Arizona republican., 1921-06-06
An Insult to Voters


 When q voter is presented a referendum petition against House Bill sa he should understand that insult has been offered intelligence voter He may be aware of that sIur his intelli- gsnce but the men behind the petition are. # If the could read between the lines here is what he would find.
 House Bill ss has been referred the voters of Arizona for ratification rejection. the tyou among them) have sense enough decide whether it should be ratified or rejected Therefore sign this petition. if you not sign make your mark that 1t may not be allowed to 80 before the voters. including yourself We know it is bad bil representatives of the big corporations and that enough for you know. Don't trust this to the judgment of the voters. including yourself Go on with farming your carpentering, your mer- chandising and your brickaying whatever your occupation may that doesn't require the brains and leave the business of deciding these deep questions Sign here this line and you'll wear diamonds"
 That is the insulting message that comes to every and to whom referendum petition against House Bill ss comes.
 When the legislature passed this bill it did not the constitution but only passed a to lay before voters that they might say wheth CT they wanted the constitution amended. We do not whether all the members the legislature who voted aye the bill favored the amendment There was very serious opposition the bill final passage of the members, doubt. feeling that it a matter to be decided by people it ought to before the people, We have known broad minded legislators vote refer to the people measures with which they themselves were not in sympathy and which they perhaps hoped that the people would reject.
 We not considering the merit of the proposed amendment---whether it is bad thing or good thing. The time for shat discussion yet come The present question is Shall the
 
 bad thing good thing? Shall the people be mug zled? That is the question by the referendum petition. Will any intelligent Arizonan put muzzle on himself and his neighbors?
 Any voter a right say whether he wants the constitution amended proposed in House Bill ss and his judgment for against the bill is not to be questioned any than his right express judgment may be questioned.
 We have this state popular rule. That rule can be exerted only at the polls Now attempt is being made by the referendumists deprive the people of their sovereignty to make the people give it up voluntarily To whom? To handful of the representatives powerful corporations.
 If this referendum petition should secure the requisite number of names and be filed twe very much doubt whether it will be filed regardless of the number of names) but if it should be filed, would have the spectacle of nearly 100000 voters de- prived by the signatures of $500 of the right to express themselves House Bill S3-a fine in- stance of rule by the minority
 We know that the signatures many voters hay, been obtained by deception. The voters have beer told that the bill proposed to saddle bonded indebt edness of s3ooo00o0 the state. It proposes notbing of the sort If should be ratified it not add a dollar bonded indebtedness. It would only permit the state to bond itself whenever majority of the taxpayers should want to bond them selves or should want to lend the credit Of the stat to carefully investigated and fully approved pur nose Ii would only give means of escape fror tb nresent throttlng restriction of bonded indebt mess of $500 ooO there had been no such foos