Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1901-03-01
DENVER LETTER.
Patterson as Absolute Dictator of the Al
He'd Forces Opposing Repubiicans-Tho


of Senator-elect Patterson TO be the alb
solute dictator OF his party-or rather
OF all his parties-has been asserted
In the most definite and spectacular
manner In the matter Of the Rush bill
for the consolidation Of n part Of Arap-
ahoe county with the city of Denver.
After a long speech by Senator Clay
whitford. In which he declared that
the bill proposed no less than eleven
amendments to the constitution Of the
state. and was clearly unconstitution.
nj In many respects. the Senate agreed,
by unanimous vote. TO submit the
measure TO the Supreme Court OF the
state for an opinion upon Its constitu-
tionality. Mr.. Rush himself. the os-
tensible author OF the bin. made the
motion to refer. This action did not
suit Mr.. Patterson. SO he gave Rush
orders TO move 10 reconsider the ref.
crcnce to the Supreme Court. and gave
orders TO the fusion senators Icncr-
ally to vote for reconsideration and
push the bill through. In his newspa.
Per he says there Is no use In submit.
ting the bill TO the Supreme Court. be-
cause that body Will surely declare II
unconstitutional: and he wants II
passed anyhow. constitutional or not.
The majority OF the fusion senators
obcyed the whip promptly. and the bill
Will be rushed.
There were n few senators belonging
10 his own aggregation OF parties. how
ever. whom Mr.. Patterson could not
bniidozc. and who uttered freely the
disgust which they felt ut the undlsnl.
fed and ridiculous situation which they
had been ordered by the new dictator
10 put themselves In.
''rhcsc wiid.cyci. visionary pFoposi.
tons should not bc raliroadcd through
hero without transmission to the Su.
prcme Court" declared senator \. 7.
Stewart Of Pueblo. Senator Rush.
the author OF this consolidation bill.
himself made the motion TO submit; the
measure TO the Supreme Court. Now
he wants this action rcconsIdcEcd. 20
tina, the bill may b. passed whether 4,
Is constitutional or not. 80 tim, IL the
SUPREME Court. after the bili IL passed.
should declare IL invalid. then he can
hand the Democratic party two years
from now little rCd Has TO wave. de-
bouncing the Supreme Court. do no;
believe In that kind Of politics. and
urge you senators to stop and think
before you go ahead with your rUyo.
iutioBary measures.
Senator II. II. sCidomr.dsc OF Colo.
RADIO Springs denounced the proposition
TO rcpudiaic the unanimous act OF the
Senate within twenty. four hours after
1t had been made known to the public.
The Democratic party. TO which !
belong" he declared. cannot afford TO
ask the people TO vote on this question
without making any attempt. when IL
has the opportunity to do 50. to asccr.
tain whether the measure Is constitu.
tional. In ATapahoc county the Dem.
ocFatic party is already being accused
In the opposition press of playing for
votes with buncombc bills. The case
OF the auditorium bonds. voted for and
found to be Illegal aftcrwart. is n case
In point. Then there were the water
bonds voted for and declared after.
wards TO b. Illegal. not by amy Colo.
RADIO court, but by the United States
Court.
The people OF Arapahoc county and
the city OF Denver must be getting
tired of this kind of business and this
bill should be passed upon by the su.
pTcmc Court in advance OF any icgis-
laiivu action. It is dangerous prop.
osition TO take a jump in the mir and
let 1t 60 at that. The expense Of vot.
ing on n question of this kind is the
smallest part OF the objection. In my
opinion, compared with facing the
charge OF offering 10 the people n
bunco amendment.
The author Of this bill himself. Sen.
ator Rush. said he doubted the constl.
nationality OF this bill. and personally
asked and made the motion that 1t go
TO the supreme Court. Now he wants
us 10 stultify ourselves and rcpudiatc
that action. I, for one, will refuse to
do anything OF the sort. Let us take
n decent, conservative stand and say
TO the people that we believe that the
judicial department Of this state is
equal to the legislative department"
Senator Leaudcr II. West Of jefferson
county said that he forcsaw that the
friends Of the Rush bill were deter.
mined to rcpudiate their former action.
and added:
"And I think we are all crazy"
That's right" said Senator Stewart.
"nnd I want TO add that IL we follow
such leadership ne This Nvp will soon