Bisbee daily review., 1916-07-23
PROPOSED BILL FOR
 VOTERS IS POPULAR
(Continued From Page One)

 for the legislature. for the reason that in small districts of 15O0 voters. where a man is known to every voter in the district, his qualifications to represent a particular district in the legislature will be the consideration with the great bulk of the voters, -ather han his political affiliations. | How many voters can call by name or know anything of the men from the respective counties who represent ed them in the last legislature? We venture to say very small number , of the voters know even the names, of dollars collected in taxes in this representatives, who make the laws that govern them, and who provide for the expenditure of the millions of Gallors collected in taxes in this state. They were elected at large from the counties, and the average voter voted for them simply because their names appeared on the ticket he usually voted, no attention whatever being paid to their qualifications.
 MT Voter, ask yourself this ques- tion: Who represented me in the leg islature last session? If these men were elected by legislative dis tricts of 1900 voters, every voter in the district would be intimately ac- quainted with his representative and his qualifications for the position, every section of your county would have equitable representation, and the more populous sections would have no advantage over the more thinly populated portions of the county. Each would have an equal chance to eiece it's own representatives.
 The constitution of this state grants women the right of suffrage, and this necessarily carries with it the right to hold office. The legislature is a fruitful field for the activities of women interested in political affairs, but it is almost a physical impossi- bility for a woman to make a cam paign over a county larger than an eastern state for the sake of being ! elected to the legislature, which meets for sixty days every two years. The election by legislative districts makes it possible for more women to be elected to the legislature.
 This same argument applies to the average business or professional man. He has not, and will not, give the time from his business, no matter what it may be. to make a campaign over one of those large counties. Thus the state is deprived of the services of men and women compe- tent to make our laws and appropria- tions for the conduct of our state , government running into millions of dollars. The question of who shall represent you in the legislature is a serious one and one deserving of more thought and attention than it has heretofore received from the ma jOrity of the voters of this state.
 This proposed amendment provides for an annual salary for members of the legislature. rather than the pres ent system of a per diem allowance. This eliminates the inventive to de- lay public business for the purpose of forcing the executive to call special sessions Of the legislature, so that members may continue to draw their per diem allowance from the state treasury.
 Our first state legislature met ac- cording to law on January l, 1912, and between that date and June l, 1915, we have had two regular and five special sessions. As far as we know, only two other states in the Union had one extra session each in the same space of time. You will ad nit that there is something radically wrong when this state, with the smallest population of any state in the Union except one, should have two regular and five special sessions of the legislature between January IS, 1912, and June l, 1915.
 These sessions of the legislature cost the taxpayers Two Hundred SiXty-three Thousand Two Hundred Eighty Dollars and SiXty-four cents (S263, ,SS064), of which One Hundred Sixteen Thousand Four Hundred and Twenty-four Dollars ($116,42D was paid in salaries to members of the legislature and the remaining One Hundred Forty-siX Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-six Dolalrs and SiXty-four Cents (S146,S56.6D was paid for attaches, mileage and incl dentals. These figures are taken from the records of the state auditors office and can be verified by anyone interested.
 What have the voters of this state received for this expenditure Of more than a quarter of a million of dollars? :? Do you know the names of your representatives in these legislatures who profited to this extent by your votes? By the adoption of the pro posed amendment there is 10 possi- bility of such a condition arising. There would be no need of extra spe- cial sessions of the legislature unless some extraordinary condition should arise in this state that would justify the executive in calling the members of the legislature together. Then, be- ing on an annual salary, and receiving only mileage for this extra work, they would naturally get through with their business in the shortest possible time, and there would be no large expense for attaches.
 Under our form of government the legislature, like the judiciary, being entirely independent Of the executive department. We have made the term of office four years. thus enabling a man @ better serve his constituents