The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-09-16
. After Many
Years
Whsi De You Know
About Initiative 1877
Or How Referendum
Is VIII Opersie7
Or What Ne. 4 VII
Do 70 Your Tsses7
BY r. 7. SHORT

BY r. T. SHORT
IT'S initiative and referendum
= time again. At considerable
expense the secretary OF state
has caused TO be printed and
mailed 10 each voter in the
state a pamphlet containing
the six measures with argu-
ments for and against. Includ-
ed are measures affecting old
age pensions, taxes. the con-
duct OF grand juries. and COM
pensation for persons injured
in industry. Notwithstanding
that all Of the measures. posi-
bly, with the exception OF the
grand jury referendum, direct
" affect every resident of the
state. here's bet that not
10 exceed one person in ten will
carefully read all the measures
and the arguments. A larger
proportion will hurriedly glance
through the pamphlet and some
Of these will carefully read the
measure in which there may be
q personal interest.
A great number Of voters
will not be bothered with the
not-too-essily read print. On
election day they will get be-
hind the curtain OF the voting
machine and pull down the In
itiative and refendum gsdgets
with about the same rhyme or
reason that the super-optimist
uses when he puts in his nickel
and pulls the trigger Of the
pinball machine.
At this point Mr.. MacWhg-
gan dropped In and remarked
that IL doesn't make so much
difference about what the
pinball sucker does n it's
his nickel, hut the nonchaiant
voter who doesn't know, helps
make n mandate that viii
STAY on the statute books two
years. II he guesses wrong It's
just too bad.
Mr.. MacWhiggan also COM
$1,000 e.. ID afarand,tpn No %
providing for appointment OF
special attorneys to attend
grand juries except where the
investigation is proposed by the
prosecuting attorney, reminds
him of some early grand jury
experience in Tacoma.
1t seems that the slot ma
chine monopohsts and the gam
blers, operating more or less
with the knowledge II not the
consent of city and county au-
thorities, got into a fight among
themselves and did too much
talking outside.
There also were some tax u
tie transactions that aroused
suspicion of one Of the county
commissioners and an increas-
ing number of deeds to Indian
property were filed by at
torneys for gamblers and sa-
loon operators created some
concern. And along with this
some harsh words were being
said about city contracts and
the last deal for fire department
horses.
A citizens law and order COM
nittee finally induced the supe-
rior court judges to call a
grand jury. The prosecuting
attorney said he was all for IL
and would the committee please
ret its evidence ready as ne
was a busy man and wanted 10
finish the business as soon as
possible.
Things seemed TO be going
along satisfactorily until inc
dav the grand jury was to meet
Then the committee received IN
formation that deputy prosecut-
,ng attorney who had been as
signed 10 attend the grand jury
was also the personal attorney
of some OF the persons TO be
Investigated. The committee
refused to submit any evidence
unless new attorney were
named. The demand was re-
fused and the committee walked
out Of the court room.
The prosecuting attorney
.ai5 No evidence had beer pre-
.en,ed 10 him for submission to
the grand jury.
The Judge thanked the mem
hers Of the jury for their AZ
,endsnc. and grsvely said that
though no evidence had been
.,,bn1itted. ne believed "ths at
nosphere had been cleared.
the referendum proViaing
for specially appointed grand
fury attorneys mas been neariy
forty years in the making Ny
Afacwhiggan recalled.