The Greeley tribune., 1910-10-13

known that he cheated John W.
Springer out of the mayors office by
the rawest kind OF ballot box stuff
fing. and that he is hand in glove
with the interests which have Den
yer in their grip? The reason is
plain. when the pretended honesty
of that paper is scratched. 1t is
common talk in Denver that these
interests own the Times and its
editor. body. soul and breeches and.
believing that statement. l do not
wonder at the editorial that appear
ed in its issue of October Z. from
which make the following excerpt:
I'VE do not think that the initia-
tive and referendum bill is re-
form. We believe 1t to be back
ward step. 1t is more primitive
instrument OF government than the
old town meeting. 1t would not give
more power to the people: its prom
ises in that way are fictitious. In
Oregon 1t has produced a legislative
confusion"
In direct contradiction to that
screed read what was said in the U.
s. senate May last. by the Hon.
Jonathan Bourne. jr.. staunch.
progressive republican senator from
| the republican state Of Oregon:
"Mr. President. reiterate that
Oregon has evolved the best system
OF popular government that exists
In the world today.
The initiative and referendum ia
the keystone OF the arch of popular
government. for by means OF this
the people may accomplish such
other reforms as they desire The
initiative develops the electorate be-
cause 1t encourages study OF prin-
ciples and policies OF government.
and affords the originator OF new
ideas in government an opportunity
to secure popular judgment upon his
measures II per cent of the voters
of his state deem the same worthy Ct
submission to popular vote. The
referendum prevents misuse of the
power temporarily centralized in
the legislature"
And OF the direct primary, Senator
Bourne says:
The direct primary absolutely
insures popular selection OF all can
didates and establishes the RESPONSE
bility OF the public servant to the
electorate and not to any political
boss or special interest"
That speech. of which nearly one
million copies have been put in the
peop es' hands the past Ave months.
was In answer to just such attacks
that appeared in the Times and IN
answer to such politicians as sena-
tor Carpenter and the Hon. Harry
Teller
Here follows another excerpt from
that great speech and 1t explains in
nutshell what the initiative and
referendum stands for:
ut provides that legislative au-
thority shall be vested in a legisla-
tive assembly. but that the people
reserve to themselves the power to
propose laws and amendments to
the constitution and to enact or re-
5ect the same at the polls, independ-
ent OF the legislative assembly, and
also reserve the power to approve or
reject at the polls any act OF the leg
islature. An initiative petition must
be signed by 8 per cent OF the legal
voters. a. shown by the vote for su-
! preme Judge at tho last preceding
| general election. and filed with the
secretary Of state not less than four
months before the election.
"A referendum petition need be
signed by only per cent of the vot-
ers and filed with the secretary Of
state within ninety days after fnal
adjournment OF the Legislature which
passed the bill on which the referen-
dunn 10 demanded. The Legislature
may itself refer to the people any
act passed by It. The veto power Of
the governor does not extend to any
measure referred to the people"
The vote for secretary of state Is
in the Colorado bill. but in all other
respects It is an exact copy Of the
Oregon law.
A POLITICAL PROGREssIsT