Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-04-20
SENATOR WORKS
GIVES WARNING
Unless Republicans Adopt
Progressive Ideas They Are
Doomed 10 Defeat
DEFENDS ARIZONA PEOPLE
He Approves of Their Constitu-
ton Except Recall of
Judiciary.

Judiciary.
Washington, april 20-Arlzoua's
right to statehood under the constitu-
tion which it has presented found a
stmog advocate on the floor OF the
Jnietd States Senate today in the per
son OF Senator Works, California's
new member of the upper house of
Congress. In defending the Arizona
constitution he took occasion to warn
the Republican party that unless it
should heed the demand made upon
it for an endorsement of the initiative,
referendum and recall, earnestly de-
manded by an overwhelming majority
of our people Of all political parties,
the party would 90 down TO defeat
and final destruction and oblivion"
The real objection to the constitu-
ton, he declared, was "one phase of
the struggle that has been going on
in this country between the common
people and the priviledged, self-seek-
ing interests, affecting the right to
govern the nation, the state and the
municipalities" The initiative, ref
eIendum and recall, provided for in
the Arizona constitution and already
i'll force in some states of the Union,
was one method the people were tax.
ing, he asserted. Of trying to blot out
corruption in politics. With the eX-
ception of recall OF judges, he said he
was heartily in favor OF this way of
getting rid Of incompetent or corrupt
public servants.
The Senator touched on the Lor-
inner case with his plea for honest
politics. Senator Works was named
in the resolution introduced at the
present session by Senator LaFollette
calling for another investigation OF
the Lorimer case, as chairman OF
the committee OF investigation.
This widespread uprising against
the corruption that, if persisted in,
must eventually overthrow our rep
resentative form of government" he
said, lis founded upon the most con
.vincing evidence that corruption is
eating at the very vitals of the Re
public and threatening the perpetuity
of our free institutions. We need
not go outside of this chamber to find
evidence of this fact. s. The pages
of the Congressional Record of the
past few months will disclose a con-
dition that has brought the whole ma
ton to shame. 1t was charged THAI
the election of member of this
body was procured by corrupt practi-
ces and tie bribery of votes in the
legislature. | need not enter upon
a discussion of the evidence in that
case. 1t is enough to say that it was
clearly and sufficiently shown that
corrupt practices had been resorted to
in the election and that some votes
had been purchased.
Il have cited the case" the Sen
ator continued, TO show why the
people of this country most justly
claim u larger share in the election
of their officers and the control of leg.
islation. 1t is one out of hundreds
of cases where corrupt and illegal in
tluences have been brought to bear
to control elections and the enact
ment of legislation detrimental to
the public at large.
rs there no way" he asked, by
which such evil influences may be
met and overcome? Some Senators
here seem to think not. When the
people attempt to limit the power OF
their representatives and assume
some of that power themselves by ig-
noring the unfaithful representative
and acting directly at the polls, or by
recalling him and substituting an
honest and faithful representative in
his place, the cry is raised that this
effort to control their own represen-
tatives and, their own government is
violation of the constitution of the
United States and an encroachment
upon the principles of our represent
ative form of government.
That is the issue which confronts
lis today. The proposed constitution
OF Arizona provides for the initiative.
referendum and recall Objection is
made to the admission of this terri.
tory as a state on this ground and
this alone
90
prove by citations from Supreme
Court decisions, and other legal politi-
cal opinions that the people of Ari-
zona have right to decide for them
selves what form of Republican gov
eminent they will live under so long
as it does not conflict in any way
with the constitution, he declared
States or the principles of the Decla.
ration of Independence. AS "Repub-
lican form of government is not de-
fined by the constitution. he declared
that it must be assumed that the
phrase was used in the generally ac-
cepted sense, if there is any He
then sought to prove his contention
that under a Republican form of
as provided for in the
constitution, "the power to govern ex-
lists in the people"
He declared that, while he was in
favor of the direct election reforms
which Arizona wanted, he did not be-
lieve in pure Democracy, which
would be too weak and unstable to
meat tho don, nndc nf ,,ntin., ILL.,.