Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-06-08

| II 1t is, the people will reject it In the
end just as quickly as they will reject
any other fundamentally which dis
pleases them And in addition to this,
do not forget, as I say that every UNI
| necessary expense every time an in
consequential or local law is put, every
item of expense. is borne by the tax
payers and God knows their burden is
quite enough at the present time.
You spoke about publishing my let
ter OF course ! assume you want the
| letter to publish after the matter has
been whipped into final shape. How
ever, You are at liberty to publish any
| letter / write upon the subject If you
think 1t Is of any benefit to you.
/ will write you later upon the other
| subject matter which want to discuss
| with you.
Very respectfully,
VIM. e. BORAH.
Russell Massey,
Boise Idaho.
Mr.. Massey Replies to Borah.
Boise. Idaho. June 3, 1914.
Hon. William E. Borah,
Washington, d. c.
My Dear Senator: Yours of the 18th
| received with pleasure and your crit
| icisms and suggestions have been care
fully considered by the committee.
| Senator, we feel that you have not
had the time, as you yourself suggest,
to give this amendment full consider
| alton.
Hon. w. S. U'Ren of Oregon City,
wrote me under same date as yours,
and the only criticism he offers is the
4 IN ne To 80
aware. is the author Of the Oregon
amendment. and he says, Your pro-
posed /. & R. amendment in many re-
spects is an improvement on the Ore
gon amendment" This the committee
takes as flattering Endorsement of our
bill.
| He thinks, however where we re-
quire the sponsors of a bill to pay for
publishing any measure submitted to
the people, unless 1t is of enough gem
eral interest to get at least $4,000
voters to approve of 1t twill be found
| burdensome." Now, senator, you and
Mr.. URen seem to absolutely differ in
your criticism on the same phase of
our amendment. We certainly cannot
follow the suggestion of both of you.
| Senator. is 1t probable that the spon-
sors of bill will pay from $500 to
$1,000 for publishing measure and the
comments thereon? If It is "a matter
of minor or local concern" they cannot
hope to get $4,000 voters to approve
of it, and unless they succeed in arous-
ing enough general interest to get that
many affirmative votes, our bill pro-
vides that said sponsors must pay for
its publication.
| VIII not this provision in our
amendment put crimp in the faddist
the man with an axe to grind, the
crank with a local issue, or the agi-
tator with a question of passing and
ordinary concern? The question of a
specific number of signatures rather
than given percentage was given a
great deal of consideration by the COM
mitee, as well as by such eminent stu
dents of the l. & r. as DR.. Charles f
Taylor and Edwin S. Potter of Phila-
delphia, Carl D, Thompson, j. M
Work, N. A. Richardson, w. S. U'Rer
and others, and after full consideration
the former was adopted.
4 Our amendment provides that when
experience proves that a change is de-
sirable 1t Is easily amended. But the
provision providing for the sponsors
of every measure having to pay for its
publication unless it is of enough gen.
eral interest to get $4,000 affirmative
notes. will be more effective protec-
ton against loading the ballot with
measures that should not be submitted
under the |. & r. than any Reasonable
number or given percentage of petit
TONERS being required.
We have placed the number required
to call special election so high that
1t will be possible to call a special cleo
ton only when the whole state Is
to secure signatures to have meas
ure referred at a general election. The
. voter so signing would reason that as
the cost was nominal he would be will
ing to allow the people to decide fol-
themselves whether they wanted sai6
law or not. But ask the some voter tc
sign a petition to call a special cleo
J ton and he will begin to compair
, about high taxes" and protest agains
| increasing them and refuse to aid II
adding to the state expenses, unless
1t is of vital Importance that said cleo.
ton should be held, and yet 1t requires
, twice as many petitioners to call 9
| special election as to initiate and re.
, fer a measure, and experience vii
prove that 1t will be twice as difficult
: to get a signature for special cleo
; ton as to refer a measure. Under
our amendment there will be no abuse
: from calling special elections. Yet thu
people must have the right, IL occasion
demands immediate. action. and the
people are vitality Interested TO call ar
election or take any other action they
deem necessary; or democracy, "ths
rule Of the people," Is a delusion. TIL,
members of the committee are endeav.
oring to protect the initiative and ref.
erendum from abuse, but they are
equally anxious to provide workabl,
measure.
We believe we have drafted ar
, amendment that comes as near pro.
tecting Ii from the former, and We