Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-10
IMPUDENT AND AUTOCRATIC

Governor Frazier has declared it to b. his purpose
to fix the date for the special election on referendum
petitions as June 2sth, providing the referendum petitions
are filed, instead of the later date, July 8, which was re-
quested by the 10000 petitioners. The object of suggest
ing a date in the petitions was in order that a vote might
be had at the same election, not only on certain acts OF
the legislature on which the judgment of the voters was
desired, but on other measures initiated by the petition-
ers. and submitted in accordance with the constitutional
requirements. The reasons stated by the governor for his
contemplated action is that he will thereby invalidate
the initiative petitions and prevent the judgment Of the
people from being expressed on them at this time. The
governor is frank, and his statement leaves nothing to
the imagination. He proposes to gag and muzzle the en-
tire voting population Of North Dakota, of whom more
than 10000 have already expressed themselves, because
he believes he has the power to do SO. That is the sum
and substance of the whole matter. A more impudent and
autocratic exercise of despotic power has seldom been
seen. Such a thing has never before been witnessed in this
state.
The governor alleges in excuse Of his proposed ac-
ton that the initiative petitions are submitted in bad
the issues which they are to decide. The statement is an
insult to every citizen Of the state, no matter what his
political opinion may be, for it is based on the assump-
ton that there is vested in the individual who happens
to hold the Office Of governor the right not only to decide
the matters which the constitution and the statutes place
within his Jurisdiction, but to pass in an official way on
the honesty and good faith of other citizens who are act
ing within their constitutional rights and who are en-
titled not only to their own opinion but to the oppor-
tunity of expressing them both Individually and formally
in the manner provided by law. 1t is impossible to de-
scribe adequately the violation of the rights Of citizen
ship which such an action involves, and the man who
pursdes this course or who even announces his intentions
to pursue it, shows himself utterly unfit for any office
Of public trust.
A cursory survey of the matters at issue will show
the complete unsoundness of the governors position. The
petitions, which have been circulated together, asking for
the referendum and the initiative votes affect eleven
measures. Four1o these are measures brought under the
initiative clause Of the constitution, and the other seven
under the referendum. The referendum bills are as fol-
lows:
The printing bill. the purpose Of which is to
create a publicity monopoly.
The educational bill, which was framed
partly as q measure Of spite~and partly for .
creation Of an administrative monopoly. ~
The immigration bill, whose purpose was to
provide tor the expenditure Of 5000, 900 for So
cialistic propaganda. 4
The Industrial commission bill, intended to
place a monopolistic control Of public industries
in the hands Of the governor.
The banking bill, intended for the financial
advantage Of political faction.
The judicial bill. which provides for an UNI
necessary ana expensive increase in the numbers
Of judgeA
And, the tax commission bill, creating a one
man monopoly IN the handling Of state problems
Of assessment ana taxation. a
The petitioners who have signed al of the petitions
propose the rejection entire and without substitute Of
each OF these seven bills with the exception OF the indus
trial commission BILL That bill is Objectionable In Itself,
but It y proposed to confer some Of the powers sranted
under It to another body.
-Four bills are proposed to be Unlisted. They are:
a new min ana elevator bill. h
a nonpartisan election bill.
A new rural credits bill.
And. ) neg home building bill
ne proposed election bill i not involved ii my
ethsr issas. 1tsstands ~ itssllf y Z proposed under II 70
separate sntirsly kats Issues from political partaanship.
- seus1 azguaasat ~ ben advaassd against this .bnl