Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-09
A Plain Statement Of Facts.


amendment to the State constitution.
under the Initiative and Referendum
act that authorizes special election
to take the opinion of the people any
more than it is expressed in the peo-
pies adoption or rejection Of a law
1t gives us great pleasure to comply
with it's request.
The right to submit such resolve is
clearly given III the provisions of the
referendum which are to be submitted
at the next general election to the vot-
ers of Maine, and which will undoubt-
eddy be incorporated in our State con-
stitutiOn. Moreover the voters are ret
even dependent upon the action Of the
Legislature in order to bring this:
about. Section IS of Chapter 121 OF
the Resolves of 1907 reads as follows.
'The electors may propose to the
Legislature for it's conSidera ton any
bill, resolve or resolution, including
bills to amend or repeal emergency
legislation but not an amendment of
the State constitution, by written petit
ton addressed to the Legislature or to
either branch thereof and filed in the
office of the Secretary Of State or pre-
scented to either branch of the Legisla-
ture at least thirty days before the
close Of its session. Any measure
thus proposed by not less than twelve
IT, ousand electors unless enacted with
out change by the Legislature at the
session at which it was presented,
shall be submitted to the electors, to-
gether with any amended form, substi-
tute, or recommendation of the Legis-
lature, and in such manner that the
people can choose between the compet-
ing measures or reject both. When
there are competing bills and neither
receives a majority of the votes given
for or against both, the one receiving
the most votes shall at the next gen.
eral election to be held not less than
sixty days after the first vote thereon
be submitted by itself if it receives
more than one third of the votes given
for and against both. If the measure
Initiated is enacted by the Legislature
without change, it shall not go to the
referendum vote unless in pursuance
of q demand made in accordance with
the preceding section. The Legislature
may order Il special election on any
measure that is subject to vote of the
people. The governor may, and if
so requested in the written petitions
addressed to the Legislature, shall by
proclamation, order any measure pro-
posed to the Legislature by at least
twelve thousand without change, re-
fcrred to the people at special cleo
ton to be held not less than four nor
more than six months after such
proclamation, otherwise said measure
shall be voted upon at the next general
election held not less than sixty days
after the recess of the Legislature. to
which such measure was proposed.
This language would seem to be beth
clear and definite. The right Of the
people is not limited to the adoption
or rejection of law" That is merely
the Suns way of stating it. The
language of the resolves is "any bill,
resolve, or resolution" That include:
any great question which $4,000 voters
may desire to submit to a popular ex-
preston. There is no question about
this. Rev. c. r. Owen states that
the question has beer put to one of
the ablest jurists in Maine who states
that the proposed amendment unques-
tiunably carries this right. The Journal
has itself put the question to four diff
ferent attorneys as to whether under
the provision of the proposed amend
ment which permits the reference of
"any bill, resolve, or resolution
resolution declaring that the prohibit
tory law should or should not be re-
perled could be put before the voters,
and in each instance they answered
that it could.
These are the plain facts OF the
case. 1t is useless for the Sun or any
other newspaper to try to deceive or
mislead the public regarding them.
1t may oppose this method of securing
a popular vote upon the prohibitory
principle in any terms it desires, but
that will not change the fact that the
resolve to be passed upon at the COM
ing election clearly and specifically
provides for such reference.
1T is pitiful cowardly dodge" de-
clares the Sun, "to turn to this new
legislative method to get bare
opinion of the people on a policy that
is fixed by the Constitution, as the
policy of prohibition is
1t does not occur to us as Toward
"" thing to get the opinion of the peo-
pie Of Maine on any great question af-
fecting the life of the state. but pos
silly we have more confidence in them
than the Sun has.
Make your fight. neighbor. as vigor-
ously as you please; but don't try to
misrepresent the plain language of the
proposed referendum. That is clear
and unmistakable. Try as You may
YOU cannot wink it out Of signt.
Judqe Lands and the Railroads.
The federal statutes provide that