Book Reviews : Yesterday's Constitution Today: An Analysis of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890. Edited by EDWARD H. HOBBS. (University: Bureau of Public Admin istration, University of Mississippi, 1960. Pp. xiv, 151.)
| DOI | 10.1177/106591296101400330 |
| Date | 01 September 1961 |
| Author | S. Sidney Ulmer |
| Published date | 01 September 1961 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
791
opinion,
the
complexity
of
juridical
problems,
and
the
serious
groping
for
solu-
tions.
It
is
an
important
addition
to
the
works
on
Soviet
institutions,
and
by
one
who
knows
whereof
he
speaks.
Coe
College
RICHARD
C.
SPENCER
Yesterday’s
Constitution
Today:
An
Analysis
of
the
Mississippi
Constitution
of
1890.
Edited
by
EDWARD
H.
HOBBS.
(University:
Bureau
of
Public
Admin-
istration,
University
of
Mississippi,
1960.
Pp.
xiv,
151.)
A
currently
divisive
issue
in
Mississippi,
as
in
many
other
states,
is
that
of
constitutional
reform.
In
November
1957,
Governor
J.
P.
Coleman
convened
a
special
session
of
the
state
legislature
to
consider
calling
a
constitutional
con-
vention.
Opponents
of
the
call
were
able,
however,
to
forestall
it.
Yesterday’s
Constitution
Today
is
a
symposium
which
takes
as
its
purpose
a
&dquo;comprehensive
evaluation&dquo;
of
the
constitution
now
in
use
-
a
document
dating
to
1890.
Six
of
the
participants
are
political
scientists
at
the
University
of
Mississippi,
two
are
attorneys,
and
two
are
members
of
the
state
legislature.
The
evaluation
is
made
through
a
series
of
nine
essays
on
the
different
subject
matter
areas
covered
by
the
constitution.
It
proceeds,
however,
from
a
perspective
which
favors
innova-
tion.
And
as
the
title
of
the
volume
would
suggest,
the
authors
ask
not
whether
change
but
what
change.
The
problems
identified
are
both
general
and
unique.
The
general
concerns
are
similar
to
those
found
in
almost
all
states
still
operating
with
an
&dquo;ancient
constitution.&dquo;
Some
of
the
recommendations
are
familiar
- for
example,
it is
urged
that
the
Mississippi
constitution
should
be
shortened,
a
strong
executive
model
adopted,
apportionment
procedures
compatible
with
Section
303
of
the
model
state
constitution
encouraged,
and
constitutional
restraints
on
the
legisla-
ture
relaxed.
Other
matters
considered
are
more
germain
to
the
local
situation.
Voter
turnout
in
most
Mississippi
elections
is
10
to
25
per
cent
of
the
adult
population.
Some
of
the
factors
responsible
for
the
low
rate
are
identified
as
the
poll
tax,
residence
requirements,
and
literacy-constitutional
understanding
tests.
Missis-
sippi
is
now
one
of
three
states
retaining
payment
of
the
poll
tax
as
a
prerequisite
for
voting;
it
is
one
of
only
three
states
requiring
two
years’
residence
in
the
state
before
one
acquires
the
right
to
suffrage.
It
is
one
of
two
states
which
has
not
reapportioned
state
legislators
in
this
century.
And
it
is,
perhaps,
the
only
state
in
which
the
constitution
grants
legislative
authority
to
reapportion
periodically
in
conjunction
with
a
provision
which
makes
comprehensive
reapportionment
impossible.
For
these
and
other
shortcomings,
the
authors
suggest
a
number
of
liberal
solutions.
These
include
elimination
of
the
poll
tax,
reduction
in
the
residence
requirements,
modification
of
the
literacy
test,
and
immediate
reapportionment
acompanied
by
a
transfer
of
the
reapportioning
responsibility
from
the
legislature
to
some
more
objective
agency.
The
attention
given
to
problems
peculiar
to
the
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