Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1911-08-03

submitted 10 the people unQer the rel
erendum and every one of them we're
rejected at the polls. not because they
We're all bad, but because, as am In
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 unwel
come task which they had been called
upon to perform
THE PEOFlE LOSE INTEREST.
All the objections which apply to
the modern referendum apply with in
creased force to the initiative; and,
III addition there Is the further obJec-
ton that the proposed law is not even
framed by any deliberate or RESPONSE
slble body. Under the Arizona consti-
tuition 10 per cent of the qualified
electors are given the right to propose
any measure and Is per cent the right
to propose any amendment to the con
| sltutlon. A more sweeping
and comprehensive reputation of
representative legislation could not
well be imagined. Apparently the
constitutional convention realized that
1 perhaps they had gone too far, and so
1t 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
| 1t may be passed in the shape of ordi-
nary law
/ 1t is not difficult to obtain signatures
to any petition, and the initiative petit
| ton will constitute no exception to
the rule. Given an active, energetic,
self-constituted 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 petit
tion--at least ten per cent. of the
voters of the state-will be committed
to it in advance; its sponsors will be
active in advocating it.; what is ev-
erybody's business is nObody's bus1-
ness, and in all likelihood, after the
novelty Of the system has worn Off,
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
frain from voting at all upon the ques-
ton, and under these conditions, with
active and intedested work done IN
behalf Of the law and half-hearted
opposition, or none at all, the chances
are altogether in 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
selfinterest, 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 a certain city and
in fiery speech denounced proposed
ordinance restricting the speed of All
tomobiles within the city limits as be
ing a tyrannicai and unwarranted in
vasion of the personal rights of the cit
iZens. A councilman asked the object
} or how many automobiles he owned
to which he replied: I don't own any
\ I'm an undertaken.
THE MISCHIEVOUS RECALL
It is the recall provision of the Ari
: iona constitution, however, which, tt
) my mind, is fraught 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 t.
25 per cent of the votes cast at the
last preceding general election
: The grounds upon which the REGAL
is based must be stated in not more
! than 200 words. The officer is give1
, the alternative of resigning his office
within five days after the filing of the
petition. If he does not resign, spe
= cial election must be held not les:
: than 20 nor more than 80 days aftel
the making of an order to that effect
The reasons given in the petition fo
= demanding the recall are to be Sc
:. forth in the ballot together with tn.
officers justification in not more thai
200 words. Other candidates for tn,
: office may be nominated, to be votet
! for at said election, and the candidate
receiving the highest number of vote
t shall be declared elected for the re
{ mainder of the term. No recall pet
+ ton shall be circulated until the off
: Ger has held his Office for period o
six months, except as to members Q
: the legislature, in which case a pet
y ton may be circulated at any tim
= after five days from the beginning Q
= the first session following his election
. The power of the recall, it is seer
!. includes all oficials-legislative execr
> tive and judicial Attempts have bee
4 made to show that the recall is not
: new thing in this country, and we ar
i referred to Article V. of Confeders
t ton which reserves to each state tn
{. power to recall its delegates at an
!, !, time within the year for which the
I, were appointed and to send others i
y their place for the remainder of tn
year. Passing by the distinction bt
tween an officer elected by the peopl
r and mere delegate appointed by