The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-08-14
HUMORS OF THE INITIATIVE.
Illustrations of Its GrOtesque Opera
ton in the State of Oregon.
(Speech by Senator Sutherland OF
Utah.)

Speech by Senator Sutherland of
Utah.)
A bill to create a ''board of peo-
pies inspectors was gravely submit
ted under the initiative by the Peo-
pies Power league of Oregon, the
board to consist of three persons to
be selected, in the first instance in
the following highly popular man
ner. The executive committee of
the state grange, the executive COM
mittee of the Oregon State Fedora
the boards of trade and comm ercial
organizations of Oregon were each
to name three persons, and from each
of these groups the governor was to
select one for appointment. The
people generally were not to be con-
suited The composite citizen was
notified to go on a vacation. It was
made the duty of this board of CEN
sors "to have at least one of their
number present at all times at ey-
cry session of each house of the leg
islative assembly and to be watchful
for any defect or imperfection in the
state and local systems of govern
ment'' They were to watch the
public officers and public institutions,
the departments of the state and
county and municipal governments
and to investigate and report on their
management. They were imposing
upon them a pretty large contract.
All this was to be done, the proposed
law naively provided, without mo-
tive or desire for personal or parti-
over, ito be as fair and impartial to
all citizens and officers as the SUI
preme court seeks to be between par
ties TO. a suit LAS the supreme
court seeks to be" is distinctly good.
What the supreme court merely
he 10
were bound under the mandate of the
law actually to find and put into
pra cticaI operation. They were to
publish an official gazette not only of
their own reports, but also of any
criticisms or complaints of their own
ever, under the law are thoughtfully
limited to not exceeding 200 words
each; their own reports are to be
without limit.
Reports by the governor, county Of
ficials, mayors of cities are to be pub
lished but all of these are to be
"brief and comprehensive" If they
cannot be made comprehensive with
out sacrificing brevity we are not en-
lightened as to what shall be done.
They are also to publish in this ga
zette a large number of other spe-
cific matters; and finally, ..other mat
tiers that they believe will promote the
general welfare" Apparently there
are to be no canvassing agents for
this publication, the law directing
that every registered voter who is
either the head of family or a mem
Der of no family shall be considered
a subscriber and the gazette be mail
ed to him at public expense. The
inha bitants of the benighted regions
outside of Oregon must pay 81 year
in advance.
1t will be observed that every pro-
vision is made whereby the censors
will watch everybody else and report
their lapses, peccadilloes and short
to the people, but happily
no provision is made for watching or
upon the censors themselves
This unique piece of legislation, t
must be borne in mind was not pro-
posed as a joke. The Peoples Pow
err league of Oregon was as solemn
about it as the senator from Oregon
has been in pointing out the virtues
of the composite citizen" Thirty