The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-22
TASKS FOR VOTERS.

1t appears that the people Of Oregon
arc going TO be pestcred this year
with even more extraordinary lot OF
propositions TO vote upon than the
thirty-two they had last year. We see
! by the Oregonian. which presents a
summary OF the principal measures pro.
/ posed TO be voted upon, that there arc
to be about forty propositions, some
constitutional amendements. others in
itiative bills. and others under popu
lar or legislative referendum. "All
are important, some are vital, others
undertake to establish policies OF prin
ciplcs of great weight; still others are
revolutionary. The following is the
Oregonian e summary:
New constitution. abolshing the pres
ent State and county government and SUB
stituting an entirely new form with Gov
ernor and cabinet. one legislative BODY,
and State and county business managers.
Single tax (State).
Single tax county.
Abolishing single tax (Statel,
Two other tax measures
Public service commission.
Road bonds (SIo. 100000 I'm ten years
at rate or si.oO6.o 900 a year,.
Five other road bills tproposed by
harmony commisslon).
Two opposing road bills (proposed by
State GranEe).
Creating commission TO revise judicial
system
Greats commission 10 revise tax laws.
Aboishing capital punishment.
Minimum wage for all industries.
Eight-hour day
Workmen's compensation act (proposcd
workmcn's compensation act (proposed
by State Federation of Labor)
The first paragraph given above is
one of revolutionary character. 1t pro-
poses State government altogether
different from that in existence in any
other State; it will be substantially
of the commission form. The legislature
will consist of but one chamber. The
voter may vote either for a candidate
for the legislature running in the dis
trict in which he lives, or for some
candidate for the legislature in another
part of the State. For instance. apply
ing it locally, q voter in Salt Lake City
might vote for candidate for the leg
islature in San Juan or Grand county,
in Rich county, or any other county in
the State, in preference to voting for
a candidate in his own county. Mem
bers Of the legislature will cast as many
votes for or against a bill or resolu
tion rs they receive popular votes when
elected. That applies the principle of
corporation stock voting TO legislative
roll calls. a legislator who holds his seat
by reason of having received, say, 5000
votes, casts 5000 votes for any measure
upon which he votes as a legislator.
The Governor will be cI- officio mem
Der Of the legislature, and he also will
cast as many votes as he received at
the polls. The Governor, therefore,
might cast in the Oregon legislature
under this provision, if adopted, $4,000
or 10000 votes. He would thus be po.
tentially as strong as ten members of
the legislature, or even more.
Under this same provision. all of, the
present boards and commissions in the
State will be abolished. and the State
will confide all of the business done
by them to one man, who will be
called n business manager. The recall
will be applied to all appointive officers
AS well as to those that are elected, and
voters may indicate at the polls their
first, second, third, fourth, and even
more choices for Office if there are
more than two candidates to be voted
for, Five general elections will be
made necessary every four years, and
there NAV be elections on recalls, initia
tives, Tefercndnms, and other PROPOSE
tions every week or so if the people so
desire, Politics, therefore, will be made
the chief business of the State, and
the voters will be kept in continual tur-
moil voting on multitudes of questions
all the time. If any citizen of Oregon,
after the adoption of this proposition,
desires to keep up with the political
activities Of his State, he VIII have to
drop pretty much everything else and
go into politics for a living.
And this is the last word on the
popular government fads,