The Ordway new era., 1910-07-22
Address to the People.

DeuVeF.-AI tQe same Llue Sao COLL
was issued for the special session of
the Assembly. Governor Shafroth also
gave out an address to the people,"
regarding the call, and 1t Is under
stood that he will go into details quite
fully in a message to the Assembly
when 1t convenes.
The governors address Is as fol:
lows:
To the People Of the State of Colo
As Governor Of the State have to-
day issued call for special session
Of the General Assembly OF Colorado,
and l deem 1t proper 10 state to you
the reasons which impelled me to take
that actions
The present officers OF the state and
members Of the General Assembly were
eisit eific pledses @ to the peope. These pied ges
lowing laws: The inItiatiye and Ieieren,
States Senator'S by direct vote Of rs
Heeps peseaton ths 81 pube service
sion. fashioned after the New York law.
and q railroad law which would vest ade.
wrongs, and which would prevent the
giving or accepting Of free transporta-
aSn M al teesf ffars nesrer to the % pea
>
pie. and hence are essential to good goV-
ernment.
Some Of these pledges were contained
In the platform of the other great po-
litical party OF this state. In my inaus-
urul address l called the attention OF the
General Asssm6iy TO the Tact tndi i, these ;se
people and should be faithfully fulfilled:
Two weeks before the adjournment OF
again urged the enactment Of these plat.
form pledges into law. and stated that
In the event substantial compliance here
the General Assembly In special session
for tho purpose Of having II fulfill these
resentatives passed nearly ali Of the bills
covering the subjects: put numDer OF
Democratic and Republican senators: .
Senate failed or refused to pass any OF
the measures.
In view Of these facts l regard 1t to
opportunity to the General Assembly to
redeem these contracts OF honor
Tho constitution Of this state vests the
Occasion. to convene ths General Assem-
bly, by proclamation. stating therein the
purpose for which It IL to assemble; and
transacted at such special session other
thnn that specifically named In tho proc
lamation.
ciuls is the fuIfillment Of pledges made
to obtain office: and. when they fnil or
refuse to perform thnt duty. It Is snock
to the moral sense Of the people who
trusted them. There - no way OF rec
tu,ing the betrayal Of such confidence
under our laws.
The failure Of legislators to fulfill sol
smn pledges made to the people there
fore. alone. in my Judgment. constitutes
sucn AN eAtraoroinary occasion as war
runis the convehinE OF special session
OF the Legislature.
/, IL ABSURD to contend that these
measures can We enacted at the general
.s.,k HAxsta Ina 4
On account OF the mutt ipIic.,y OF meas
urcS coming before regular session.
special interests are sma"',S 10 ,adgss andgss
ana then have them justify such votes
by claiming that they thereby were en-
their respective counties. Aiany Of these
measures nave been introduced ana
urged IN every regu'nI, ,i, session a,s, o., Of the the
past sixteen years. and yet BY reason OF
the persuasive influence OF corporations
bers OF cach assembly ,ney have failed
each time OF passage. II is only IN =
special session. wnsn the attention ,,,,;,,. ot
that We Gun nope to pass these meas
urrs. by rcferenSs to the session laws
OF the very bes, legislation now on the
statute books OF this state were enacted
ut special sessions Of the General As
scmbly.
The Initiative and referendum law re-
quircs nn amendment to the constitution
and unless passed at this session could
not be voted on until the November clec-
ton OF 1912.
The straight Australian ballot law un-
less passeu with an cmersency clause
cannot become operative until the fall
v.cctiun of 1919.
The railroad commission law Of this
state was declared unronstitu itut,onnl only
"A lew days ns" and there is urgent need
Tor such a tribunal
Thcs. Instances warrant the calling OF
u special session. but the greatest ne
c-ss.,y therefor arises from IL" fact
ma ,n 'hSSsn Ssi, 'ISsIa rass.a ne a, % ei rssaSr
session. IN. situation. therefore. pro-
durrs the an"rn"tiv. OF an extra session
or no laws.
Th"s. measures are not partisan In
their nature They have been enacted In
both Democratic and Republican states
Tn" dIr-,, primary has been enacted
In ,wcnty-six states: the initiative
au,i referendum in eIght states: tho
hcnhiess ballot In more thnn twenty
states: the publ" service commission
In N-w York an,i other states. and the
/ mon except Utah. delaware and Colo
RADIO. know OF no ins;an'. where any
one Of these laws has been repealed.
These measures will have tendency to
restore to the citizens those rights " hich
were Intended by the trainers "' our gov
crnmcnt TO always remain with the peo-
pie.
1t has been contenied by the opposing
members Of the General Assembly. as "A
reason for not -urI"riing 'hrs. meas.
urps that the people are not In favor OF
the same. u seems. therefore. prope.
tha, the county conventions Of all the
political parties OF this state should ex-
press themselves upon whether these
laws should be enacted ! have the ut
most confidence that no regular convcn.
lion. Of any political party. will advise
the reputation 81 platform promises.
believing that Legislators Will truly
represent their constituents when they
fully realize that the people do want
tn. So reforms enacted into laws. | have
the highest hopes that most beneficial
results Will com from the runv"ning OF
this sprCipI session Of the General As
s.mbly Respectfully.
JOHN r. SIIAFROTII
Governor
;S,