United labor bulletin., 1912-07-11
DIRECT LEGISLATION BY FRAUD.

The Initiative and Referendum have received a
blow, if the statements made by Secretary of State
Pearce correct great it could possibly re-
ceive More than score of measures have been
initiated, and the petitions according to the state
secretary, contains hundreds of that have
been placed thereon by the same person. The petl-
tions circulated under the direction OF the
Direct Legislation League of Colorado, with George
Eisler in direct charge of the circulation The
fraudulent names are so apparent, Secretary OF
State Pearce says that they be observed by the
ordinary layman. Should these measures be adver-
tised and placed the ballot at the fall election and
passed by the people, it would then be possible for
the interests affected to go into the courts and have
the laws declared void account of the fraudulent
Should this be made possible, direct legis-
lation will have received blow IN Colorado that
will greatly hinder good legislation. The steps
taken by Secretary Pearee to ferret out the fraud
in these petitions are to be commended but at the
time the organization that fathered this legis-
lation should also take action looking to prevent
any of the measures being sdetracked that have
been legally initiated.
There is no reason why the action recently
taken by the state secretary should not affect the
petitions filed sending the miners eght-hour law
to the referendum and preventing Its operation until
after the fall election These petitions known
to contain hundreds of fraudulent names and when
the petitions filed with Mr.. Pearce he stated
that he was ministerial and not Judicial
officer. If the secretary ministerial officer
that time he is still ministerial officer; and
if he is judicial officer at this date he have
been a judicial officer when the miners law
referred in the spring of 1911 But be he either
9 ministerial judicial there be doubt
but that the secretary has the right and the author
ty TO seek advice from the attorney general and if
fraud is found that official also must have powers
that will enable him prosecute and send to prison
those guilty of perpetrating the fraud. There can
be no question but the officers of state have
the power TO prevent measures from being printed
that should they become law, will be clearly illegal
and declared by the courts. Action by Secretary
Pearce and Attorney General Griffith may prevent
some good from being placed the bal
lot but should these officials sit idly by and
let the take their course. such inactivity
would not make the measures legal statutes of the
state The only way to preserve the Initiative and
Referendum to the people is to not countenanee
fraud in their operation.
The pity of it all is that a person of reliability
was not placed in charge of such important task
initiating measures that will cost the people such
amount of money and yet may be de
elared Illegal after expenditure has been made and
the herculean task completed.
The measures being initiated good measures
with few exceptions but it Is more important that
direct legislation should be preserved than that all
these measures should be voted upon and then be
declared Illegal Let have official acts and
direct legislation without fraud