Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-08-23

Drought lNR tue lSNNf lNl~tN NV MI
Wood last Saturday as to the cousi
tuuonality of the Initiative. Cover
nor Slower said that the people had
nothing to lose by Incorporating the
measure in the constitution MS at the
most, All that the supreme court
could do would he TO hold that II was
not In compliance with the United
states constitution Governor Stover
then referred to the fact thut there
were thirty-four laws now awaiting
action under the Initiative and refer
endum In oregon
rs there anything funny about
that?" he asked. IN a legislature
We frequently have three or -FOUR hum
dreds bills penaing In the short space
OF sixty days Mr. wood appears to
think that such Il thing is an outrage
but | don't see why the people can't
have the same right to pass on bills
that "a legislature has and / would
like to know who has right %
question their authority to do so
The governor then called attention
10 soma of the vicious legislation of
the past, going back many years
In some Instances SIe said that with
the referendum, such legislation
! would never have gone on the statute
books lie recalled the time when
/ Bernolillo county was divided and
/ Sandoval county created and the
county officers elected the previous
fall, ,egislated out of office lie said
that Mr. Wood had declared that the
safety of the country was in the calm
consideration of bills by legislative
bodies.
I DO YOU know bow long II took to
pass that bin ana have it signed by
the governor he asked Just four
4 hours and twenty minutes after ii was
| introduced until It was on our stat
ute books Is this the calm consider
alton Of bills that MI Wood would
have us believe such measures We're
given by legislative bodies?"
! lie then declared that the argument
Of additional cost for special elections
was considerable Of a myth.
4 These matters can all be sub
mited Mt the general election and the
only additional cost would be for the
| printing OF the ballots
lie declared that under the oregon
law, from four to eighteen months
were taken to consider bills referred
to the people SO that everyone had
an opportunity 20 study every phase
Of the situation and he declared that
the people cf oregon comprised one
Of the most Intelligent constituencies
! 4 n. ff,..xa
took the trouble to nost themselves
on their proposed legislation Again
referring to the legislature, he told
that young man came 20 Santa re
4 for the purpose Of securing the cre-
alton Of sierra county ana that he
had declared that he would vote for
amy and oil bills, good or bad. lust 50
he secured support for the sierra
county bin
"That is the way things are too
J frequently done said Governor
Stover That is why we need the
safeguards that are assured under
these measures lie also declared
! that whereas there were frequently
''jQkers" In Legislative acts such u
| thing was impossible in oregon he
cause II was necessary 10 state the
subject of every act in the title in
! that state and II bin passed con-
! tanning some provision that was not
named In the title, then That section
WIS Imperative
"In 1882" said Governor StoVcr
"Mr. Catron of Santa Fe. who was
then active in legislative matters and
! who Is stlll interested In such aiiatrs
during n contest in the legislature, Sc
| cured a council of seven men. who
were not all rightfuliy entitled to
their seats, The governor recognized
| that council and that legislative as
sembly appropriated S150,000 for
territorial capitol and the same
amount for territorial penitcntiary,
when We were sending our prisoners
! to LCavenworth az a cost to us OF
only $1,000 year The interest on
that tl50000 for u prison. 10 say
nothing OF maintenance, WAS more
| than the existing expense. The mat
! ter was taken up with congress, hnt
| Il failed to act. Had we had the
Initiative ana referendum IN those
] dhAs, Hl'N tNHhlti'i" ''N'' ''' ''f''
existed.
Governor stover said both meas
ures were republican ones and that
! three-fourths Of the states where they
were in use were republican states.
They are not democratic measures
ana we should not be afraid 10 advo-
| cate them because the democrats
want them too We have educated
| the democrats into wanting them ANA
| II Is no longer question Of partisan
| ship when Lincoln made his ih-
nous remarks of the people by the
people and for the people. he did not
say as he might have done. by the
| Legislature, of the Legislature ana,
I might add. 1or the politicians.
Governor Stover declared mat ne
was in favor Of putting into the con-
stitutlop provision that the native
people should never De deprived or
suffrage that they now enjoy ana. ii
that were done, NO harm could come
10 them bv the use OF either The I'M
ttiative or the referendum.
Francis T. wood announced at the
outset Of his speech that he would
deal only with facts and matters Of
record that could he substantiated
He said.
.f an, safisried thnt when the peo-