Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-02-08
DENVER LETTER.

over-the time for the Introduction OF
bills in the Legislature Is past; the
grist is all in. wheat and straw ana
chaff and all; and now there remains
for the law-making body the task Of
thrashIng out the total and trying to
make something useful out of II. II
will be hard task. The number OF
bills introduced Is over 500. OF course
many OF these are practically dupls
Gates. SO that there are really not that
number OF separate measures demand
Ing attention; but there are great
many more than can be properly con-
sldered In the fifty days or SO that re-
main OF the session.
The very few Republican members
who have been left In the Legislature
seem TO be trying 10 secure legislation
us good as possible, and TO help their
Democratic colleagues, rather than to
hinder them. We are Republicans,
seems TO be their doctrine. but first
all we are citizens OF Colorado, and we
should do the best we can to give the
people good laws, and TO prevent the
enactment OF bad ones, even though II
might be advantageous In party sense
To have the majority make rs big fools
OF themselves as possible. This is
good. patriotic doctrine, and the course
Will no doubt be commended by the
constituents OF the Republican men,
bers. The Democrats may BE- safely
trusted TO enact enough legislation that
Is bad. and prevent enough that Is good
To make very Impeachablc record: but
the state ought not TO suffer more than
Is really necessary on account OF the
Fusion majority In control of, lcgIsla.
tIon.
here Is an unusually fine collection
OF freak bills this session, many OF
which were introduced for FUN, In the
hilarIty OF the last night OF lniroduc-
ton. but some in good earnest. Speaker
MoniIomcry's bill TO regulate marriage
licenses may seem to some people TO
come under this head. lie would have
every person desiring TO marry. man or
woman. taken before medical board
OF three examiners. and put through
severe test as to his or her physical.
mental and moral fitness TO undertake
the burdens OF the married state. No
body can &c, license who has any
thing the matter with him Of serious
nature. either physical. mental or NOR
nj: and the speaker seems to have re-
solved TO make the future population
OF Colorado rs iinc body OF carefully
selected persons as legislation can pro.
vide. II properly followed up by law
providing n quarantine at the state line
aud forbiddlnS the importation Into
the stale OF any persons physically dis.
.asci or mentally feeble or morally un-
III, then in twenty years this bill will
give to Colorado perhaps the most
carefully selected population ON earth.
There il the usual number OF bills
for Denver home rule. and It seems
likely that they win meet with the or
dinaTy fate. The members from Arap-
nhoc county have never yet been able
To agree on any single measure for the
amendment OF the present charter OF
the city OF Denver and IL does not look
ns II they would bc any better able
than usual to agree nj this session.
Neither does IL look rs IL they would
ngrcc on any temperance measure for
the city. the precinct option bill or any
other.
There are some good bills. rs well rs
some freaks. 4 serious attempt is to be
made, apparently. TO put through n
constitutional amendment enabling the
state to fund at four per cent Its
floating Indebtedness and take the s,ig.
ma from the credit OF Colorado which
Is now 20 great an injury: there Is n
probability OF the passage Of bill TO
restore capital punishment; and doubt.
less some OF the members would like
TO improve the finances OF the s;atc.
As for the governor. he has kept
pretty quiet thus far. lie Is up against
n rather hard proposition just Mt this
writing. having been called upon by
the representatives of the United Mine
Workers to send the militia TO HucT.
fnno county and declare martial law
there. on account OF the manner in
which the sheriff Of that county has
performed his duties in connection
with the coal strike. II reminds me of
the days OF Waite. when the state mi.
litia was called out and sent TO Cripple
Creek TO prevent the deputy shcrifrs
from injurlng the striking miners. II
Waite were governor nov .hcre would
IL no doubt of his a.tliude: he would
take 1t foS granted that the strikers
were right and call out the militia at
once to help them in whatever they
might wish TO undertake. But Mr.. or.
mnn Is mot Mr. MnItn. nnd hn L. a h,,n