Year: 1876




Democratic legislature Of Ten,
nessee for 1915, abridging and
taking away the rights of the
people, was the joint resolution
proposing eighteen amandments
to our constitution.


This constitution was made and
ratified by the Democratic party
in 1870, and in less than five years
they propose these eighteen
amendments. Among them is
one to amend the Sd Section OF
the 18th Article, so as to author
ize the legislature to submit
amepdmepts to the constitution
directly to the people, and if the
amendments receive a majority
of the voters Of the State it be-
comes a part of the constitution
from the first day Of the follow
ing January. This will make
amendments to the constitution
about as cheap and easy TO man
age as ordinary acts Of legislation


BY skillful manipulation al
most any amendment, or list of
amendments, may be made to the
constitution before the people
understand them. The joint res
olution of March 9th, 1875, pro-
posing these eighteen amend
ments was evidently intended to
be voted through without investi-
CATION. No man can tell what is
meant by reading the resolution
or advertisement submitting
the amendments. He must take
up the resolution and compare
section by section with the pres
ent constitution.


The resolution proposes to
amend Article I'd by striking out
two and inserting four. This
change will make the general as
sembly only election once in four
years. 1t futher proposes to make
the governor election only once
in -four years. 1t proposes to
amend Article 6 Section 3D. by
striking out qualified voters of
the State" and d'inserting "vote Of
both housassef the general assem-
bly," also, q strike out eight and
insert twelve. This takes the
election of supreme judges from
the people and puts it into the
legislature, and extends the term
of the judges from eight to twelve
years.


The next proposed amendment
takes the election of circuit
judges and chancellors from the
people and puts it into the legis-
laturc. These amendments doub
le the time that the governor and
members of assembly hold their
officers, and hinders and delays
the people in getting rid Of in
efficient or corrupt officers. The
two following amendments de
prive the people Of the circuit and
districts of electing their judges,
or of the means Of defeating an
inefficient or tyrannical judge at
the ballot box. 1t is taking the
power over their officers from
those most interested, and put
ting it where it can and will be
made a matter Of party and poll
tics.


One Of the amendments propo-
ses to stike from Section 2S, Ar
ticle 2 of the constitution the
following clause: "All male citi-
zens of this State, oyer twenty
one years Of age, and not eXem-
ted by age or iniirmity, shall be
taxed not less than fifty cents nor
more than one dollar, nor can a
county or corporation levy a tax
exceeding that of the State. This
amendment will take away the
constitutional limitation of re-
striction and allow the legislature
to lay a tax Of any amount 1t
chooses on the poll. 1t may lay
five, ten or even twenty dollars.
One of the other am endents pro
poses to strike out "the thousand
dollars Of personal property ex-
empted" so that every poor man
can be taxed for his water bucket,
his dinner pot and straw bed, as
well as for his dog and poll.


Many of these amendent are sub
tie and dangerous encroachments
upon the dearest rights Of the
common people.


They are proposed in q manner
hard to understand and If the
people regard their own safety
they will require each candidate
for the legislature to speak out on
them, for if they are smuggled
through the next legislature they
W i'll be forced upon the people.


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The Repubican gains in Ohio,