Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-01-05
Attorney. General LANCER
Exposes Reckless At
tempt to Disregard. . Con
stitutions and Shameless
Disregard Of Prediction
Promises : in Address at
Portland,

here Saturday. bf I.
Tho attorney general pointed
out clearly that the effort 81 the
Townley cohorts to force tho
sptteful and tyrannous legislation
enacted At the, recent session OF
the late legislature into .immiedi:
ate effect was a direct violation
q the state constitution. and that
II IT was successfully carried out i
no mans rights or liberty would
be safe in the state of North Da-
kota.
Every important, point. in his
speech. was proved by reference to
the laws of the state, and the pre-
election promises of the governor and
other Townleys satellites. ~:
The speech in full follows: II
The Speech.
My fellow citizens: e
Only:Sa few months ago Governor
Frazier and myself were out CAM
lpaagnfng in almost every part Of
North Dakota: in favor of the adop-
ton by, the electorate Of the state of
the proposed ten constitutional
amendments. -
The opponents of some Of these
amendments also c~ampaigned against
AAA~y t"SAC 1lOEOuSlllyNt NJ, ulS.
cussed and one Of these amendments
is the one providing for the initiative
and referendum. ~
In%order to present the arguments
IN favor Of the adoption of the, Initia-
tive and Referendum amendment rs
well as, other amendments, clearly
before the electorate a pamphlet was
issued by the North Dakota Republi-
can State Central committee, of
| which William r a~o ln ->rSo. ~.~u{l>-x
of the Nonpartfsan league is the state
chairman. The pamphlet was lem
titled THE Truth About the c o,nasti-
tuttonal Amendments" have that
pamphlet in my hand. 1t is here for
any one of you to look at.
1t Is perhaps unnecessary for me to
carry this pamphlet around because
you are thoroughly familiar by this
time with. the situation prevailing in
this state:' which is that under new
law passed by a special session the
gang in control Of this state claim
that a state officer who tells a false
hood about any state industry in
AAt1t4gtion. or department which tends
Et0ssharm the industrial program.retc.5
Of this state can be punished ~ be-
ing: placed in. the penitentiary for d
year. Consequently my friends. even
though, / didn't want to tell the truth,
even though I was the greatest liaf
in North Dakota, I would have star
ing me in the face a sentence of one
year in the state 'penitentiary II ]
didn't tell the truth and in that re-
spect I am very different from Town
ley and his newspapers. who can all
lie to their hearts content.
The Referendum. Law.
The pamphlet to which I have re-
ferred. on page II takes up the targu-
nrent in favor 6f.the ReferendumSand
Is as follows: -
I'm the second place, the Ref.
erendum amendment provides
that 1000. voters can. sign pe-
tition which will hold up and
prevent any legislation or any
bond issue passed by the legisla-
. ture until the measure is voted
upon and passed by a. majority Of
the people. +.
Mr.. Doyle and his Big Bust
ness hackers can get 1000 sign
ers to any referendum petition in
the cities of Fargo. Grand Forks.
Minot and Devils Lake alone. and
thus. one Of the very amend
ments to which they object gives
them absolute means of checking
any unwise Legislation or bond
issue unless the same has been
approved by a majority of the
voters in the state. PEOPLE
ARE SOLE JUDGES. The peo-
pie Of North Dakota are the sole
judges. Of all legislation or pro-
posed bond issues and it is 2ex-
tremely unlikely, hat a majority
Of the people Of this state would 4
sanction any program Of unlim-
ited expenditures" =..
From the above you will note tina,
the North Dakota Republican STATE
Central, committee. when they got thu
Hot the Referendum amendment, un'
QYfyocally and clearly stated tina
Il es$IReferendum amendment PRO.
[Hvidedathat 1000 voters could Sign 9
petition. which would hold up a
[tprevent any legislation or bond issue
from going into effect until the meas.
ure vas voted upon and paesedg by a
majority Of the people. Nothins
could Be clearer than that.
Emergency Defined.
We wirlgturn now to page.4, 81. THU
pamphlet and here We +havo5 an
emergency defined. It says here's
People Arc Fully Proteceeds
The Emergency amendment make.
1T possible sfor, the Legislatures iRsca4s
of ansemer8ehcy, such as drlnth, ]
kpl&8 IN or san oK1M40 In
surraction.s,to pass laws or to xppro
pirate money which may go Into ef,
feet before 4%subInitting saIns sto$ tn,
Etpeople.s, The anfendment which WA.
adppted lbYs thespeople was tSeeton 81
Article 4 and 10 - follows: Il:
ND oct Of the slesislAttyssas-s
Aefnblyf shall take eject until
III July. / after the close Of the, nos
aion,asunlAss the legislaturAs ~! q
vote Of iW6-thirds OF istheAIhsrn-
hers presentssaDdf voting: al each
house, shall declare It anSsmerg-
ency measure, which declaration
shall be. set forth In the act pro-
vided. however, that nd. act
granting = franchise OF special
privilege. or act creating any
vested right OF interest other
thAns,in the state. shall b de-
clAned an emergency measure.
An emergency Il meaAoro shall !
take effect and he In force from
n and After its passage IS nnA APP
proysl ~ IN. governor .s 3
LAnguAgc n R1aAln.
II even . propagation 81 plain till
emergency measure H. gu cai
GitWtikssthe iaH0uaKe. PIT "a blacl
|11pect1cleS or whites eye GlasleA 70,
lean turn the measure east. or 1est
north or south. you can readit with