Semi-weekly herald., 1911-07-06
WHY DID SHAFROTH DISCRIMI-
NATE?

| (Ifrom the Pueblo Chieftain, June 27.)
The sixty-nine bills which appro-
ipriated the two hundred and fifty-fve
thousand dollars in the internal I'M
lprovement fund to the several coun-
ties of the state for local road and
bridge repair work were vetoed by
| Governor Shafroth on the claim that
this money should be expended by the
state highway commission in the gen
eral improvement of Colorado roads.
The eight bills of the governors
pet legislative members which appro-
priated one hundred and seven thou
sand and fifty dollars from the gen
eral revenues of the state for road
and bridge construction were allowed
to become laws, and two of these bills
lars for viaducts and roads for the
city and county of Denver, the gov
ernors home town.
In his message vetoing the sixty
nine bills he declared that his party
had promised the people that the state
| highway commission would be given
the expenditure of all money expend-
ed on roads and bridges.
Why deny with flourish of trum-
pets the small counties of the state
the internal improvement fund and
I ., -, ~ do xf htlIs.
give to Denver and few pet locali-
tIes one hundred and seven thousand
dollars? True the bills say the high
way commission shall oversee the
work, but the work will be done where
these eight laws direct The high
way commission could have overseen
the work directed by the sixty-nine
bills he vetoed.
Are the people of Denver entitled
to sixty-fve thousand dollars from
the general revenues of the state for
good roads any more than the people
of Otero, or any other county, are
entitled to twenty-five hundred dollars
from the internal Improvement fund
for the same purpose?
Should Senator Joyce be allowed
twelve thousand dollars for a road
| from Silverton to Homer lake and
| Senator Burris be denied a similar
amount for a road in Pueblo county
simply because Joyce put general
revenues" in his bill and Burris plac-
ed "internal improvement fund" in
his?
Did Tobin of Montrose get twenty
five hundred dollars for his county
roads and Bellesfield get as many
zeros for Pueblo county just because
1obin swung Montrose county to Shat
roth from Jefferson in the last Demo-
cratic convention?
Was Skinner given fourteen hun
dred dollars for roads in Delta county
as reward for his ever being ready
TO defend the honesty Of this gov
ernor who denies to one section Of
the state money for its roads and
gives the section in which he resides
and pays taxes all it asks?
Did the fact that Governor Shat
roth pays taxes to maintain the streets
and highways of the city of Denver
cause him to give that city over one
fourth as much money on those streets
and highways as was requested by all
the rest of the state?
OF course these things caused him
to do it. The Chieftain has been one
of few papers that has dared assail
Governor Shafroth's official sincerity
and honesty. For two years he oc-
cupied a mock pedestal and gathered
around it halo Of hypocritical great
ness that made of him temporary
Opaque hero. 1t was this mock great
ness that carried him into office last
year. The Chieftain realizes that he
plays to the grand stand at every
turn of the road but 1t also knows that
behind each grandstand play is Sc
cret personal gain deal, the same as
existed when, with blare Of trumpets
h. vetoed the road and bridge bills
for the small counties and allowed
the bills carrying the one hundred
and seven thousand dollars for his pet
Legislators and to reduce his personal
taxes to become laws.
The official who does these things
cannot be sincere. The Chieftain in
tends to continue the publication Of
these facts until the people Of Colo
'rado realize that Governor Shafroth