The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-05-09
FRAZIER IGNORES
PETITIONS FROM
10000 ELECTORS
Declares He Will Exercise Own
Discretion and Prevent Ini-
tiative Election
FEARS VOTERS IGNORANCE
Declares Intelligent Electorate
Of North Dakota Might
Confuse the Issues
FEARS VOTERS IGNORANCE

Auoe VIC ISSUES IL given PERMISSION
to vote upon referendum and initiative
propositions at the same election, the
Townley press speaking for Governor
Frazier today advises the public that
the wishes of more than 10000 voters
who signed the initiative petitions will
be ignored, and that special election
will be called June 26, instead of July
8, as requested in initiative petitions
filed with the secretary of state sew
eral weeks ago, thus thwarting the
expressed will of the initiative petit
TONERS.
"This MEANS" announces the Cour-
ier- News, "that the initiative petitions
proposing several laws along similar
lines to take the place of the legisla-
tors acts will be invalidated, AND NO
VOTE BY THE PEOPLE WILL BE
HAD UPON THEM. THE COVER
NOR ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD
PURPOSELY DECIDED UPON THE
DATE FOR THE REFERENDUM
ELECTION WITH THE VIEW OF
INVALIDATING THE INITIATIVE
PETITIONS"
Had Double Required Number
Under the initiative and referendum
amendment to the constitution pro-
posed by the league at the last general
election and adopted but ten thousand
signatures are required to initiate any
measure by the people. The four ini-
tiative petitions filed with the secre-
tary of state several weeks ago con-
tain over 10000 signatures, or more
than twice the required number.
The constitutional amendment pro-
vides that "Ten thousand electors by
large may propose any measure by
initiative petition. Every such petit
tion shall he filed with the secretary
of state not less than ninety days be-
fore the election at which it is to be
voted upon, @>. -.
Governor Law Unto Self
80 The constitution provides that:
Each measure initiated by or refer
red to the electors shall be voted upon
at any statewide election designated
in the petition, or at a special election
called by the governor" =:
The general statewide election des-
,gnated in the five initiative petitions
is for July s. Governor Frazier, how
ever, is quoted as stating that this
fact is not binding upon him, but that
he is a law unto himself. ,r
Measures Initiated
The measures initiated include a
mill and elevator association law, nom
partisan election law, rural credits
law and home building law.
The Townley press today quotes the
governor as follows on the subject:
I'm Bad Faith
"The initiative petitions are in bad
faith and they were Intentionally cir
culated by the Independent Voters
association to confuse the referen-
dunn issues" said the governor. II
have decided on date for the refer
endum on the legislatures acts early
enough to invalidate the initiative
petitions and to prevent hopeless
confusion on the part of the voters.
The referendum petitions place before
the people for a vote seven measures
adopted by the legislature and tn is
sus should, and must, remain clear,
so that verdict of the people can be
obtained.
"If the acts initiated by the l. V. A..
are voted on at the same time the
issues will be so mixed that fair,
intelligent verdict cannot be obtained:
The acts cover largely the same field
as the acts that will be before the
voters on the referendum, for the /.
V. A., which is known to be opposed
to state ownership, is dishonesty
attempting to initiate a mill and ele.
vator act, a home-building act and
others along the same lines as those
passed by the legislature, but Is pro-
posing in each case to do it in just a
little different way.
To Prevent Confusion
"The constitution gives me discre-
tion within certain limits in fixing
the dates for the referendum and l
am using that discretion to prevent
hopeless confusion. If | permitted
this unfair initiative to be held at the
same time as the referendum the vot
ers would have before them at the
same election two mill and elevator
bills, and two home building bills.
For instance, the people might, not
understanding the proposition, vote
for both the legislatures and the l.
Y. A. mill and elevator bill. It is too
much to ask any electorate to decide
as complex equations as would result
from the referendum and initiative
being held at the same election. These
bills. both initiated and referred,
would get on the ballot by title only
and it would be impossible for all, or
even a large per cent of the voters, in
the short time that remains, to become
so familiar with the complete text of
both referred and initiated bills that
they can cast an intelligent ballot by
voting in each case for one of the
bills and against the other, the titles
of both as they would appear on the
ballot being so nearly alike.
"Not to Permit Trick"
81 feel that l would be derelict in
my duty if I permitted the initiative
and referendum to be misused by po-
litical tricksters in this way. There
fore we were elected. There is also
referendum as June 26,
which is less than 80 days after the
filing of the initiative petitions. Since
initiative petitions must be filed 80
CONTINUED on Page Tw0.)