Proposition 1 appeared on the November 3, 1914, ballot in the state of Texas as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The amendment proposed that citizens of Texas be given the ability to initiate state laws by gathering the signatures of twenty percent of voters, and thereafter by having the petition be decided by all voters via referendum. The amendment also would have allowed for veto referendums with the same 20% signature requirement. The measure narrowly failed, with about 51.7% of voters opposed.

Background

Legislative passage Senate Joint Resolution No. 12 (SJR 12) placed the amendment on the ballot. The Texas Senate passed SJR 12 by a 21–7 vote on March 3, 1913, and the Texas House, on March 31, passed SJR 12, with amendments to the resolution, by a 98–29 vote. The Texas Senate concurred with the House's amendments by a 23–6 vote the same day, March 31. The House's change to the resolution was authored by Representative Tarver; it deleted from the resolution language stating that the power to enact or reject laws was "independent of the legislature".

When adopted by the Texas House, some representatives wrote a reason for their vote in the House Journal; Representative Taylor said he voted in favor so that the people could decide the issue themselves, but that he reserved to himself "the right to vote and work against its adoption." Representative Lane also voted in favor but believed that the amendment was an "impracticable and dangerous experiment".

State comparison The requirement to gather 20% of Texas voters' signatures would have been the highest number of signatures needed for the initiative and referendum process compared to any other state.

Contents and amendment

Ballot wording

On the ballot, voters were provided with the following two options:For the amendment to Section 1, of Article 3, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, providing for the initiative and referendum.Against the amendment to Section 1, Article 3, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, providing for the initiative and referendum.

Amendment language The measure proposed that constitution be amended to add Section 1 to Article 3:Section 1. The legislative power of this State shall be vested in a Senate and House of Representatives, which, together, shall be styled “The Legislature of the State of Texas,” but the people reserve to themselves, power, as herein provided, to propose laws and to enact or reject the same at the polls, and to approve or reject at the polls any law, or any part of any law, enacted by the Legislature. The Legislature shall provide by law for submitting to the vote of the people, upon the petition of twenty per cent. of the qualified voters of the State the enactment of laws and the approval or rejection of any law enacted by the Legislature.

