The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-03-24
PETITIONS
FILED March l6


zier that initiative petitions had been
filed in his office on the day previous
as follows: :
Petition for initiation Of law provid-
ing for nomination and election of
state officers without party designa-
ton; containing 18,442 signatures.
Petition for initiation of law pro-
viding for separate party ballot for
primary election and for one column
ballot for general election; containing
18,460 signatures.
Petition for imitation of public de-
pository law; containing 18,481 sig
natures.
Petition for initiation of law to
amend and re-enact the Industrial
Commission law; containing 18,435
signatures. .
Petition for the initiation of rural
credit law; containing 18,471 sigma
lures. -
Petition for initiation of an act for
dissolution of the Bank of North Da-
kota; containing 18,407 signatures.
The Petitions request that the Sec
retary Of state submit these measures
to the voters at a statewide election
to be held in the month of June next.
The committee for the petitioners is
represented by E. w. Everson, chair
man; Theo.' G. Nelson, o. L. Engen, A.
G. Strostad and Matt johnson.
The law does not provide for the
calling of special election in the case
Of initiative petitions but states that
the laws sought to be initiated Shall
be submitted to the voters at the next
statewide general election. In the
case of sufficient number of recall
petitions being filed, however, the law
provides that an election shall be
called with in forty-five days after
the filing of the petitions with the
secretary Of state.
Since the petitioners use the words
"state-wide election to be held in June,
1921" it is evident that they expect
a recall election to be held at that
time and the initiative petitions have
been filed in readiness for that event.
They must be published at least nine
ty days before the holding Of the
election at which they are to be voted
upon. That would fix the recall elec-
tion for June 18th, since the initiative
petitions were filed on March 18th.
So the Ives still have 45 days in
which to file their recall petitions in
order that the election may be hello
at that time. Whether or not such &C.
tion will be taken will depend entire
ly on the response met with by the
petitions which have already beer
sent to all localities in the state
Should it develop that there is no gen
eral demand for a recall at this time
the Ives will no doubt declare agains
it at the convention which has beer
called to be held in Devils Lake OF
the last two days of this month. Ac
cording to information reaching here
sentiment among the business men o1
the towns seems to be very much
against recall at this time and the
general opinion seems to be that il
will not take place.
No doubt the slogan Summer Fal.
low and Fight" has done much to quiet
the enthusiasm of those who woulc
involve US in another bitter politicaI
fight so soon after the general elec.
tion. Another thing that will do its
share to soothe the unrestful politi.
clans is the fact that the names of al
the signers to the petitions initiative
as well as recall, will be published in
the newspapers of the state. It is the
plan to send the names of the signers
back to the county of their origin tc
be published in the newspapers of that
county. This will be done so that any
fraudulent signatures may be revealed
and nonresident prune peddlers who
have signed the petitions while pass
ing across the state on the trains may
be properly disfranchised.
GEORGE F. THOMPSON