Arizona republican., 1921-07-25
MONDAY MORNING. JULY 25, 1921.
What men aUant IS not talent, tt IS purpose; not the poaUer to achieUe but the Will to labor. BulaUer-Lytton.
The Only Present Issue

subscriber writing from Cochise county en- dorses house bills S3 and 139, the two measures the first constitutional amendment to allow the to encourage reclamation. and the second make the amendment operative. We agree fully with the subscriber, to the merits the proposed iegis- lation which hitherto refrained from discuss ing mnutely to their merits since their enactment by the legislature for the reason that another more imminent question raised by the invoking of the referendum against house bill s3
 That took precedence and put the merits of the bill into the background. A discussion of them is inopportune will be utterly useless if the refer endum is allowed stand In that event there will be election to House Bill s3 next November. the legislature ordered and there will be subsequent election to this bi the 9oo0O voters of Arizona will have opportunity to pass upon it because between 5000 and 1000 voters have been induced to protest against the election next November
 Even if the matter could be brought up at the succeeding general election it would appear to be waste of time to indulge in a consideration of the merits of the bill two in advance.
 But we believe that if the bill is not voted on at the special election designated by the legislature will be voted We do not think that there is any authority in the statutes under which the secretary of state may put upon the ballot for general election measure which the legislature de- creed should be voted on at special election.
 While this may be regarded a debatabe ques- ton whe have the slightest doubt the secre- tary of state would be served with injunction summer against putting House Bill ss on the ballot. The interests which under the pretext saving the expenses of special election procured the ref erendum would not overlook that opportunity to the bill from coming before the people general election
 Then. too. they would have much more law their side than they have had in their effort to procure referendum against referred measure The secretary. too. could much more reason re- put the bill the ballot in 1922. than he n recognizing this ridiculous and unlawful refer endum.
 We have heard that steps about to be taken bring the subject into ascertain whether 1t is possible for small minority of voters set aside the constitutional powers the legislature order amendment to the constitution to be submitted the people at special election
 We do not know whether this is to be done or not But if not. if it is not be done promptly. it would be we'll to drop the whole matter and await the convening of. the sixth state legislature. Or perhaps year might be saved by initiating an amendment similar to House Bill s3 for submission in 1922.
 But if legal action is promptly taken against the referendum the present House Bill ss may be regarded as dead forever So the imminent issue not House Bill s3 its merits or demerits but the referendum which has been invoked against it
 That is the only subject for debate at present If the referendum is not invalid the whole matter is already disposed of.>