The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-10-19

How VIII You Vote on the Amend
ments!
Many voters are content to vote
mo" on an amendment for no better
reason than that they are unwilling
to make the effort of learning what
the Amendment proposes. That is
not intelligent voting. Such voting
kills progress in government If the
scope of state government be made
quate at any point; if some depart
ment really needs an additional bu-
reau in order to be effective, or more
money to meet a demand which in
these days of progress runs beyond
the measure of an old appropriation;
or if the passing years have made i'm
perative some change in governments
al practice, which under the Consti-
tuition the people alone are empow-
cred to order, majority of our peo-
pie will have to vote 'Yes" on Amend
ments, burdened with these proposals,
or progress in government shall be
impossible. 1t is therefore the duty
of every patriotic voter to acquaint
himself with the proposal in every
Amendment submitted for his vote.
And he should feel that he is charged
not merely with the duty of defeat
ing bad measures, but quite as much
with the duty of promoting the ends
of progressive government.
In the way of aid to the voter at
the approaching election, November
a, when judgment on ten Amend
ments shall be his duty, it has seemed
worth while to offer the following
analysis:
Amendment l: Proposes $6,O0O,-
900 bond issue for the construction
and improvement of state highways,
the redemption Of these bonds to be
provided for by the license fees on
motor vehicles. A wise and progress
sive road-building program stands in
vital relation to the development Of
our state. We are assured that this
bond issue shall not increase the bur-
den Of taxation. In such case, every
voter should vote ''Yes", unless he has
just ground for believing that the
road appropriations will not be spent
economically and honestly.
Amendment 2: Creating a public
utilities commission. Colorado al
ready has such Commission, but it
was created by legislative enactment,
and, so. could be abolished by legis-
lative enactment. This is to put its
life beyond the power of the legisla-
ture. The term of office is not
changed, and the salary in each case
is $4,000, except that under the Act
of 1913 the salary is definitely fixed
at $4,000 while under the proposed
Amendment $4,000 is the minimum.
Not an important Amendment, par
ticularly if the voter votes Eyes" on
Amendment 6.
Amendment 3: Altering the sena-
torial and representative districts II
the state. Perhaps gerrymander-
ing scheme. The Amendment pro-
poses that Gunnison, Delta, and Chef
fee counties shall constitute sena-
torial district with one senator,
whereas the existing district is COM
posed of but two counties, Gunnison
and Delta. 1t reduces by SO much
Gunnison county's representation in
the Senate. In the case of the rep
resentative district, Gunnison alone
now constitutes a district whereas
under the Amendment Gunnison and
Pitkin counties would compose dis
trict. So, few Gunnison voters will
probably be inclined to support this
| measure. Besides, the re-districting
should have been done by the legisla-
ture and not by constitutional
amendment.
Amendment 4: Providing for a
state income tax. The sponsors of
this measure claim that the general
property tax allows many to escape,
who should help to bear the burden
Of taxation. The state income tax
will catch these without adding to
the burden of those who are assess
able under the general property tax
plan.
Amendment 5: To prevent expert
mentation on living animals, and
known as the Anti-vivisection Amend
ment. 1t has been said, with proba-
bly, little exaggeration. that you had
better kill this or it may kill you.
Roosevelt once said about those who
censured his killing big game, that
their trouble was not so much soft
ness of heart as softness of head. The
nti-vivisectionists quite as justly de-
serve this characterization.
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