu-
ton gives the general assembly au-
thority to enact registration laws, and
for that reason the elimination of ref
erence 10 registration i'm article ,. gee
ton of the constitution, by the adOp-
ton of amendment No. /, will in no
way affect the registration laws. This
view. however, is not an official opin-
ion.
Section II, article of the cOnstitu-
ton, referring TO registration. says:
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. /.
May Weaken Law.
Article 2 section of the present
! constitution, which was amended by
the adoption of amendment No. l, es-
tablishes who shall be permitted TO
vote and ends with the following
words: If he shall be duly registered
according to law"
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 10 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 in another section. by
making ii unlawful 10 deny a 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 Kokomo before the
Lions club c. c. Shirley, an attorney
of that city and known as an authority
on the state constitution. said that the
election was only a skirI9ish in the
real battle 10 come.