Cañon City record., 1908-10-22
Democratic
AbSurdities

IN COLORADO LAW-MAKlNG =
OPEN LETTER TO "HoNEsT-
JOHN. sHAFRoTH.
Denver. Colo, Oct. II, 1908.
Hon. 'HOnestjohn" Shafroth, Demo
cratic Candidate for Governor.
Sir:
Give me your ear. "Honestjohn,"
while I tell you of some of the bowling
absurdities of Democratic law-making
in Colorado. From these you will be
able to understand why the people will
fail.
The Constitution Forgot.
Do you recall the Eleventh General
Assembly. which existed during the
reign of Governor Adams? You states
men in this session forgot to appropri-
ate funds to run the government and
Governor Adams had to call them back
to give him money wherewith to keep
the convicts, the insane and the school
dependents from begging from door to
door for their food. This extra session
also produced a bristling batch Of res
ofutions upon the foreign relations of
the National Government.
But after all, Aiva Adams went out
of office leaving a deficit Of over $780,
600.
Thomas sorrows Money to Run State.
Then followed Governor Charles s.
Thomas. who was obliged to skirmish
around among his friends and unoffi-
ciaIiy borrow $4,000 wherewith TO
prevent the sherin from levying upon
the state house and penitentiary, This
was the Thomas debt, of honor" Of
which profane history speaks SO feel
ingiy e: ,r
The next general assembly blindly
rushed to the opposite extreme and
few in the face of providence and the
Constitution by appropriating over
100000 in excess of the revenue Of
the state This was unlawful but they
did not know it.
Gave Us Prize Fight Law.
Just at that time Colorado needed
advertising in the East. so you passed
a prize fight law inviting sluggers to
come to Colorado and assault one an
other. Governor Thomas. true to his
pugnacious Democratic instincts.
signed the bill This splendid zmonu-
ment of Democratic constructive
craftsmanship was afterwards killed
by a perterse popular sentiment.
In the Twelfth General Assembly,
you passed an eight-hour law which
gave the people delightful labor
strike. costing lots of money and Civ
ing the police courts and surgeons
have been a real law If you had not
again overlooked the constitution; but
you forgot about 1t and Democratic
Supreme Court scratched it off the
books.
Don't it beat all how the Constitu-
tion gets in the way of Democratic
statesmen?
The Constitution Again Overlooked.
And then came the Thirteenth AS
sembly, which; re-districted the state
to insure Democratic supremacy They
provided thiIty-six state senators and
tried to put the law into effect before
they discovered that that glorious but
troublesome document. the Constitu-
ton. permitted but thirty-fve.
Another evidence of the extraordin.
ary wisdom. of your party was the sub
which the people promptly wiped off
the map at the polls.
This Assembly also passed lively
grist OF joint memorials and resolu-
tions about foreign matters 1t was
especially concerned about the Boer
War
Forgot to Record Third Reading.
Then they passed the Tanquary En-
pioyers' Liability Bill. which would
have been useful IL the great states
men OF your party had not forgotten
to have the third reading appear upon
the record Of the Senate. but they did.
and so the courts were obliged to
chloroform it.
Don't you swell and glow with pride,
"Honestjohn." when you contemplate
this record?
Tsen the Democratic governor called
a special session: the corporations
were to be regulated. A bill was
passed arranging for the obsequies OF
cows killed by railways. Railways are
operated by corporations. you know!
Constitution Still lnterferes.
almost forgot to mention the rev.
enue law. The highest intelligence