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VOLUME 89. No. 8 The Referendum Election On the 9th of May the governor announced through the public press that he had aet June 28th aa the date for a referendum election. There seema to be no provision In onr state constitution that-would authorize any governor to call aa election on any law or set of lawa that he might see fit'at any time without there first being- petitions filed asking for such an\eleetion. There were ne referendum petitions filed with the secretary of state at that time so the governor waa apparently a little premature with his announcement of the referendum election date. Referendum petitions containing 38,080 signatures, that have been circulated by the Independent Voters' Association, were filed with the Secretary of State May 13th. These petitions, as well as the Initiated petitions that were filed on April 1st, asked that the election be held on July 8th. The purpose of asking for the election on this date was to give the people all time, possible under the new constitutional amendment to discuss the laws In question. Also so that the initiated laws might be included in the same election which could be done without a single penny's additional cost. The governor Is quoted In connection with announcement of June 26th as the referendum election date as saying: "If I permitted this unfair initiative to be held at the same time as the referendum the voters would have before them at the same election two mill and elevator bills, and two home building bills. For instance, the people might, not understanding the proposition, vote for both the legislature's and the I. V. A. mill and elevator bill." If he i9 correctly quoted in this, he comes very near being a deliberate falsifier when he says that the people might vote for both the legislature's mill and elevator bill and the I. V. A. mill and elevator bill. At the initiative and referendum election which Is proposed by the Inde* pendent Voters' Association, the voters of North Dakota would vote for or against the initiated mill and elevator bill. If a majority of those voting on the proposition vote against the initiated mill and elevator law, the mill and elevator law as enacted by the last legislature stands in force. If a majority vote for the I. V. A. mill and elevator bill it becomes law in place of the law passed by the legislature. Tliey could not vote for both because both would not be on the ballot. The voters would only have to decide whether they preferred the initiated bill to the one that was enacted by the legislature. If so. they PICTURE WIRE LOCKS HASPS rt Sure Weve got" if? Paints too. COME STRAIGHT TO US WHEN YOU WANT ANYTHING IN THE HARDWARE LINE. HARDWARE IS OUR BUSINESS AND WE CARRY THE STOCK, SO YOU CAN ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT WHEN YOU WANT IT. WHEN YOU BUY FROM US YOU'LL COME BACK AGAIN BECAUSE YOU WILL BE SATISFIED WITH OUR PRICES USE OUR HARDWARE IT STANDS HARD WEAR. WE HAVE READY MIXED PAINTS IN ALL COLORS— OILS AND VARNISH TOO. J. H. McCollom NEW PERFECTION OIL COOK STOVES THE LONG BLUB CHIMNEY BURNERS —turn every drop cf oil into dean, intense heat and drive it full force, directly against the utensil None wasted—no smoke or odor. They give an abundance of perfsct cooking heat for every purpose—dclicious result:! Light and heat instantly—flame stays where set. 3,CCD,000 users. We'll bx glad to give you a demonsi/mictt of this high awing fUune. KING & SMITH W^r-1 KITCHEN TOOLS PICTURE W STAPLto tm as [mas WIRE-*, HQBK gpaii would vote for the Initiated bill if not, they would vote against it. That is simple enough, is it not, and fair a anything can be? The Initiative petitions In this case provide the only means by which the people will have a chance to vote on the subjects involved In each Initiated measure. It is a referendum by process of initiation and if the governor Ignores the Initiative petitions signed by more than 30,000 voters, he might as well say that he is opposed to giving the people a chance to vote at all. There can be only one mill and elevator bill, one home builders' bill and one rural credit bill. They can vote for or against each one. They cannot vote for two bills on the same subject when there is only one bill to vote on. It is very evident that the governor Is afraid of letting the people vote on the various laws In this way, fearing that'they might vote for what they want and get It without turning the state Into a socialistic experiment or building up a political machine which when once established, would be practically impossible to change without revolution and bloodshed. The governor's announcement Is consistent with his veto of the terminal elevator bill two years ago. Indeed, it Is consistent with the whole procedure of the gang that is trying to fasten Its tentacles on the people of this state for the next generation or more. They are not satisfied to try out new notions a step at the time as did the pioneers.of this state wlieu gradually transforming the barren prairies Into splendid homes which they now have. They