Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-15
REFERENDUM GIVEN A OUIETUS
Almost the Entire Time Of The House Taken I'D With This
Bill Which Committee Says Must Die.
Many Bills in the Senate

~ -" iet D see now you VIII keep
your word" 5T
a. Sorley opposed the submitting
OF constitutional amendments under the
provisions of the proposed law before
them flt1 He did not want them subjected
TO the Wiles and whims Of the people
perhaps yer at time when the public feel
ing was not normal The constitution
should be framed by deliberate bodies
SO that the subject could be given the
best possible thought. 81
Mr. Mockler SHE'D his castor in the
remark RENAL that there never need be anv
lear lea !. about trusting the people with any
subject; that if they made mistake
they would soon rectify it. He should
support the measure as whole: he did
not care whether it led up to the pro-
hlblt1on law or not. He was in favor
OF any governmental principle which
submitted itl lr[ll matters to the people. There
IS no constitution greater than the peo-
pie who 4le made it. Those who are afraid
TO trust the people will find that this
state IS no place for: them. s..s
Messrs. Shirley and Casey both
voiced strong sentiments in favor of the
measure aa' as a whole. Mr. Casey was
one who believed that if the prohibition
law was submitted to the people TODAY
It would receive a bigger majority than
ever ~. ;.
MIR, TWichell was sorry that the pro-
hlbltion question had entered into this
discussion. He represented prohibi-
ton district but if the matter was lust
principle it should pass.
! 4 ne amendment of 0. p. N. Ander-
son to strike out the constitutional fea-
ture Of the bill was lost
Mr.: LELAND moved that when the
| committee rise that it recommend that
! the bill as amended do pass.
| Mr. Stevens again jumped into the
arena and declared that the measure
was a soclalistic doctrine pure and SIM
| PIE. lie denied that any corporate in
terest had ever tried to bride the as
sen1bly Of this state, as matter of
tact the laws have grown better as the
state grew older and their enforcement
was becoming more and more effective
the conditions today were very diff
terent TO, what they were twenty-five
years ago. The law and its effect in
EOregon had been referred to. I. He re-
minded the members that for some time
1 the United States senators of that state
and other, officers down had been before
the courts there for some time as cor
ruptionists. %
Mr., Streeter retorted by asking the
gentleman from Burleigh if the people
who passed the bill in Oregon were
socialists republicans or democrats.
MIR. Stevens objected to the refer
endum feature. Before railroad could
be built across these broad prairies of
this state 5 per cent of the people could
block the progress of the enterprise,
notwithstanding what the majority in
| the legislature should enact, or what
1 the unanimity of the legislature was.
4 Pass this bill and the people could tear
the constitution into shreds and tatters
| in a very little while. 49,.
1 Mr.. Pugh> with a show of earnest
4 ness declared that he could not vote
for the bill. He asked what, effect the
| bill would have on section 202 of the
| constitution and amendments thereto.
i He cited the votes on amendments to
the. constitution which have been sub
/ mitted and they did not disclose very
| large degree of interest on the part of
the people-look in the records of the
Isecretary Of state and make note of the
vote on the different propositions which
/ have been before the voters from time
to time; it demonstrated that the peo-
pie pinned considerable faith in the
men selected to represent them in the
house and senate. Petitions were dam
4 gerous, they can be obtained for any
thing. We have a good method now
and let us keep it. 4. sssss ss%sl.
/ Mr.. Chapman from a letter he had
/ from former member of the house,
now a resident in Oregon, asked Mr.,
4 LELAND some pointed questions indicat-
ing that the initiative and referendum
in Oregon was not developing the pro-
nounced success as some people tried
to make out. u. ~
Mr.. Burdick, with considerable force,
said that he had been listening care
/ fully to what had been said, but a great
deal OF it did not mean anything. Mr..
/, Anderson Of Grand Forks had said
that the legislature was subjected to
corporate interests and influences,
which meant one of three conditions
4 4 that the members had either been elect
ised by corporate interests or that they
4 had been bought in the lobbies, or that
i they represented corporate interests. He