United labor bulletin., 1911-10-19


three petitions circulated by Mrs.
Block. who admitted that in several in
stances she had permitted husband to
sign for wife and wife for husband.
L. II. French, C. j. Common, J. A.
| Conkle, r. p. Means, T. w. Taylor,
| George Allen and others appeared in be-
! half of the league. beside the many cir
| culators that appeared. The league made
a good case at the first sitting of the
commission. and the commission ad-
/ journed the meeting until Wednesday at
200 p m.
The meeting developed but one thing
of interest: That Attorney John Rush,
a member of the Citizens party and of
the Direct Legislation League of Colo
rado, a man foremost in the reform"
/ movement in the city and state, appear
ing in behalf OF the elections commits
sion. was apparently acting in collusion
! with District Attorney Elliott, who ap-
peared for the Gas company.
/ Wednesday afternoon the commission
again sat and heard several circuiators
of petitions, which resulted in a few
names being stricken from the petitions,
but which will have no result as to the
final outcome Attorney C. A Irwin ap-
peared for Labor's Economic League,
and he made the case of the Gas COM
pany look like a top ship on the ocean.
Attorney Irwin gave notice to the com
| mission that he desired to make argu-
ment at future sitting to the point he
had already raised that there was, in
fact. no protest before the commission
against the petition; that a blanket pro-
test covering every name and all per-
sons was not protest, as it did not
specify, and said that he desired TO show
that the courts so hold.
In regard to the request of the Gas
company that the commission send out
notices and order all signers before the
commission. the commission made the
following ruling:
'-Out of the nearly 5000 names signed
to the petition you do not select single
one by name or address as being dis
qualified. The charge is a sweeping one
against every name signed to the petit
tions The commission cannot tolerate
this procedure 1t would require the
commission TO cite every one of the
nearly 5000 signers to appear. which. if
they did. would entail almost untold
hardship and loss of time to the 5000
persons. without any compensation what
soever.
4 1T would require a month or more for
The commission to examine into the
qualifications of 5000 persons This the
law does not contemplate nor permit. In
the opinion of the commits on objections
TO signers to petitions must definitely
/ name each person who il is claimed Is
/ not a qualified voter. and state in what
/ respect he is disqualified. Then the
! commission can and viii cite the said
person TO appear and viii inquire into
the qualifications as alleged otherwise
the commission would be turned into an
inuuisitiou TO site every signer TO a peti-
ton whether it contained 1000, 10000
or 10000 names. and to investigate the
qualifications OF every such signer- This
is an impossibility. and the commission
will not adopt such a rule. and the char
ter does not require that it should"
George Creel the well-known political
writer. in a carefully article.
says:
| And. because of this protest. the Vim
n-Elliott-Gas company combination de
mands that the election commission shall
Immediately mail notice to each of the
4.756 signers. commanding his or her
presence TO defend against such evi-
dence as may be produced"
This. indeed, marks the high water
mark of corporation insolence, or the
1856. it is reasonable to assume that a
large proportion are busy people. yet
they are asked to quit their work and
leave their interests, and rally at the
| commissions office to answer blanket
accusation against their Identities and
| signatures.
L
| should throw wide his window. below
general charges against an entire COM
| munity. and then expect the people to
come fiocking to prove innocence. One
| can easily imagine the scene that would
| ensue had the commission granted the
| Vinton- Elliott prayer, and summoned l.
| 756 citizens TO undergo PERSONAL Ex-
| ANIMATION.
This Vinton Elliott-Gas company pro-
| test should be known for what it is. Not
| in any sense is it an honest attempt to
| secure Justice and expose dishonesty.
| hut a slashing attack on the Initiative
Referendum and Recall. Had weak
or corrupt election commission granted
the prayer. il would have been the end
, of direct legislation in Denver and Colo
RADIO.
| Every petition. no matter how care
| fully circulated or what number OF
] names 1t contained. would be made the
victim of blanket" charges, ana an en-
tire citizenry forced to quit business and
hang about the doors of slow and in
| formal court. One experience would be
| enough. The people, in sheer despera-
ton, would be forced to forego the right
of petition. and sink back upon the faint
| hope that the public service corporations
would spare human life.
Thanks to an explicit law and the
courage and honesty of the election com
missioners, the attempt has been de-
| feated 1t now remains to be seen what
| the next move will be TO smash the tools
of popular government.
As neat n laborsaving device as can
| be Imagined is the dual identity OF Mr..
Willis Elliott as district attorney for the
people of Denver. and personal attorney