The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-03-26
WHAT THE KICK =!

quarters where there are axes u
grind against an amendment to the
initiative and referendum law passed
during the late session of the legisla-
aure, the object of which is to throw
8 safeguard around the signing of
petitions for initiative laws that elm
mates the possibility of fraud and IL
legal signing that was so conspicuous
last year The frauds perpetrated at
that time were far greater than the
public is aware of, and under the law
as it existed there was no way to pun
ish the guilty, no practical way, for
the guilty went UNPUBLISHED.
The shrek goes up that that amend
ment has the effect of multiplying the
law" and without explaining the
amendment the prejudice of the
masses is being played upon.
After the experience of last year,
when the evidence was so plain as
to be beyond explanation or contradic-
ton that the petitions filed with the
secretary of the state contained hun
dreds, aye thousands of illegal sigma
lures it is difficult to understand how
any man who really believes that the
initiative and referendum should be
exercised for the purpose of securing
an honest expression of the people,
could refuse to favor any measure that
had for its object the removal of OPP
pcrtunity for crookedness.
The amendment does not nullify the
law. 1t provides a way whereby the
people of the state desiring to initiate
any law may carry out that desire
fairly and honestly.
Does any one opposing this amend
ment believe for a moment that the
way TO secure the unbiased expression
| q the people is by interested persons
| hawking around petitions from door to
| door urging, insisting and in many in
stances brow-beating voters into sign
| ing?
Do they believe for single instant
that these petition peddlers hesitate
/ At eXaggeration, misrepresentation, or
the use of arguments wholly based up
on their own point of view in order to
obtain names?
Do they really think that petition
boosters read to the man, or woman,
approached the full context of the law
| that they are striving to secure enact
ed through popular vote, thus en-
abling the solicited signer to form his
or her, own opinion as to the merits
OF the proposed law?
| Do they doubt that some of these
| eager solicitors of signatures do not
hesitate at duplication of names, or
resort to criminal practices in order
II secure as many signatures as pos
sible?
| If there are any who think other
wise they are as innocent as lambs
and as ignorant as the worst cases oil
| bugs at Medical Lake
| The fact is the majority of those OBJ
| posed to the amendment are perfectly
well aware of the means resorted tc
IL order to secure signatures to in
initiative petitions, and the opposing
OF any measure that aims to re-
duce fraud TO a minimum they must
endorse those methods of procedure
as so VIGOROUSLY practiced last year
! The amendment puts no impedimen,
in the way of any voter desiring to
sign petition having for its object
tire initiative of law. All that he has
to do is to go before the duly authoriz-
ed officer and affiX his name. If he is
4 legal voter he will have no trouble
whatsoever. If not a legal voter he
mas no business to sign initiative petit
ton under any circumstances. Every
man is a free agent and should
| Ge permitted to act as a free agent
II law is presented for signature
| through the initiative that he consid-
cEs necessary man is going to sign
| the petition without the incentive OF
urging, and it going out of his way to
reach that petition. The signature Sc.
cured under solicitation is not the free
and voluntary expression of any man
Under the law as it stood any clique
Or coterie having ulterier objects in
view could frame up a measure to be
submitted to the voter, and by means
bordering almost upon coersion Sc
cure signatures to such petition. No
one can deny that this was done last
year, and no one doubts but that il
will be done again. Under the amend
ment the hands of designing cliques
are in measure tied, hence the loud
protest among those who wish TO use
| the initiative for their own ends.
No one wishes to annul the initia-
tive and referendum. Those measures
are here to stay. But there is a strong
sentiment in favor of removing as far
as possible the temptation to commit
| fraud, and the amendment passed by
the legislature goes a long way in
70 -.,. IL