CONSTITUTlONAL AMENDMENTS.
The SPEAKER announced the question pending at the last adjournment to be on the Senate amendments to the bill [H. R. 16] providing for a resubmission of the Constitutional Amendments to the people.
Mr. CAUTHORNE said: The Senate has seen proper to strike out the House bill and insert entirely new matter. I think the House should concur in the amendments, because the bill has been a little more carefully guarded than the one passed by the House. The only material change is that one fixes the time for such submission on the 22nd of February, and the other the first Monday in March.
Mr. KENNER moved to amend by striking out the words "4th day of April, 1881," and insert in lieu thereof "the 7th day of March, 1881."
Mr. CAUTHORNE proceeded, It will be remembered that the Legislature of 1877 proposed nine amendments to the Constitution, but only seven went before the people to be voted upon. So far as the nine amendments submitted in 1877 are concerned, I can say I think it the duty of the people to know what they were, because the Constitution of Indiana provides that amendments may be proposed to it by one Legislature and submitted, if agreed to, by the next to be voted upon by the people. The object of that is to enable the people, when they vote upon a measure, to vote intelligently. Some of these amendments are nothing more than forms to make the Constitution of Indiana speak the truth. It says that no negro shall settle in the State or be allowed to vote. Thot provision has bee inoperative for the last twenty years. The third amendment changes the time of holding elections from October to November. By holding the State and National elections together over $100,000 would be saved to the State without doing any harm to anybody. It is a step toward economy that ought to be pursued. You will find that the Constitution provides that there shall be a general election on the first Tuesday in October, but does it say when the second election shall be held? It says you shall elect your County officers and Governor at a general election in October, but where is there any Constitutional Amendment or statute that says you shall elect your Supreme Court or Superior Court Judges? The question with us is to save an election and save $100,000 every four years. The first amendment derives its origin from Democratic source. If you go back and look at the inaugural address of Governor Hendricks, he called the attention of the General Assembly to the fact that there was much corruption of the elections in this country. His theory was to leagalize a voter by making him live long enough in the community so you would know him when he came to exercise his franchise. I say the people of Indiana should control the destinies of Indiana, whether they be Republican, National, or Democratic. The amendments, as a whole, I consider all right and such as wouldbe beneficial to the people of the State, and while I say that I am willing that any gentleman may take a different view, exercise his judgment and vote as he pleases. I am perfectly willing to submit this question to the voice of the people for their submission or rejection. The Legislature of 1877 proposed these amendments. They were agreed to by twenty-six Senators and fifty-one Representatives. The Legislature of 1879 passed them by a vote of twenty-six Senators and fifty-seven Representatives. It is a duty incumbent upon it to submit them to the electors of the State to be voted upon. The Supreme Court, in its wisdom overthrew the amendments, because of some technical point. The question is, will we again submit the amendments to the people of the State? I desire the people of this State to make the changes. It the people want the amendments let them have them. We have no right here to interfere with this matter. This is a question above politics and on a higher plane. I hope the Legislature will let the people go to the polls and vote as citizens and not as partisans.
Mr. KENNER thought it right to submit this question to the people and leave it for them to say whether these amendments shall become a part of the Constitution or not. He though the time set--the 4th of April--by the Senate for a vote upon these amendments was entirely too long. By submitting them on the 7th day of March, as proposed by his amendment, in case there was any legislation needed the Legislature would very likely be in session, and could act accordingly. The people of this State demand that something page: 181[View Page 181] be done in the way of fees and salaries; therefore, he insisted on the adoptions of the amendment.
Mr. FRAZER moved to amend the amendment by inserting the word "14th" instead of "7th."
It was agreed to, and the amendment as amended was alos agreed to.
