The Monte Vista journal., 1916-11-04

i L
pbich YOU, though familiar with the
argnments for and against it, may
o., have had pointed out to you.
Even though you, as many do, hon
a.,Iv desire a real, efflcacious herd
law and have been misled into the
belief this measure Is such, we arc
confident you will, in consideration
~ this other phase, view the bill in
clearer light.
Consider, please-The bill was
oonceiyed and given birth in the Of
sce of The Denver Post.
You no doubt are aware that the
post label has become the soaring
,ouch which spelled the death OF
nractically every Post politica
Scheme in late years. Why? Be
cause behind every one, the puhll'
has shown it was convinced, has
,.rlod a sinister scheme, adroi'ly
sngar-coated as is this scheme, witt
the specious plea of serving the pub
ur And, once awakened, the long.
fooled voters refused longer to BIZ
fooled.
striking example of this was the
ropudiation of VOlney Hoggatt, for
mer register of the state land board
The records show that during his
tenure he benefited land spectators
enormously, by selling them schoo!
lands in more than the 320-acre lots
the law allows, and for $2.35 al
acre cheaper than the poor farmer
could purchase it. And after Hog
gatt was refused reappointment, thu
Post tried to make him city com
missioner. But the public rebelled
He was defeated overwhelmingly.
The Post tried to find him several
political sinecures, but, failing, gave
him the job of editor of The Great
Divide, the Post weekly.
And now Hoggatt, shouting al
overwhelming desire to benefit the
farmer and struggling settler, an6
wipe out of existence the "predator!
cattle baron" has drawn up this so
called herd law-which, be it known
will further favor Eastern Colorado
land speculators-and he and the
Post have been fighting strenuousl!
in its behalf. And now consider:
When the bill was first drawn.
Hoggatt attempted for several weeks
to obtain enough signatures Of farm
ers to initiate it. But he had to give
1t up at last, succeeding in persuad-
ing only 1000 farmers in the state
Of his sincerity of purpose, and with
their names to the petition was fore
ed to turn to cities and towns out
side of the country for less thar
1000 other signatures. Then came
hiatus in petition circulating. Sud
denly one hundred and fourteen cir
culators were sent out to scour Den
ver-and each was paid three cents
for every name obtained-and they
returned in two days with $4,000
signatures, all purporting to be
names of qualified electors of the
city.
These signatures we're obtained in
manner suggestive of an honest ef-
fort to perform an honest public ser
vice.
An investigation disclosed more
than 5000 of the signatures are il
legal.
Of fifty-nine circulators who were.
because of circumstances or reputa-
ton, shrouded with suspicion, twen-
ty-flve cannot be found through care
tul and diligent search in Denver!
Many of the circulators and hun
dreds of the supposed signers are
listed with fictitious addresses. In
some cases jailbirds' names are on
the petitions. In number of cases
the names of minors and other per-
sons not qualified to vote.
Petition after petition contains
duplicate signatures. And in num-
erous instances persons who really
signed the petitions have since de-
clared they are opposed to the meas
ure-they signed under misrepre-
sentation.
Fraud, rottenness, misrepresenta-
ion-all these things are mixed
heavily in the making up, the filing
ana subsequent history of these petit
uons. Had they been honest would
.hese things have been necessary? If
ms measure is founded on honest
Geslre for honest service would The
rost have had to resort to it's old
Bchemes?
Why is The Post working so zeal
usiy for this bill, and spending
arge sums in an effort to obtain it's
passage? Why the sudden activity
shen the ia paid circulators were
ent out, after an effort to obtain
u.al signatures had failed dismal
We ask you only to consider
mh Ts as honestly as it is asked. The
~, pears The Denver Post label. Is
~, that sufficient cause to cast your
we against it? Is it the Post way
hght so hard for any measure
Mat IN some way will not enrich it's
mners' or for any candidate it's
ontrol? why
r., Even desire to play safe should