The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-06-05
CONSERVATIVES TO OPPOSE
Opposition to Movements for Recall of
Officials Expected to Come From Old
Time Politicians Referendum is Fa-
vored by Many Of the Legislators.

endum and recall of public officer com
stitutional amendment resolutions have
passed this legislature is bringing
these measures into the limelight as
matters of serious discussion Before
legislation can be adopted which will
provide the modus operandi fol the
carrying out of these resolutions and
making them effective as means for
expressing the will of the people both
as regards legislation and the officers
of government, the constitutions
resolution measures must receive the
endorsement of the voters.
From sources which are reliable it
has been learned that there will be at
least literary campaign carried on to
prevent the adoption of both of the
measures at the polls. There are still
many people in Wisconsin who regard
both the initiative and referendum and
recall as dangerous measures and who
feel that their incorporation in the
constitution will place Wisconsin be-
yond the range of sanely progressive
states and in the ranks of states which
advocate unsafe legislation. This feel
ing does not prevail among the LaFol-
lette leaders nor among the progressive
democratic or McGovern leaders for
that matter, as there has not been
sufficient opportunity to either of the
measures in question before the legis-
lature to be of any practical import
lance.
AS matter of fact, too, most Of the
opposition to the measures so far as
the organized effort against the consti-
tutional amendment resolutions is
concerned will come from outside Of
the state, there being both anti
initiative and referendum and anti
recall leagues which have for the OBJ
ject of their existence the fighting Of
such measures as the constitutional
amendments proposed. Ithis understood
that both of these leagues intend form
ing branches in Wisconsin in the hope
that sufficient opposition among the
voters can be aroused to prevent their
indorsing either the initiative and
referendum resolution or the recall
resolution at the polls.
The effort. to prevent support of the
resolutions at the polls will come from
the so-called "safe, sane and conser-
vative clement in both the republi-
can and democratic parties and it is
more than probable the appeal to the
| safe and sane voters in Wisconsin to
prevent the endorsement of the con-
stitutional amendment resolutions at
the polls will be very earnest indeed.
1t is also announced that the protest
of the opponents of these resolutions
to the measures is not Likely to be corr
fined to the counties in the state
which have always returned safe"
| and tsane' members to the legisla-
ture, but that it will be extended to
all parts of the state.
/ It is also probable that speakers
will be brought in here to attack the
initiative and Referendum and recall
and if possible to arouse sentiment
against them. 1t is, however, claimed
that the fight over these measures will
be entirely non-partisan and that the
| opponents of the constitutional amend
ments will accept as a recognized fact
that the initiative and referendum aud
the recall are endorsed by all political
parties in this state.
I In other words the appeal will be
direct. to the voters, who will be asked
to overturn the endorsement which po-
litieal parties have given to these
principles and to declare that Wiscon-
sin. does not desire either the initia-
tive and referendum or the recall as
part of her legislative and official pro-
gram. The fight has been made by
these leagues in other states and has
not generally proven effective, and
there are great many people who are
in close touch with the Wisconsin sit
uation who do not consider that any
battle made against the initiative and
referendum and recall in this state
will get very far and that it viii be
more or less of a waste of time end
money on the part of the opponents of
the initiative and referendum and re-
call to oppose the measures.
i There will be no active campaign
made by any organization probably in
| favor Of the constitutional amend
Ements such as was made by the initia-
tive and referendum league in Oregon
for the adoption of the Initiative and
referendum in that state. In fact, the
first real state fight for the initiative
land referendum was initiated by that
league and it was really up to that
j league in the Oregon fight to give its
i pet measures protection and to make a
battle tor ement at the
| polls.