The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-08-13
GOVERNOR SHAFROTH'S MESSAGE
TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY


centrate public attention upon the vote
Of a representative. The law of the
to Soss assnse sns .Re M
the people. because II removes the In
terest of those seeking special privil
in their votes Special interests are
members of General Assemblies for the
nave the measures submitted to them
and their decision be final. This law
snd woqld q therefore produce a purifying
lature; Under the initiative law the
appeal in behalf of measures must be
70 reason and not to selfish motives
not likely to vote upon measures sub
mitted. mi the law acts automatically as
people.
The Referendum is a veto of the
the General Assembly which Is regard
ed as detrimental to the public well
far. fare As the law is now: no matter
pc, the obnoxious statute remains for
the fuli term Of two years. and IS II is
often remains In no fpree reai FOR dseades
laws passed by the General Assembly
controi and govern the people. It Is
Objectionable. that they should have an
opportunity to defeat the same.
Those who think that the sentiment
Is local to the state of Colorado or
partisan, are sadly mistaken. The peo-
pie of Maine. oregon. Missouri, Utah:
Oklahoma have by large maiorities
adopted constitutional amendments for
the Initiative and referendum. A great
these measures applicable to their re-
spective municipal governments.
Many recent platforms of the. Demo-
cratic and Republican parties In con-
ventions of various states have de-
manded the enactment of these prin-
providing for the fnitiatiHe and S'fns Refer.
endum is now well under way in
thirty states in the Union. The contest
tiyes against the rules of that body.
which concentrated power in the
speaker, was a spontaneous expression
OF the representatives in behalf of the
rule OF the people The movement in
Great Britain to abolish the House of
Lords has its foundation in the fact
mentary body.
The law of the Initiative and Refer
to the people; and that has always been
the aim of the trainers of all republi-
can forms of government.
The Pure Australiau Ballot.
BY reason Of the fact that the names
Of unfit candidates are placed with
fnees on the same party ticket, 1t is in
the interest OF good government that
Indicate each candidate for whom he
desires to vote, instead of making 1t
easy. for him to vote for the good and
the bad by one vote for a party ticket.
The state Is entitled to the Judgment
of the voter upon the qualifications of
each candidate who seeks to conduct
the business Of the state. Such law
would compe! better nominations by
poIitiea parties YOU'D the
for or unworthy of public trust: would
compel closer inquiry upon the part
Of the voter; as to the candidates
fore be educational In its tendency.
The Direct Primary Law.
Under the present system of nom
mating candidates for office. there
grows up In every state number of
tions. They generally obtain their
power by reason of being supported
with money. and other influences OF
states. As delegates are named and
elected by such influences. they are
often subservient to the will of few
n,atform , DECLARATIONS Of the party.
This method Is inimical to good gov
ernment and tends to elect candidates
and pass measures detrimental to the
interests of the people. Under the Di-
rect Primary Law, each voter. freed
rom the influence of any other per-
son or corporation, casts his vote for
those candidates whom he believes to
be most worthy of political preferment.
me blTecL PRIMARY Law is not an eX-
pertinent. No state which has adopt
ed 1t has ever repealed it. There are
twenty-six states of the Union now
making Direct Primary nominations
Governor Hughes OF New York. at a
public meeting a few days before the
eonvening of the extra session of the
words:
II action is postponed the issue will
remain. You cannot get rid of it. try
as you may. i is not. my issue, 1t
against those who have abused party
government for their own purposes"
The BnDk Guaranty Law.
The business of banking affects SO
many of the people. both directly and
sidered proper that Safeguards should
be created and enforced in favor of de-
positors and for the prevention of dis
turbances in financial affairs The de-
positor has a most vital interest in the
bank. The accumulation of years may
be wiped out in single day. The
bank Is the place where moneys are
kept. and suspension, or failure. not
only affects the individual depositors,
paraiyzes the industry of the entire
community; its effect on stocks and
bonds is almost instantly felt. 1t cre-
ates panics and affects the value OF all
forms of property. Banks are quasi
public Institutions created and vested
with power to do business by the cor
cedes they should be regulated by law.
The bankers themselves ask for most
Of the Regulating statutes. In my judg-
by law requiring by either bond or
by the creation OF a fund, the guar
anty Of deposits.
The most satisfactory law of this
character which l have been able to
find Is the Texas Bank Guaranty Law.
1t provides that all banks incorporated
in that state should pay into a fund
tor the guaranty OF deposits a certain
per cent. upon the deposits held by the
Of the deposits of any falling bank.
That IL the bank does not care to make
such payments, 1t may execute a bond,
with good and sufficient security,
guaranteeing the payment of its own
deposits. BY the creation of guar
anty fund 1t establishes in the banks
confidence which prevents. or at least
modifies, acute conditions during mon
ey panics.
The reason people become panic
stricken at times is because of want of