Gunnison news-champion., 1909-02-26
- aAIE NaowAJ~
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~lll not have bsea vested, evsa
though other lass are no, Iss.sA
This " true for two rs&sasss Fssvt.
. primary election las 10 the kssss
ga which We savst start 10 sscsse
othet needed reforrns Sscosd,
Goseruos Shafroth can he trusted 70
Immediately call the soloss IN s,ec-
Isl ssss.on TO redeem other pledges
of the demacrstie party
The Scott Hicks bill is the bone
Of contention, for the >peer -Evsns
factions and their rympathizers
among both republican aud demo
cratic Legislators. are determined 10
1 preserve the power oi the boss #
they have to tight to the last ditch.
News Champion believes as IT has
stated from the FIRST that their fight
Is hopeless, for Senator Scott is the
able-t legislator IN the assembly aud
a fighter, with dozen good sena-
tors behind him In the House
Representative Hicks, assisted by
such assembl, men as Iehrrltter.
Bellesheld, Skinner aud others have
their backs to the wall aud are con
hdept Of winning
Then. there are points about a
primary law that need long discus
sion and compromise. These laws
are yet in their experimental stage.
The convention feature which IL be-
ing 80 bitterly fought, must have
some merit, or such a stsunch and
able democrat ~ Governor Sheile-
barger Of Nebraska would not have
recommended it, The secret ballot
feature also is not an unmixed evil,
for while it will undoubtedly enable
members Of one party to sometimes
pick weak candidates upon the OPP
posing side, that danger is remote
and at its worst not much greater
than under the present system. Be
sides the secret ballot has decided
advantages.
The visit of Mr. Bryan TO Denver
and his address 10 the Legislature
served as a temporary truce between
the two factions Mr. Bryan spoke
in the same patriotic strain we are
accustomed to hear, advising strict
accounting to the people Of tn
pledges of the platform He agreed
with Governor Shafroth that a plat
form, is d contract between the
representative and the people
The Initiative and referendum
amendment is making good progress
and we only regret that the recall is
not to be added However, as Mr.
Bryan suggested, after we get the
first, We can initiate the recall feat
ure, which might now be declared
unconstitutional.
The proposed banking guarantee
law is also successfully passing the
shoals and quicksands of the com
mittees in both bodies, and promises
to reach Governor Shafroth in due
season.
Prospects for our Western Slope
Normal School appropriation are ex-
cellent. Mr.. Lehrritter and Senator
Twining are doing good work on
this bill aud public opinion in both
senate and house is coming to rec
ognize our Just claim
Edwin V. Brake has been appoint
ed labor commissioner Of Colorado
by Secretary Of State Pearce. 1t is
a good appointment Brake. it will
be rememi,e i,ered, held this positition
under Peabody, but would not be
a party to the anarchistic notions Of
that nightmare administration, and
was fired. Since then he has been
affiliated with the party Of good
government, and decent regard for
the laboring mans interest. Brake
wac endorsed bv nearly all the labor
organizations of the state, and will
make commissioner worth having
One Of the most important
propositions before this assembly is
the bill to appropriate $1,000
to be spent by the state engineer in
stream gaging and investigating the
water supply Of Colorado. We
have no accurate date on this i'm
medlately important economic sub
ject Small congressional appro-
priations have been used to good
advantage, but they have not been
able to secure one per cent Of the
facts needful to a full understanding
of the matter Colorado can well
afford $4,000 a year for this pur-