Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1911-07-21
DIRECT LEGISLATION LEAGUE
Decides Not to Refer Public De-
Tense" Bill After Hot Fight.

tense" Bill After Hot Fight.
The Denver Republican of last Fri
day contained the following report OF
a meeting in that city that will be
found of intense interest to our read
crs, who are all more or less interest
ed in the Kansas Colorado water suit
and the appropriation bill for its de-
Tense or public defense" bill as it
has recently been called:
after one of the most noisy and
tumultuous meetings ever held in a
city noted for its frenzied politics,
the little band of patriots known. as
the Direct Legislation league last
night voted not to refer to vote OF
the people the so-called public de-
Tense" bill, passed by the legislature.
But it did vote to refer certain parts
of the Carpenter reservoir bill. The
vote on the public defense bill stood
10 to IS, with charges freely made that
the count had been ''jobbed." The
vote on the Carpenter bill was 20 for
referring the measure and IL against.
Charges that the majority by gag
rule shut off debate on this measure
were also made and with the reform
ers calling each other the short and
ugly word and shouting and shaking
their fists at each other at frequent
intervals, very lively evening was
spent in the Albany hotel. The only
reason the assistance of the police was
not needed was because the reformers
took but little umbrage when called
names.
AT the beginning of the evening
number of men from out of town,
prominent irrigation men from all over
the state, appeared before the league
to argue for and against the reference
of these two bills. A number OF good
speeches were made and shortly af-
ter 10 o'clock the league, upon the
motion of William Malone, secretary
| OF Gov. Shafroth, went into executive
session, excluding the distinguished
visitors who had come to take part
in the deliberations.
Charles S. Thomas, one of the shin
ing lights of the league, took excep-
ton to this mode of procedure and
informed the visitors that by the pay
ment of the sum of 81 they could be-
come members of the organization
| and remain. There was an immediate
| rush to the secretary's desk and the
| league gathered in many dollars with
| in a very few minutes. As there were
more visitors than members present
the reformo became alarmed and
John Rust, a well known local poll
| tician, declared that an outrage was
being perpetrated.
shall these men for the paltry sum
| of one dollar buy the right to vote on
these questions that they have been
discussing?" inquired the eloquent Mr..
Rush. They have appeared here as
litigants and now they seek to sit on
the jury"
Other speeches followed in the
| course of which the rights OF the old
stalwarts in the league to do the vot-
ing was warmly defended as against
| the new converts to the cause of rule
by the people. 1t was finally decided
that the new members might remain
but that they must not vote on the
matters in which they were deeply
interested.
The debate then opened on the
question OF referring the public de-
Tense bill. Thomas declared that the
league should leave this question
alone and several others were of the
same opinion. George Thorne rose to
declare that the bill was dirty
steal" Upon this declaration Hon
est Farmer" John Crowley, who in
troduced the bill into the senate and
who was one of the new members of
the league present but not voting,
| arose and declared tnat anyone VINO
said his bill was steal was liar
John Rush Immediately qualified by
denouncing the bill with all the invec-
tives at his command.
The vote on the question of refer
ring the matter to the people under
the new system of legislation stood
10 against and Is for. At least that
is the way the officers counted it.
Rush counted it 10 to 10, however. and
declared that his side representing the
people were being ''jobbed." Excite
ment continued for some time but the
vote was allowed to stand.
| The Carpenter reservoir bill was
then taken up. One member who had
not previously ~articipated SUGGESTED
that. as the bill concerned the farm
ers they be allowed to refer it or not
as they saw fit. This was not the
sense of the meeting, however, and by
vote of 20 to IL it was decided to
refer this bill.
The meeting adjourned well after
midnight after an evening OF contin-
nous strife. Unfortunately the people
who voted for the referendum were
not present to see the new fad in op-
| Grafton.
| rDnIyT Ev