Results

By county 134 counties voted in favor of the amendment, 108 counties voted against, 10 counties cast no votes, and Hutchinson County's vote was tied. The highest level of support came from Winkler County, with 100% of its 3 votes cast in favor, and the lowest level came from Willacy County, with 3.23% of its votes in favor. +Results by countyCountyYesNo#%#%Anderson87254.64%72445.36%Andrews2760.00%1840.00%Angelina45568.32%21131.68%Aransas9375.00%3125.00%Archer12341.69%17258.31%Armstrong4647.42%5152.58%Atascosa19067.62%9132.38%Austin23622.33%82177.67%Bailey0/0/Bandera16146.80%18353.20%Bastrop31139.17%48360.83%Baylor13653.97%11646.03%Bee16458.78%11541.22%Bell68141.07%97758.93%Bexar154048.13%166051.88%Blanco13545.15%16454.85%Borden2458.54%1741.46%Bosque32941.70%46058.30%Bowie53065.51%27934.49%Brazoria31652.32%28847.68%Brazos17840.36%26359.64%Brewster2634.67%4965.33%Briscoe2543.10%3356.90%Brooks2845.16%3454.84%Brown31236.75%53763.25%Burleson15527.05%41872.95%Burnet15038.36%24161.64%Caldwell21734.44%41365.56%Calhoun13456.54%10343.46%Callahan24551.26%23348.74%Cameron48487.36%7012.64%Camp16028.93%39371.07%Carson3672.00%1428.00%Cass36841.07%52858.93%Castro4367.19%2132.81%Chambers8455.63%6744.37%Cherokee58340.97%84059.03%Childress13055.32%10544.68%Clay25852.87%23047.13%Cochran0/0/Coke9441.05%13558.95%Coleman32843.44%42756.56%Collin77048.00%83452.00%Collingsworth19062.09%11637.91%Colorado15529.36%37370.64%Comal12121.88%43278.12%Comanche47540.77%69059.23%Concho16961.90%10438.10%Cooke36439.39%56060.61%Coryell19625.36%57774.64%Cottle14471.64%5728.36%Crane0/0/Crockett1252.17%1147.83%Crosby6043.17%7956.83%Culberson832.00%1768.00%Dallam9964.29%5535.71%Dallas184548.39%196851.61%Dawson2156.76%1643.24%De Witt22928.66%57071.34%Deaf Smith6558.04%4741.96%Delta36949.07%38350.93%Denton35334.07%68365.93%Dickens7061.40%4438.60%Dimmit8573.91%3026.09%Donley13250.38%13049.62%Dunn0/0/Duval46597.89%102.11%Eastland50950.10%50749.90%Ector2543.10%3356.90%Edwards2761.36%1738.64%El Paso56946.56%65353.44%Ellis94250.62%91949.38%Erath55551.72%51848.28%Falls56449.39%57850.61%Fannin63141.76%88058.24%Fayette43127.68%112672.32%Fisher20363.44%11736.56%Floyd18372.91%6827.09%Foard0/0/Fort Bend19738.48%31561.52%Franklin11234.78%21065.22%Freestone31449.92%31550.08%Frio10762.94%6337.06%Gaines1858.06%1341.94%Galveston58867.20%28732.80%Garza3060.00%2040.00%Gillespie20232.17%42667.83%Glasscock934.62%1765.38%Goliad9432.87%19267.13%Gonzales32041.03%46058.97%Gray9775.19%3224.81%Grayson92550.77%89749.23%Gregg13741.52%19358.48%Grimes16839.25%26060.75%Guadalupe43128.26%109471.74%Hale14661.34%9238.66%Hall20565.92%10634.08%Hamilton15529.81%36570.19%Hansford3975.00%1325.00%Hardeman21160.81%13639.19%Hardin0/0/Harris176557.77%129042.23%Harrison24651.25%23448.75%Hartley2261.11%1438.89%Haskell46861.18%29738.82%Hays22653.05%20046.95%Hemphill7268.57%3331.43%Henderson69446.39%80253.61%Hidalgo31457.30%23442.70%Hill49641.03%71358.97%Hockley0/0/Hood18742.40%25457.60%Hopkins68148.47%72451.53%Houston54049.86%54350.14%Howard18357.91%13342.09%Hunt98850.05%98649.95%Hutchinson1450.00%1450.00%Irion3162.00%1938.00%Jack21644.81%26655.19%Jackson14166.20%7233.80%Jasper18745.17%22754.83%Jeff Davis770.00%330.00%Jefferson36358.45%25841.55%Jim Hogg6485.33%1114.67%Jim Wells10859.34%7440.66%Johnson58654.26%49445.74%Jones31756.01%24943.99%Karnes17137.92%28062.08%Kaufman68253.20%60046.80%Kendall6632.84%13567.16%Kent3851.35%3648.65%Kerr14259.92%9540.08%Kimble5260.47%3439.53%King541.67%758.33%Kinney770.00%330.00%Kleberg23575.08%7824.92%Knox17949.18%18550.82%La Salle3251.61%3048.39%Lamar63356.12%49543.88%Lamb1058.82%741.18%Lampasas9730.41%22269.59%Lavaca71848.12%77451.88%Lee20234.30%38765.70%Leon36554.89%30045.11%Liberty17755.66%14144.34%Limestone47143.98%60056.02%Lipscomb7890.70%89.30%Live