United labor bulletin., 1912-07-11
FRAUD ON DIRECT LEGISLATION:
MUCH WORK BROUGHT TO NAUGHT
Hundreds of Fraudulent Names on Petitions Certified
to Secretary Of State -Penitenliary Yawns
For Perpetrators

AkSecretary of State James B. Pearce
has sent letter to Attorney General
Ben Griffith asking him what course. un-
der the laws OF Colorado. he could pur-
sue in regard TO the frauds he has dis
covered in the petitions for the submis-
sion of some twenty measures at the gen.
eral election in November
Mr.. Pearce has discovered that the
fictitious signatures to the bills initiated
by the Direct Legislation League of Col
orado are SO numerous that he believes
some action should be taken. This is
principally the case with the public util-
tiles bill filed with the secretary of state
in opposition 10 the bill initiated by the
Denver Trades and Labor assembly. Mr.
Pearce says that these petitions contain
so many fraudulent names that. should
they be put to a vote of the people and
pass and then taken into the courts, the
people would lose hundreds of thousands
OF dollars. II will cost to initiate the
measures filed at least S315 5000 in round
numbers. All the measures initiated by
the Direct Legislation league were in
charge of George Eisler. who sought to
gain recognition for himself through Ia
Dor organizations and who. since the
n yHens' party victory few weeks ago.
3A -, given a small appointment, has
nslssrt in an appearance In his own
or anywhere else
IN his communication Secretary Pearce
says many OF the petitions contain sig
natures which seem TO have been made
by the same person at the same time;
that he does not wish TO burden the tax
payers OF Colorado with a heavy and
useless expense II these frauds. after the
meas,>is have been adopted. should be
declared by the courts of sufficient mag
nitude TO inyalidate them
~. n x-hu he
after inspection. there are enough ficti-
tious names to reduce the number OF
Segal signatures 10 less than the per
cent required by law: t2D to what ex-
tent does the prima faci evidence OF the
signatures genuineness arising from
their legal verihcation of them bind him.
t3) must the secretary of state. regard
less OF patent fraud. place these petition
ed bills on the ballot: ca would the
courts sustain such measures: t5) can
prosecutions for perjury be Instituted
against those making affidayits as to the
genuineness OF these signafures7
Secretary Pearce has put to work
corps OF experts In handwriting 10 check
up the number OF fraudulent signatures
on the various petitions.
In connection with the fraudulent
names OF these petitions, much comment
IA made on the fact that Secretary
Pearce allowed TO be filed without pro
test the petitions sending 10 the refer
..audum the Law passed at the eigh-
2 ,Aenih general assembly giving the mi
hers an eight.hour day. These petitions
were circulated By the mine owners. and
fhsy contained many fraudulent names.
Governor Shafroth and Secretary OF
State Pearco knew about the fraudulent
names on the miners eight-hour bill sub
rnltted to the referendum a year ago, yet
they took no action. II was not near cleo
ton lime. and there was no distress on
thcif part
This statement was made Saturday by
James n Brinson, former attorney gen
cral of Colorado and attorney Tor the
Western Federation of Miners and the
Colorado State Federation of Labor He
added:
miners eight-hour bill was overladen
with fraud and perjurcd names. and the
attention OF the secretary was called to
n in the newspapers and by labor men,
yet he took no action.
Secretary Pcarce took the position at
the time labor made Its protest that ne
was n ministerial rather than a judicial
officer From the statement he gives OUT
II would be an easy matter Tor iraua 10
be perpetrated. People could fiie take
petit,ons without qualified elector on
The petitions. and the power would be
in a few TO initiate or repeal some meas
ure they thought obnoxious. They could
do this at enormous expense to the state
II they call this progressiveness, then the
term is a misnomer.
.,If the state officers persued the same
course year ago that they are taxing
now there would not be quite ms many
fraudulent names on the petition. But, as
| have said. they are more ambitious now
than they were at that time"