Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1914-12-22
The First Lesson

The First Lesson
OF all the laws initiated by the people of Arizona
that which TWO classes people will feel the most
and the most is the old age and mothers PEN
sion law. These classes will be the taxpayers
and the worthy. and helpless poor under the age
sixty. There many of the latter in the county
hospitals of this state.
The other laws the eighty per and the anti
blacklist laws, and the so-caled public well
fare" law will be comparatively harmless The first
two undoubtedly unconstitutional and will be
shown be invalid as the larger employers
labor find it their interest apply the test to
them 1t is not to their interest do so now They
prefer to let the laws which designed to help
Arizona labor result discrimination against Ari-
labor
As result of the anti blacklist law, any Arizo-
seeking employment with railroad in this
state, any of the larger mining companies, the
Western Union Telegraph company, and many other
corporations must go outside the state to apply for
it, AS to the eighty per cent. law, the employees who
will be disqualified by it will be replaced by native
born citizens who residing outside the
state and many such native born" will take the
places of many qualified electors" of this state
These arrangements will not be inconvenient to
the larger employers of labor. They will adopt them
opportunity will be afforded them give an object
lesson the trainers of the laws and to the voters
Who supported them
But the old age and mothers. pension law is
another matter. There was benefieent purpose be-
time to see that purpose carried out But the law
was houghtlessly and crudey prepared and provides
for things which the trainers would have rejected
il they had been all thoughtful.
Almshouses, that is, county hospitals including
the tuberculosis hospital of this county, are abolished
by the law, but that plainly intended. Those
who are being cared for in these hospitals will be
turned out to shift fer themselves, assisted by a
pension of SIS month. But those under the age OF
sixty, no matter how helpless, barred. The
county afford them help.
Any woman man of the age of sixty or more,
whether worth nothing a million dollars is entitled
to a monthly pension of SIS; any widow
wife. whether she be monairess not with
husband in penal institution insane asylum,
and who has children under the of 16 dependent
upon her. is entitled to receive pension OF SIS
month and Sc month for each child. The law
propriates such sums as may be needed out of the
general treasury to carry this law into effect.
This has been pronounced by one of the fore
most lawyers in the be good" in the
that it is unassaiable, though in his opinion it is
execrable law 1t must be carried out failing to
provide relief for cas sof persons who need re-
lief and affording relief another of persons
who do need it,
1t not, of course the intention of the trainers
of the law that these things should be. but they
mere and remain here The constitutional
amendment, also adopted, preventing Legislatures
from repeating amending initiated measure.
leaves it impossible t. the mistake of the
trainers of the old age and mothers pension law,
and the misunderstanding OF the people who voted
it. No doubt the people will cheerfully amend it
two years hence wipe it entirely.
There good many people in Arizona who
favored popular legislation but do not favor it now
They say that it is impossible that cannot have
legislation by intelligent majority, but only legis-
laton by a small and interested minority legsla-
by accident. Such DIRECTORS expecting too
much. 1t not to be expected that the popular
legislative system would come forth, Minerva
spiang, full panoplied perfect, from the brain of
Jove. Thoughtful people expected that mistakes
would be made; that the voters would stumble, and,
stumbling, learn stumble again. We have had
the first lesson. now, having learned it, it be-
comes the duty the people to correct such mis-
takes as been made and by the exercise of the
power which has been reserved to thin, to make
such amendments the popular legislative program
as to leave it rational
IL A~l-