Oak10480.00%2620.00%Llano0/0/Loving0/0/Lubbock11060.11%7339.89%Lynn4166.13%2133.87%Madison18738.96%29361.04%Marion9555.88%7544.12%Martin2750.94%2649.06%Mason7046.67%8053.33%Matagorda31868.68%14531.32%Maverick4182.00%918.00%McCulloch25653.00%22747.00%McLennan53043.19%69756.81%McMullen1062.50%637.50%Medina24639.05%38460.95%Menard4857.83%3542.17%Midland6551.18%6248.82%Milam75953.75%65346.25%Mills20639.39%31760.61%Mitchell14170.85%5829.15%Montague46350.11%46149.89%Montgomery25256.12%19743.88%Moore866.67%433.33%Morris13038.01%21261.99%Motley3260.38%2139.62%Nacogdoches42937.63%71162.37%Navarro52447.81%57252.19%Newton9056.60%6943.40%Nolan17949.31%18450.69%Nueces48765.11%26134.89%Ochiltree3177.50%922.50%Oldham1762.96%1037.04%Orange16465.86%8534.14%Palo Pinto51358.36%36641.64%Panola35547.84%38752.16%Parker72960.55%47539.45%Parmer1588.24%211.76%Pecos7160.68%4639.32%Polk17346.13%20253.87%Potter20674.91%6925.09%Presidio2530.86%5669.14%Rains30971.36%12428.64%Randall5353.00%4747.00%Reagan1134.38%2165.63%Real3333.67%6566.33%Red River54155.20%43944.80%Reeves7966.39%4033.61%Refugio22456.42%17343.58%Roberts2958.00%2142.00%Robertson27943.06%36956.94%Rockwall22051.04%21148.96%Runnels22042.31%30057.69%Rusk30025.30%88674.70%Sabine8534.98%15865.02%San Augustine14340.40%21159.60%San Jacinto6033.15%12166.85%San Patricio18055.56%14444.44%San Saba17835.39%32564.61%Schleicher1217.65%5682.35%Scurry19153.80%16446.20%Shackelford8246.07%9653.93%Shelby65355.67%52044.33%Sherman3462.96%2037.04%Smith102554.73%84845.27%Somervell10546.05%12353.95%Starr19930.71%44969.29%Stephens13151.78%12248.22%Sterling4641.07%6658.93%Stonewall13975.14%4624.86%Sutton4068.97%1831.03%Swisher5656.57%4343.43%Tarrant243761.92%149938.08%Taylor36153.72%31146.28%Terrell1047.62%1152.38%Terry3665.45%1934.55%Throckmorton14556.42%11243.58%Titus30640.10%45759.90%Tom Green21258.89%14841.11%Travis49540.21%73659.79%Trinity17244.22%21755.78%Tyler9930.28%22869.72%Upshur32956.82%25043.18%Upton838.10%1361.90%Uvalde15060.98%9639.02%Val Verde10466.24%5333.76%Van Zandt80552.75%72147.25%Victoria20130.55%45769.45%Walker22834.76%42865.24%Waller11135.13%20564.87%Ward5966.29%3033.71%Washington8513.22%55886.78%Webb12341.00%17759.00%Wharton18645.26%22554.74%Wheeler11668.24%5431.76%Wichita30461.41%19138.59%Wilbarger21350.59%20849.41%Willacy13.23%3096.77%Williamson52246.11%61053.89%Wilson15233.33%30466.67%Winkler3100.00%00.00%Wise44743.57%57956.43%Wood55947.25%62452.75%Yoakum1466.67%733.33%Young29458.22%21141.78%Zapata0/0/Zavala5672.73%2127.27%

By congressional district Five congressional districts voted in favor, and 11 voted against. District 12 had the highest percentage of votes in favor, with 55.59% in favor, and District 10 had the lowest, with 36.77% in favor. +Results by congressional districtCDYesNo#%#%13,92548.34%4,19551.66%23,85248.20%4,13951.80%34,53147.92%4,92452.08%43,62349.33%3,72150.67%53,83247.29%4,27152.71%62,52547.67%2,77252.33%72,66653.66%2,30246.34%83,50946.06%4,10953.94%93,73141.46%5,26958.54%102,21336.77%3,80563.23%112,12639.96%3,19460.04%125,07455.59%4,05344.41%136,14952.92%5,47047.08%143,80341.83%5,28858.17%154,73853.66%4,09146.34%166,07453.48%5,28346.52%

Aftermath and analysis

Closeness of vote Three days after the referendum had occurred, the Wichita Weekly Times reported that Proposition 1, and the other two constitutional amendments that voters decided at the election, had likely failed. The paper said, however, that a "possibility" remained that Proposition 1 would succeed, as it was only losing slightly.

Rural and urban vote In general, urban voters backed the amendment, while rural voters opposed it. Analysis from newspapers shows that rural voters may have been what caused the amendment to fail.

Notes

References