The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-09-29
JECISI IATTVE REPRESENTATIVES OF STATE
FEDERATION COMPELS OBSERVANCE
OF The LAW

Pess dispatches from Olympia dur
ing the past week contained the in
teesting information that "the labor
leaders who threatened to sue the
secretary of state regarding the man.
ner in which the referendum meas
ures were to appear on the ballot
had found themselves mistaken and
backed down" This statement is so
far from the facts that H, L. Hughes,
who initiated the action against the
secretary of state, has issued the fol
. lowing statement of the facts in the
case:
4 BY H. L. HUGHES
In the matter of the suit that was
brought against Secretary of State
I. NJ. Howell by myself through At
torney c. ]. France, of Seattle, to COM
pei that official to place the seven
referendum measures upon the ballot
in accordance with the plain pro-
visions of the law, Mr.. Howell has re-
ceded from his position and announced
determination to place these measures
upon the ballot in the misleading form
in which he had already placed them
in the state pamphlet containing all
the initiated and referred measures
and the proposed constitutional amend
ment.
While the questions will now appear
upon the ballot in legal form, great
damage has already been done
through their misstatement in the
pamphlet and the illegal and unwar-
ranted argument for the bills which
he injected into that document; and
what are we to think of state of
ficiar who stoops to such political
jobbery as that of which Mr.. Howell
has been guilty in this case?
Inspired News
Immediately following Mr.. Howell's
somewhat graceful yielding to this de-
mand for correction, what appears
to be inspired news was sent out
from Olympia to this effect:
attorney General Tanner an
nounced tonight that the pro-
posed suit to be brought by II. L.
Hughes, a Spokane labor man,
through Attorney c. J. France, Of
Seattle, for an injunction to re-
strain l. M. Howell, secretary Of
state, from placing certain matter
on the printed November ballot in
connection with the referendum
measures, has been dropped. The
labor leaders were under the i'm
preston that the popular names
given the measures in the office
of Secretary of State Howell, to-
gether with instructions as to
voting on them, found in the
white book, would be printed on
the ballot"
The labor people" were not under
any misapprehension in thsi matter
Mr.. Howell's office had already pre-
pared the copy for the ballot, and it
was exactly as it appeared in the
pamphlet and would have so appeared
this suit. The statement in the
pamphlet is itself a violation of the
plain provisions of the law which Mr.
Howell has for his guidance in pre-
pairing both the pamphlet and the bal
lot. Mr.. Howell had stated in the
pamphlet that the questions would ap-
pear upon the ballot in that form, and
relying upon that statement l brought
suit to enjoin him. Mr.. France, my
attorney filed this suit in Thurston
County last Thursday. When the at
torney general learned the suit was
brought he thought the matter could
be corrected without the necessity of
! proceeding with the suit. Mr.. France
4 then went to the office of the secre-
tary Of state with Mr.. Tanner, the at
torney general, and found that the
secretary of state had the illegal
form Of ballot already prepared to
send to the printer. Mr.. Tanner told
Mr.. Woods, Of the secretary of states
office, that the form they proposed
4. was illegal, and in the presence of
Mr. France, my attorney, and in the
presence of Mr.. Tanner, the form of
ballot was corrected so as to conform
to the provisions of the statute. This
correction was made as a direct result
of the suit and of course after having
been made there was no reason for
pressing with the case.
Howell Favors Measures
Unquestionably Mr.. Howell desired
to see these referendum measures
passed by the reactionary legislature