Denver labor bulletin., 1917-03-17
CENATOR SHAFRoTH and Con-

punctured the program OF Gov
ernor Gunter and Gerald Hughes by
which the latter was to be elected
United States senator in 1918 and the
governor given seat upon the United
States supreme bench. In their reac-
tionary movement to capture the ma
chinery of the state for the purpose
of carrying out this program, they
have overreached the mark and
brought about a revolt of Colorado
citizens. This was clearly evidenced
at the big non-partisan protest meet
| ing held in the Auditorium Wednes-
day night. Speakers condemned Gun
ter and Hughes as agents of the cor
porations to throttle the people. Ger
aid Hughes is the controlling power
behind the governor, as has been
clearly indicated since Gunter as
sumed the Office in January. Elected
upon solemn pledge to give Colo
rado an administration along lines
that have made Wilson so popular
thruout the nation, it is now shown
that he secured his office under false
pretenses. A part of the program
was TO hobble the initiative and refer
endum law enacted during Shafroth's
administration as governor so as to
make it unavoidable and to repeal the
direct primary law, giving control of
nominations over to the old boss-ruled
convention system. By no other
scheme could Gerald Hughes be nom-
mated for United States senator over
Shafroth. In event he reached the
United States senate, Hughes was to
use his influence to have Gunter ap-
pointed to the first vacancy in the
/ United States supreme court. Shaf-
roth and Hilliard returned to Denver
from their duties in Washington in
order to proclaim to the citizens of
this state their opposition to the re-
dictionary program being put thru the
state legislature by Hughes and Gun
ter. More than $500 Denver citizens
were present at the Auditorium meet
| ing to register their protest. 1t was
a remarkable demonstration and one
that surely spread gloom among the
state house cotere which is playing
the last and losing game for the cor
porations in Colorado.
/ :. :. :.
/ CENATOR J. S. HASTY of Lamar
~ is the author of the bill to amend
the initiative and referendum so as
to make it practically impossible for
protesters to bring a measure to
vote of the people. This bill passed
the senate Monday by vote of % to
9, notwithstanding letter from At
]
which he held the amendment to be
unconstitutional. 1t provides among
other things that 8 per cent of those
who voted for secretary of state in
the preceding election must sign inl-
tiative and referendum petitions in at
least ten of the thirteen judicial dis
tricts of the state, and that they must
appear before a county clerk, district
judge or notary public before placing
their signatures upon the document.
/ The bill is now in the house, where 1t
/ is said Speaker Boone Best, acting for
the Gunter and Hughes corporation
combination, has pledged thirteen
/ Democratic members to join with the
Republicans to put the bill thru. 1t
carries a safety clutch stipulating that
an "emergency exists" and that the
bill become effective at once "for the
immediate preservation OF the public
peace, health and safety" Those SEN
ators who voted for the amendment
Andrew, Candlish, Coldren, Curran,
Dodge, Eaton, Elliot, Fincher, Hasty,
Hattenbach, Hayden, Knauss, Lines,
Means, Mitten, McWilliams, Napier,
Peterson, Puffer, Staley, West, and
Wilkin Those who voted against the
bill and for the people were: Coltman,
DeBusk, Dunklee, Dunlap, Hethering..
ton, Kluge, Lewis, Schermerhorn and
Starkweather The three absent mem
bers were Riddle, Reilly and Hamilton.
:. & {:
EVIDENTLY feeling the force of
r. public condemnation, the state SEN
ate on Wednesday of this week
defeated the bill by Barney Napier OF
Glenwood Springs to repeal the pri,
mary election law, the vote being %
to 12. This measure had been fought
out in the judiciary committee of
which Napier is chairman and came