JO UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



The complex growth of modern society and the intricate industrial 

 relations which have been developed in the last two decades have clearly 

 demonstrated that the old constitutions are no longer adequate. Con- 

 tingencies which the most sagacious intellects among the framers of these 

 older State constitutions could not foresee have arisen and must be met 

 by changes in the fundamental law. 



One of the more important subjects concerning which it has been 

 found necessary to adopt amendments is the power to create a State 

 highway commission. In a number of States the demand for road- 

 improvement has made itself felt in the form of legislation to enable the 

 State to oversee the building of roads and to appropriate money for this 

 purpose. In the State constitutions this power is frequently denied the 

 legislature, and it has therefore been found necessary to make the amend- 

 ment. 



In the matter of railroad taxation, also, great changes have occurred. 

 The manner of taxing railroads has been prescribed in many of the older 

 State constitutions, and with the growth of modern ideas of reform in 

 the taxation of public- service industries an amendment is necessary or no 

 reform is possible. 



Again concerning the question of municipal government, it is found 

 that in most of the older constitutions there is no general rule laid down 

 for the incorporation and government of cities. Amendments must be 

 made to prevent the legislature from abusing the privilege of special 

 legislation, and also to introduce some sort of order into the municipal 

 system. 



Even more urgent has been the necessity of changing the qualifica- 

 tions of voters. This has resulted from higher ideas of citizenship and 

 also from the great influx of ignorant foreigners on whom we have 

 indiscriminately conferred the franchise. A number of States have 

 recently sought to protect themselves by adopting an amendment 

 requiring all voters to have a reading knowledge of the English language. 

 Washington adopted such an amendment in 1901 and her example has 

 just been followed by New Hampshire. A similar amendment was 

 adopted in Massachusetts as early as 1857 and may have had a good 

 deal to do with elevating the politics of that State. 



