Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-07-26
MAY NOT VOTE ON BILLS.
Fight on Initiative and Referendum
Amendment.

The first move in the general fight
that is to be made against the initia-
tive and referendum constitutional
amendment was made this week when
Attorney n. Walter Dixon addressed
letter to Secretary of State Pearce,
maintaining that the amendment was
never properly enacted, and demand
ing that he re-submit it this fall and
that he refuse to place the bills now
in his office through petition on the
ballot at the coming election. Mr..
Dixon informed the secretary of state
that if he refused to comply with the
demand legal proceedings would be
started to secure Judgment of the
courts in the premises.
The initiative and referendum con-
stituional amendment was submitted
to the people by the extra session OF
the Seventeenth General Assembly.
The state constitution provided that
all amendments to it must be advcr-
tised in newspapers as well as in the
session laws of the assembly. There
was not time between the adjourn
ment OF the extra session and the
next regular election to advertise, the
proposed amendment in the session
laws. Nevertheless, it was placed on
the ballot and voted upon. 1t is up
on this fact that Judge Dixon bases
his claim that the amendment was
not properly enacted. He maintains
that the coming election is the time
when it should be submitted to the
people. He also maintains that with
the proposed amendment not yet 4
part of the constitution Mr.. Pearce
cannot submit the propositions that
have been prepared for submission
flar
refer the letter to Attorneo General
Griffith and follow his advice.
The indications are that the Re
publican Assembly will not be
fraught with the general fight that
was anticipated one week ago. Phil
lip b. Stewart, the leader of the Pro-
gressives, has announced that they
have changed their plans and have no
intention OF attempting to control the
Republican Assembly. They will al
low the Assembly to nominate its
primary candidates for the various
state Offices. The Progressives will
then petition the secretary OF state
to have their candidates placed on the
Republican primary ballot and now
say they will make their fight to con-
troll the Republican party at the gen.
eral September primary. They say,
if their candidates are nominated at
these primaries. they will place then,
on the ballot under the Taft presi-
dental electors chosen at the Repub-
iican assembly. MIR. Stewart also
says that when this condition prevails
they will then issue an appeal to the
friends to vote the Republican ticket
and scratch for the Roosevelt elect
ors. MIR. Stewart has changed his
plan of controlling the Republican
party twice because the Taft leaders
have forced him from his positions
The Taft people say that after tha
assembly has ben held they will Sc
cure an injunction preventing the Sec
retary of state from placing any petit
ton candidates on the. primary ballot
who do not agree to support the reg
ular Republican presidential electors.
The Costigan people are announc-
ing their party convention August 1.
They have formed an entirely new
party and are going to make the fight
under the name Progressive" with
complete set OF candidates.