The Glenwood post., 1911-11-04
A.. J. DICKSON, tdiief aal Proprietor
Saturday. November 4, 1911.
MAKING DISCOVERIES

The earnest and enthusiastic advo-
Gates of the initiative, referendum aud
the recall are making some interesting
discoveries these days. They have
forged these weapons, placed them IN
the hands of the people, and now that
the keen edged sword is being flashed
about in rather dangerous fashion,
they are begging for more caution and
conservation.
We find Governor Shafroth urging
the people to be exceedingly careful
how they use the initiative next year.
1t is very expensive, he says, and he.
wouldn't advocate its use unless there
is most pressing need.
The Direct Legislation league adds
its voice to the governor s on this sub
ject. 1t has said in effect that it will
carefully look into the subject OF mi
tiated laws and select just few OF
the very best, and that only these must
be accepted.
What a moekery these astute politi-
clans are making of their boasted pan
acea! During the campaign they
shouted from the housetops that the
voice of the people was supreme; that
they were infallible. They fairly
grovelled in the dust before the fetish
they had raised, the fetish Of The
people, monstrous, gross libel and
carieature of popular government.
Now that the initiative and reteren-
DUN are part of the law of the state
these self-appointed guardians OF the
public welfare begin to talk to the peo-
pie as if the intelligent citizenship of
Colorado was child in leading strings.
Only certain laws must be voted on,
only so many must be initiated. 1t
looks as if all at once these politicians
had become terribly afraid of the crea-
lures they have created.
Down in Colorado Springs there is a
movement to the recall of the mayor.
The city charter gives the people the
right to do this if they see fit and the
form and method are prescribed in de-
tail. The Gazette, one of the staunch
supporters of the recall idea, at once
scents trouble, for it says:
1.-The recall is political weapon
which must be handled with extreme
caution, for it is scarcely less danger
Gus to the one who uses it than to the
one against whom it is used. Some
times its results are most unsatisfac-
tory. A few months ago the mayor of
Seattle was recalled and now there is
movement afoot to remove his sue
cessor in the same way. In every city
there are certain malcontents who,
given recall law, are ever ready to
seek the removal of any official who
may be Objectionable to them because
of the color of his necktie or the way
he parts his hair. The community that
follows the leadership of such men
may as well reconcile itself in the be
ginning to uninterrupted turmoil, for
there is no assurance that they will
ever be satisfied with governmental
onditions-unless, indeed, they sue
ceed in placing themselves in Office"
Why, we had supposed that this was
exactly what the recall was for. A
certain little faction who may not ike
the way a man parts his hair or wears
his necktie, determines to recall him
They start ont with petitions and Or
ganize an opposition. They work on
popular prejudice and passion-and off
people?
Does anybody object to the initiative,
referendum or recall, what's the an
swerf You are afraid to trust the
peopl.
Is the Gazette afraid to trust the
people
When we hear these extreme advo-
Gates of all these supposedly "popu
lar" reforms beginning to talk about
"extreme caution" and the necessity
for conservative action it is 10
laugh. That's why these so-called re-
forms were adopted, so that "extren,e
caution" could be dispensed with. 1t
was too old fashioned and arcaic for
the school of political doctors.-Lead-
Vile Herald-Democrat.
I'M TtJE DEATH of Thomos T. Cur