The Greeley tribune., 1910-09-15
"ILNCOI.N REPUBLICAN"
DON'T LIKE PRESENT
STYLE OF PARTY
To the Tribune:

sentatives law for constitutional
amendment. called the initiative and
referendum, will be presented to the
people of Weld county at this falls
election, for their acceptance or re
lection. This law provides that when
a certain per cent of the voters of
the state present petition for the
submission of proposed la"" to the
electors OF the state. that such law
shall be submitted to the vote of
the people. and II passed by their
majority vote shall become a law,
without act of the legislature being
necessary. The law also provides
for reference to the people of any
proposed law and that their action
on such reference shall likewise be
final
1t is simply resumption by the
people of a small part of their law
making sovereignty which the peo-
pie originally held entirely in their
own hands but which they now have
exclusively delegated to the legsla-
ture. 1t Is a resumption of the law
making sovereignty, made necessary
because the power which the people
have delegated to the legislature has
in many cases been neglected or
abused. That this lawmaking power
has been neglected and abused by
legislatures and that at times they
have been recreant to their trust is
a matter beyond all debate.
or our three branches of govern
a inI inin ;,rn
have been far more faithful to their
official duties than has the lessla-
tive branch. This state of affairs
has made it necessary that on extra
ordinary occasions and when there
is strong popular demand for a law
that the legislature will not make,
that the people shall have the power
to make such law; and that cor
rupt or faithless legislature shall
not defeat that right.
Consider for one moment the past
legislatures of Colorado and what
they have done How often they
have admittedly failed in their
plain duty.
Is 1t not true that our legislatures
have often been faithless?
No one would dare to deny it.
The special interests which con-
troll our state legislatures for their
own selfish ends, OF course do not
wish the people to legislate, because
they can generally control a major
ity of legislators and they cannot
corrupt the whole people.
These predatory interests are now
busily engaged in selfish and wick
ed attempt to defeat this constitu-
tional amendment because it en-
dangers their reign. They will use
much money and they are employing
men OF brains to make specious arg
uments to deceive the people. In
this great fight stand-pat democrats
OF Senator Hughes and Speer type
are working hand in hand, as they
always do, with stand-pat republi-
cans OF the Evans and Guggenheim
stripe In this fight the forces OF
good government and of pure re-
publican form of government will
be on one side and the predatory in
terests on the other. The principles
involved are as important as in
1S6O-64.
Republicans of Weld county, In
our recent republican county con-
vention there were some sneers for
reformers but the republican party
was born OF reform; Lincoln. the
father OF our party, was the prince
OF reformers: the majority OF our
party undoubtedly desire progress
- {v,
coin republican principles. Let us
never be suspicious of government
by the people. Let us have faith
that this republic is not based on
error. Shall we not follow the lead
OF Lincoln and Roosevelt and Gov
ernor Hughes. or shall We follow the
lead of Senator Aldrich. w. G. Evans
and Simon Guggenheim?
All so-called arguments against
this law proceed on one of two
theories-either that the people are
an ignorant mob" or 'rabble",
wholly inferior to the legislature in
wisdom and patriotism and there
fore not to be trusted with the legis-
| lative power, os that the constitution
OF Colorado is q sacred instrument
not to be changed. Neither argu-
ment Is valid. The people OF this
state are to be trusted. The consti-
tuition ouhgt to be changed from
time to time as the evolution of
human affairs shows that it is not
| adapted to modern needs.
The forces OF good government
and progress are settling to one side
| and the forces of special privilege
| are on the other. Every good re-
publican who believes in government
by and for the people will vote for
this amendment, do everything in
his power for It. and will disregard
the foolish talk OF the subsidized