Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-01-18
LEGISLATIVE NEWS AND GOSSIP

In order to purchase voting ma
chimes counties are authorised TO issue
bonds. certificates Of Indebtedness or
other obligations u rests with each
city or county I'd decide whether II
will change from the present system.
Cities are likely to undertake the
change before the rural districts
One OF the last 0fiieiai acts Of Gov
ernor Mcdonald was the appointment
Of . commission of three to pass upon
voting machines that may be sub
mitted to the state under the eonstitu-
tionai amendment and statute dealing
with that subject passed two years
ago. He named Frank Z. Goa. ensi-
neer to the board OF education: Albion
X. yiekery. county clerk. and John u.
Hunter. engineer Of the board OF public
works. They are all well known eiti-
xens- Their omeiai title is state
board OF voting machine commissions
ers-" They arc sppoinied for nve
years and their fees come from the
owners Of voting machines who sub
NIT their product fOr examination rs
10 their availability. Their duties are
To pass on the efhcieney. accuracy. etc.
OF any machine submitted. Machines
that pass scrutiny can enter. competi-
Ion for adoption ~ the oficiai ma
whine or oflcial machines rs the case
may be. Under the Law nov In effect
each county can choose its standard.
but II must come from nne OF those
approved by the commission.
Among the bills that have been pro
senlcd to the legislature. ID one In
each house to correct and amend the
criminal Law. 50 that tho people may
have the right Of appeal when u dis
al a..A.- sk-a 81
criminal statute 10 Unconstitutional.
cidcd against the people. have set a
precedcut In that court which nothing
could disturb. The prisoner has nj.
ways had tho right Of appeal when a
point was lost. but the rights OF tho
people. or the public prosecutor. have
ceased whom tho decision resulted In
the dinmissinE Of tho prisoner. The
idea OF the proposed Law IL to enable
the prosecutor to take appeal on tho
point OF Law. Nothing that u higher
court would decide would have any
effect upon tho case. which would have
been already decided In favor Of the
accused. but II would enable tho higher
court to review the decision To decide
whether Il should bc accepted by all
courts. Should the Supreme Court dc.
eide that the lower court had erred.
convictions might then be again tried
for In similar cases under tho Law In
question.
A bill hns been introduced In the
Senate by Senator W. ". Booth to
have tho Colorado Prisod; Association
made bureau Of parole supervision
for prisoners from tho. state pcni.
tentiary and refo-mator3 subject to
the fnnl authority Of thcNardcns OF
these respective Institutions. The
same bill has also been Introduced In
the House by Representative George
8. Rcdd. During the last three years
the Colorado Prison Association has
been actively engaged In assisting pris.
oncrs discharged from Jails and from
tho pcnitcntiary and rcformatory. The
records show nbour eighty cases In
1901, log cases in 1905 and 154 cases
In 1906. In only a few instances have
these persons 80 aided had to be re-
turned to prison for violating their pm.
roles or for now crimes. Hitherto this
work has been maintained BY the pri-
vate bcnefnctions OF gcncrous.hcarted
citizens in all parts Of Colorado. the
state giving It's endorsement by fur
nishing ONCE room and telephone ser.
vice at the state capitol. For the last
year or two there has been n feeling
among those whose gifts have sus-
tanned the work tina; the state ought.
at this General Assembly. to set the
Colorado Prison Association apart.
with adequate appropriation. to con.
tinue its work and enlarge It's useful.
ness. And II is in response to this
sentiment that the bill has been intro.
duced.