Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-08-05

erendum and every one of them were
rejected at the polls. not because thsy
were all bad, but because, as l am m
formed upon high authority. the mass
OF the people would not take the
trouble to distinguish between the
good and the bad. but vote against
them all In utter disgust at the unwei
come task which they had been called
upon to perform.
THE PEOF>E LOSE INTEREST
All the objections which apply &c
the modern referendum apply with In
creased force to the initiative; and,
IN addition. there is the further obJec-
uon that the proposed law is not even
framed by any deliberate or RESPONSE
slDie body Under the Arizonc consti-
tuition 10 per cent of the qualified
electors are given the right to propose
any measure and Is per cent the right
10 propose any amendment to the con-
st1tut1on- A more sweeping
and comprehensive reputation of
representative legislation could not
well be imagined Apparently the
constitutional convention realized that
perhaps they had gone too far, and so
IL was provided that initiative and ref
erendum laws should not transcend
the constitution. This provision itself
shows the confusion of mind under
which the trainers labored, because to
provide that an initiative law shall not
transcend the constitution is of little
avail when the constitution itself may
be altered by an initiative amendment
with equal ease and simplicity Here
there are no limitations, and therefore
legislation of any character may be
as readily tackled on to the constitu-
ton in the form of an amendment as
it may be passed in the shape of ordi-
nary law
1t is not difficult to obtain signatures
% any petition. and the initiative petit
lion will constitute no exception to
the rule Given an active. energetic
demonstrated committee. the ten per
cent of the voters of the state can be
readily obtained to sign petitions pro
posing any kind of a law that anybody
will want. Those who sign the peti-
tion-at least ten per cent of the
voters of the state-will be committed
to 1t In advance; its sponsors will be
active in advocating 1t; what is ev-
erybody's business is nobcdy's bus1z
ness" and in all likelihood. after the
novelty of the system has worn on,
interest will largely disappear and
very few people will be found who
will take the trouble to combat even
foolish or bad provision. very
large proportion of the voters will re-
frafn from voting at all upon the ques-
ton, and under these conditions. with
active and intedested work done IN
behalf of the law and a haf-hearted
opposition. or none at all, the chances
are altogether IL favor of the adop
ton of more unwise laws than ever
get through our legislatures.
! should not like to suggest that any
of these visionary schemes are being
advocated by anybody from motives of
self-interest, and yet that sort of thing
sometimes happens in this cold and
selfish world. I remember hearing of
an individual who appeared before the
common council of certain city and
in fiery speech denounced a proposed
ordinance restricting the speed of au-
tomobiles within the city limits as be-
ing a tyrannical and unwarranted in
vasion of the personal rights of the cit
liens. A councilman asked the object
or how many automobiles he owned,
to which he replied: 7 don't own any.
I'm an undertaken.
THE MISCH1EvOUS RECALL
1t is the recall provision of the Ari-
iona constitution, however which, to
my mind is fraugbt with the greatest
mischief. That provision, briefly stated
is that every elective officer in the
state of Arizona is subject, to recall by
the qualified electors of the electoral
district from which he was elected
whenever such recall is demanded by
a petition signed by electors equal to
rs per cent of the votes cast at the
last preceding general election
The grounds upon which the recall
is based must be stated in not more
than 200 words The officer is given
the alternative of resigning his Office
within five days after the filing of the
petition. If he does not resign. a spe-
cfal election must be held not less
than 20 nor more than 80 days after
the making of an order to that effect
The reasons given in the petition for
demanding the recall are to be set
forth in the ballot, together with the
officers justification in not more than
200 words Other candidates for the
office may be nominated. to be voted
for at said election, and the candidate
receiving the highest number of votes
shall be declared elected for the re-
mainder of the term. No recall peti-
ton shall be circulated until the OFF, |
Ger has held his Office for a period of |
six months, except as to members of
the legislature in which case a petit |
ton may be circulated at any time |
after FIVE days from the beginning of |
the first session following his election. |
The power of the recall IL is seen, |
includes all oficials-legislstive.e xecu- |
tive and judicial Attempts have been /
new thing in this country, and we are
referred to Article " of Confedera-
ton. which reserves to each state the |
power to recall its delegates at any |
time within the year for which they |
were appointed and to send others in |
their place for the remainder of the |
year Passing by the distinction be-
tween an oficer elected by the people |
and a mere delegate appointed by a |
state to represent its interests in what |
was little more than a general conven-