The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1913-03-27

killed the Initiative and Referendum,
and on deploring that in all likeli-
hood no Initiative and Referendum
measure would be passed during this
session. The Initiative and Refer
endum being considered a progress
sive measure. their intention evil
IDENTIFY was to convey to their readers
| the impression that I, having been
elected as progressive republican,
and being known as having affiliated
with the progressive wing of the re-
publican party, failed to make good
| when it came to the test Ii those
interested will take the trouble to
look up the vote, in the Senate journ-
al Of March 9Th, on this House Bill
No. 1873, they will see whether or not
staid by the progressive members
of the Senate.
In Justice to myself and to the
senators who voted against House
Bill No. 1873, want to call attention
to some OF it's provisions In the
first place, it attempts to amend five
sections of our constitution. 1t has
at least three distinct propositions
which, in my oponion, should have
| "SSAA ottDAAilLCu separate 10 InG
members of the legislature, as well
as to the people, in order that they
mlght have the opportunity to vote
Tor or against either of said provis-
ions separately according to their
convictions. 1T provides for the
Initiative and Referendum as to
statutory laws, it provides for the
initiative and Referendum as to the
constitution, and it provides for the
recall of all public officers in the
state. 1t states that not more than
8 per cent of the legal voters of the
state shall be required to sign petit
ton to apply the Initiative to any
measure, that not more than 5 per
cent of the legal voters of the state
snail be required to sign petition
to order the Referendum, and tha,
not more than Is per cent of the
legal voters in at least half of the
counties in the state shall be re-
CURED to sign petition to call for
vote on the constitution or on a
constitutional amendment. Notice,
that IN every case it says mot more;
III limits the maximum, but not the
minimum. Under this provision 9
per cent, per cent or even lilo of !
per cent of the legal voters of the
state could by petition force vote on
any part OF our laws, or initiate new
Jaws, or order the Referendum; and.
as to the constitution, petition
signed by one legal voter in each of
hall OF the counties in the state could
lilder TINS provision force a vote on
any part or our, constitution. Or
course, &c, the defenders of House Bill
NO. l33 said that the legislature
would regulate the number of sign
efs required, etc, but read this pro-
Vlso: This amendment shall be self
executing, but Legislation may be en-
acted especially to facilitate its oper-
ation. ! may be mistaken, but this
does not sound right to me.
Ihls bill also extends the powers
ol the initiative and Referendum to
tne electors of each municipality and
dlstrlct as to all local, special. and
/ municipal legislation OF every char
acter, and it is selfexecuting. Now
sapposlng that some municipality or
district would vote to grant license
for the selling of intoxicating liquors
what would prevent them from doing
so? II this bill became part of our
constitution, do not see that the
pfohlbltory provision of our consti-
tuition would be of much value.
am no lawyer, and 1 may have
lnterpretated this bill entirely wrong,
put according to my Judgment the,
people of our state do not want this
KIND or Initiative and Referendum,
am in favor of submitting to the
people OF our state the question of
Initiative and Referendum, but we
want something that is properly
safeguarded, SO that mere handful
can not by petition force vote on
any part of our laws or constitution.
Senate Bill No. 80, providing for
the Initiative and Referendum as to
statutory laws, and Senate Bill No.
~, providing for the Initiative and
referendum as to the constitution
and constitutional amendments, pas
sed both houses and will come be-
fore the people for vote, as un-
| derstand, at the next general cleo
ton. Both these measures limit the
minimum required on petition, and,
in my opinion, are as liberal as they
should be, and they both had the sup
port Of all progressives in the Senate
and are the bills I wanted to see
passed
Very respectfully,
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