Gilpin observer., 1916-10-12
HERD-LAw PETITIONS.
Claim Names Were Forged, Minorss
Signed, JaiI-6lrd Signature. Are In.
Attorney Threatens Drastic Action
for Expose Of Bill.

Opponents Of the so-called herd
law" initiated by the Denver Post and
Its weekly, the Great Divide, were not
granted the privilege last week in
Denver of submitting their evidence
of fraud in the petitions to the dis
trict court. Judge Dennison sustained
plea to Quash the mandamus appli-
cation brought by Daniel A. Lord, Il
farmer of Keensburg, Colo, to pro-
hibit Secretary of State Ramer put
ting the bill on the ballot, depriving
]. ]. Sullivan, Mr.. Lords attorney, of
an opportunity to present his evidence.
Judge Dennison gave no reasons In
handing down his decision. The APP
plication was fought by Assistant At
torney General Montgomery, and John
T. Bottom, a Post attorney, and ar
gued for by Attorney Sullivan. Tho
lastnamed declared he possessed evil
dence to prove fraud and misrepresen-
tation practiced by circulators hired
by the bills hackers, in obtaining sig
natures to their petitions, and assert
ed that the fight was not yet ended.
THE evidence we have will indubit-
ably be used in some manner" he
said. ito expose the rottenness of this
measure, even IL we must appeal to the,
ure is investigated, the more appar-
ent 1t is that it is iniquitous. and that
there is a sinister something back Of
1t which must be brought to light.
We will not stop fighting until the
last cows come home"
Mr.. Sullivan claims to have proof
that not only are more than 5000 of
the signatures on the petitions invalid.
because they were not certified le-
gally, but that evidence of actual
fraud in the signing of the petitions
has been found. A diligent search
for the circulators, IA in number.
who were paid cents a name by
the bills hackers to obtain 10000 sig
natures in Denver in two-day cam
paign, discloses that thirty cannot be-
found, he declared, and offers II as
part proof that the circulators were
not all qualified electors as they were
supposed to be. Disreputable charac-
ters and professional circulators were
among the ia. he charges, and In
many instances they signed each 9TH
ers petitions in order to increase
their earnings, in violation OF the law.
Mr.. Sullivan declares also that de-
tectives have discovered many Of the
signatures rank forgeries, and that
many fictitious names were used.
Names of inmates Of the jails, and
minors also were found in numbers.
In a great many instances persons
signed the petitions who later have
declared they are opposed to the bill.
and were led to attach their sigma
lures through Misrepresentation. !
And not only are the petitions alb
solutely Illegal because of fraud and
Irregularities, but also because, with
the aid of the secretary Of states Of
flee, they were filed in direct viola
ton of the law" the attorney charges
THE statute provides that petitions.
for initiated measures must be filed
with the secretary OF state within
four calendar months Of election. The
last day for filing these petitions
within the laws limit was July 6. and
they are so recorded. But 11,130
names were filed July 7, and sworn
to on that date. The petitions show
it on their face. Secretary Of State
Ramer, evidently. to help the Post, al
lowed them to be dated back day
July and July 7 were the two
lays the hired circulators obtained
their $4,000 names in Denver-and
prior to that time, several weeks be-
fore. In fact. 1000 names had been
procured in the rural districts. and
1000 in cities and towns outside Den
yer. The bills opponents declare that
this fact, the character Of the r ETH
tons filed, the fact that the Post Is
spending money to have the bill made
law, and that newspapers record in
past schemes political and otherwise
are enough to clothe the measure In
suspicion. without comment on the
bill itself. which threatens to practt-
cally ruin the agricultural industry OF
the state, and It promises benefit only
to the railroads, who will be relieved
of all responsibility for livestock
killed and injured, and of the neces
sity OF maintaining fences. and to GER
tain land spectators whose lands the
small farmers will be compelled to-
rent, or lease or buy outright and
fence, where now they can utilise
them free for grazing.