Gunnison news-champion., 1910-07-22
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GoSerno- shsiFosh hs-eslied taen ~
gether ~ cxtrs1ra4nary yesssan fsr
As1s-s 8 he bE4a9- - t4esr al
teataOn especially the pledges made
D. the people BY tse la-t aessocrai,c
state convention aud ssaes,ePPed by
senate n.easbers WHO were identIiea
with the Denver psblIe stGiIty cur
PoEatIoss.
La making the call the eov.rna
issues aa address ~ the prapie oi
tbe state which IL well worth read
tnz ID Is as t,llo~s:
To the people Of the state Of Colorado.
As governor of TINS state have to
day issued a cal for a special session of
the general assembly OF Colorado and |
deem u proper to state to yog the rea-
sons which Impcl me To- take that action.
The present officers of the state and
members Of the general assembly were
elected uDon platform which made
SPECIFIC pledges to the people. These
provided Tor the enactment of the fol-
lowing laws: The initiative and refer
end9m: the straight Australian ballot;
the direct primary. the election of U.
:. senators by a direct vote of the
people the guarantee Of bank deposits
the creation OF public service commits
sion fashioned after the New YORK law 5
and a railroad bill which would vest adj
eqgate authority NJ commission to
right wrongs, and which would prevent
the giving or accepting of free trans
portation. All of these measures tend
to bring administrative affairs nearer to
the people. and hence are essential in
good government.
Some of these pledges were con
tanned in the platform of the other
great political parties in this state. In
my inaugural address | called the at
tention OF the general assembly to the
fact that these pledges constituted con
tracts with the people and should be
faithfully fulfilled. Two weeks before
the adjournment of the general assem-
bly,, ] again urged the enactment of
these platform pledges into law and
stated that in the event substantial
compliance Herewith was not made,
that ! would convene the general as
sembly in special session for the pur-
pose of having fulfilled these platform
promises.
THE house of representatives passed
nearly all of the bills covering the SUBJ
lects, but number of democratic and
repui lican senators, sufficient to con-
stitute a majority of the senate, failed
or refused to pass any of the measures.
''In view of these facts | regard it to
be my imperative duty to give one more
opportunity to the general assembly to
redeem these contracts OF honor.
81 he constitution Of this state vests
the governor with power, on extraoreii-
al.
assembly by proclamation, stating
therein the purpose for which it is to
assemble, and it provides that no bust
ness shall be transacted at such special
session other than that specifically
named in the proclamation.
The very highest duty to public
officials is the fulfillment of pledges
made to obtain office and when they
fail or refuse to perform that duty it is
a shock to the moral sense of the peo-
pie who trusted them. There is no way
of rectifying the betrayal of such con
fdence under our laws.
"The failure of legislators to fulfill
solemn pledges made to the people,
therefore alone in my judgment consti
tutes such extraordinary occasion as
warrants the convening the special ses-
sion of the Legislature.
SIT is absurd to contend that these
measures can be enacted at the general
session which meets in January next,
on account of the multiplicity of meas
ures coming before regular session.
special interests are enabled to induce
members to vote against their pledges
and then have them justify such votes
by claiming they thereby were enabled
to get large appropriations for their re-
spective counties.
Many of these measures have been
introduced and urged in every regular
session of the general assembly of this
state for the past sixteen years. and
hence by reason of the persuasive in
huence of corporations and diverse in
terests of the members of each assem-
bly, they have failed each time of
pa.sing. VI is only in special session
when attention of members is confined
To few subjects that We can hope TO
pass these measures. BY reference to
the statute laws of Colorado il will be
seen that some Of the very best legisla-
tion now on the statute books of this
state was enacted at special sessions
of the general assembly.
The initiative and referendum law
requires m amendment of the constitu-
tion and unless passed ut this session
could not be voted on till November
election of 1912.
THE railroad commission law of this
state was declared unconstitutional
only few weeks ago and there is
need for such tribunal
These instances warrant the calling
of a special session. but the greatest
necessity therefore arises from the fact
that though pledged. none of these laws
would likely be passed at a regular
session. The situation therefore pro-
iuces the alternative of an extra ses-
sion ar no laws.
These measures are not partisan in
their nature They have been enacted
in both democratic and republican
states. The direct primary has been
enacted in twenty-six states. the inItia-