Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-09-04
M. FERGUSON Comes 0ut
cquareIy for Initiative and
referendum end Recall After
the Oregon Plan,
NASTERLY ADDRESS
BY FRANCIS {. WOOD
Republican Exponent S e S
Forth Party Pledges to Guar
antee Rights of Citizens of.
Every Class Within the Law,


the present campaign was held last
night at the Elks opera house in a
joint debate between Francis u. Wood,
republican, and Fl. b. Ferguson,
democrat when Mr. Wood forced Mr..
Fergusson squarely into the open as
favoring the Oregon plan Of the initid-
tive and referendum and heavily scor-
ed The democrats and their stand upon
the Issues now before the people.
Mr.. Ferguson made an old fashion
ed democratic talk, deVOting himself
to oratory instead Of argument scOr-
ing the money RON the corpora
tions and the r. it '"t euIOg-
zing Theodorel acure
applause and Il rrct
MIR Roosevelts remarks to leave the
constitution SO il could he easily
amended, to mean that he favored
the Oregon form Of the initiative and
referendum.
Mr.. Wood opened the meeting Both
w ii. Gillenwater republican chair"
man and Isaac Barth. democratic
chairman, presided Jointly The opera
house was filled to its capacity and
the people remained until the end,
applauding beth speakers generously
Mr. Wood followed the line OF argu-
ment he has used throughout the cam
paign, pointing to the early formation
of thf present government nd hO
fear the people then had Of the tyrun-
ny of the majority over the minoritr.
he pointed TO the experiences in Eng
land where he said the rebellion was
against n tyranniCal majority and nor
a king and that when the United
States constitution was formulated, itI
was so arranged that the majority
could never interfere with the person
al liberties Of the individuals whether
tI., II. tsft ag
minority. He assured the people that
the republicans OF this county stood
for an initiative and referendum so
saieguarded that in the passion Of one
election, the people could not tear
down or enact laws that ON sober sec~
ond thought they would never have
altered He said that everyone knew
that a great wave of sentiment fire.
quently carried the people off their
feet but thot the people were prac-
tically all agreed as to what funda
mental rights should go into the
constitution. As a sample of what
should by all means be placed In the
constitution SO that il could never be 1
stricken out, Mr. Wood declared was
ne limitation Of Indebtedness He
showed that many COmmonwcalthst (
had rushed headloss into debt so that
the people and their children we're
forever embarrassed by high taxes
and the necessity Of meeting indebted |
ness falling due from time to time.l
lie also called attention to the fact
that there was a prOneness ON the I
part of the people in many sections a. I
enact too many laws, some of which I
were never effective lie said 1T was
frequently ease of where such Ia VS. !
were not fully considered and he
demonstrated this statement by tine |
lact that under the initiative and ret-
erendum in Oregon. there would be I
submitted at coming election some
lorty measures that would have 10 he
f9led upon by the people IN one Gay
le ihcn explained why the three 4
branches of government were created (
50 hs TO avoid too hasty passage OIL
such measures. He declared that the /
people wanted the initiative and ref
Slthuum Tor cure for a disease that
,'u grown ~ among the legislative !
"ouies, but that they wanted only a i
.gIe and not new disease which ]
mgnt prove worse than the one they
sought To- eradicate
IL, nr SAID the only need of the in
.uatlNe was when some law was badlN
neeoed and the Legislature did not
,ttnae' n 50 that the people could start
% wv machinery whereas when some OBJ
'NlvuS law was enacted. the people
.Llu lorce its repeal with the refer
ehuum' but he argued that the per-
,ts,i'ase Of the people signing the pc
uuvhs should be large enough 20
'he it reasonably sure that the pco-
pie Wnnted .to take action and that
sum small clique was not using the
my5lsutes IN for their own purposes. lie
oal'd attention to the fact that ia
Il, V1"h only per cent of the people
'iN part Of the state Was necessary /
secure the initiation of legislation
,u mat only > per cent was necessary
invoke the referendum. He then
.pia.lhed the systems iu other states.
i, ~ HeularlN specifying Maine. where
~ real objects ef such legislation
ie secured. but abuse nf those pow
49, WIS impossible because OF proper
~ yards which merely compelled
ny e legislature to do its duty hut did
,, , make the people a Legislative hods
the legislature refused To- act.
Wood declared that the people
~ f'uiu i'nd the doctrine advocated bN
tI IN" rfpublicans of this county In their
p.ltI'fn but that the democrats ot
~. ailiie county had not specified
~ Nhere they stood. declaring for
49,. ,hluatiVe and referendum without
ny .hing further on which the VoteTs
ent base an opinion. he said the
-'iunhean form Of these measures
,h-uiu act as cure FOR am trouble
c.l al might exist but that the demo-
h.',,te platform was like a mother
,o','atd which covered everything hut
s.'-. s.-ei'ed nothing lie declared that the
~, s.,,'',eratic committee had declared
~ 'l'e oregon form which LEFT ore
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