The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-06-09
Opposing Forces Using Every
Possible Means to
Discourage
HOW MANY SIGNATURES
HAVE YOU SECURED?
Country Registration Officers
DESTROYS of Making Regis
tration Hard

Every form of intimidation and mis-
representation is being used by the
forces opposing the legislative pro
gram of the Joint Legislative Connie
tee of organized labor, the farmers
and the Direct Legislation League.
From large town in the central
portion Of the state comes the follow
ing letter:
"Our registration officer says that
he has received notice from certain
parties that ANYBODY circulating petit
tions Nos 10, 20, q and 90 would be
liable to fine and Imprisonment for
same. told him | would find out
and tell him the facts. am
not afraid of getting arrested, but I
want the facts from you to tell the
registration officers"
Another active petition circulator
returned his petitions, saying he could
do nothing as the voters were not
registered. He was working in large
logging and lumber center and the
registration books were in the hands
of the head bookkeeper of the con-
Germ. He asked about registering, and
the bookkeeper said Eyes, the books
are around here somewhere, but
am not encouraging the men to reg
ister!"
Country Papers Enlisted
The country papers, which have
great influence in their various COM
munities, have been enlisted in a cam
paign of misrepresentation by repre-
sentatives of the employers associa-
ton through a lying press service in
stituted by that body. In a recent
being inspired, the Kennewick Cour-
ier-Reporter says:
petitions are now being circulated
for six initiative measures seeking a
place on the ballot, four Of them be-
ing sponsored by union labor, farmers
oranges and the Direct Legislation
League. Since the filing of these
measures considerable dissension has
arisen in the ranks of the promoters
Union labor is either objecting or
apathetic towards at least two of the
measures, the farmers organizations
are undoubtedly opposed to one and
, lukewarm towards another of the
bills, and even in the inner circles OF
the Direct Legislation League there
is not that hearty accord over the in
itiative program that apparently ex-
listed when the measures were agreed
to.
ut is the purpose of this paper to
present from time to time the salient
features and brief arguments for and
against the passage of these meas
ures, thus furnishing our readers re-
! liable information from which to dis
cuss them"
| If the reliable information" fur
| Their to be furnished by the Courier
| Reporter is of the same caliber as
that given above, God pity the readers
of the paper. There is no dissension
and has been no dissension in the
ranks of the direct legislation forces
The only thing from which these
forces suffer is overconfidence in the
success of their program.
Up to the Cities
The above disclosures show that the
work of getting sufficient names to
put the four measures on the ballot
and to insure their passage at the
fall elections is largely up to the
progressive people of the cities which
have had elections since the first of
the year In those cities the voters
do not have to again register, and to
secure their names is comparatively
easy.
1t must be remembered, however
that but a few days remain in which
to close up the lists, and each and
every person having petitions to cir
culate must make every effort to fin
ish up their work and turn in Their
petitions to the committee in charge
1t will be only by the hardest kind
of work from now on that sufficient
names may be secured, and the great
issues at stake should call forth the
best efforts of the entire progressive
population of the state.
Get out today with your petition
and show the photographers that they
do not control all the people in the
state!