tried out a few things at the time on a small scale and then went in a little deeper and deeper on what proved to be. good and discarded what proved to be bad. PLAY DAY The governor Is trying to create a condition by which the people shall be compelled to make him monarch of all North Dakota. He is apparently not willing to give the people a fair chance to try out a terminal mill and elevator law, home building law or rural credit law unless they will at the same time approve the industrial commission law and other laws that would give him more power over the people, schools, Industries and resources of this state than any king has anywhere in the world today. Possibly he is afruid of the nonpartisan election law which is also lnlttated. More than 80,000 people have signed the Initiative petitions. The governor certainly does not Intend to say that all of these people are political tricksters just because they petitioned for the initiation of the laws in question. North Dakota can have a fair and square trial of state ownership and operation of mill and elevators, a home building law or a rural credit law with a $10,00!,000 bond Issue to finance It, without approving the industrial commission hill or the State Bank bill. The State Bank was not a part of the original league pro gram. That is something that has been picked up like a lot of other stuff for the purpose of creating more political pap for the hungry ones that are now in the state and others that may be imported with the $200,000 immigration appro priation. Owing to the splendid co-operation of the teachers and children and the town where it was held, our first play day was one grand success. The citizens of Sharon are welcoming us to their town for Play Day this year Friday, June 6th. Will you, parents and teachers of Steele county, help us make this second Children's Day a day full of joy and benefit for the children of this county? It is going to mean hard work and some sacri fice, but the children are worth that for after all they are the most im portant item in this world. All that the original league program has said about state banks was this: "Rural credit banks operated at cost." What the majority of the people had in mind when this expression was used was something similar to the ltaffasen rural credit system now In operation In parts of Europe. The governor Is also quoted as saying: "These bills, both Initiated and referred, would go on the ballot by title only, and it would be impossible for all or even a large per cent oftlie voters, in the short time that remains, to become familiar with the text of both referred and initiated bills that they can cast an Intelligent ballot by voting in each case for one of the bills and against the other, the titles of both, as they would appear on the ballot, being so nearly alike." In this connection it should be remembered that the constitution as now amended makes the following provision with reference to getting all Initiated and referred measures before the people in such a way that there shall be ample opportunity to become .familiar with the various measures: "All measures submitted to the electors shall be published by the state as follows: 'The secretary of state shall cause to be printed and mailed to each elector a pub licity pamphlet, containing a copy of each measure together with its ballot title, to be submitted to any election. Any citizen, or the officers of any organi zation, may submit to the secretary of state for publication in such pamphlet, arguments concerning any measure therein, upon first .subscribing their names and addresses thereto and paying the fee therefor, which, until otherwise fixed by the legislature, shall be the sum of two hundred dollars per page." The law providing for the state publicity pamphlet, recites that a copy of it shall be sent to every voter In the State of North Dakota at least i!0 days before the election, and that a copy of arguments concerning any measure shall be in the hands of the secretary of state not later than fifty days before the election. Does the governor mean to say that the voters of the state will know more about the laws that they are expected to live under, if copies of them are not printed and placed in their hands with arguments pro and con, as will be the case if the Initiative and referendum election is held as has been petitioned for? The governor by denying an election on any law or laws or culling the election about two weeks earlier than the date petitioned for, deprives the voters of just that much more of an opportunity to becojue thoroughly informed. Is he afraid of the people when the get Informed? The last week of June and the first week of July Is a part of the best time of the year in North Dakota for the holding of public meetings to discuss puhlia questions. The Fourth of July is an especially valuable occasion for the dis cussion of public questions. If the election is held on June 20th, the people will be deprived of these two valuable weeks of public discussion. But that, is not any worse thnn when the governor urged the 1917 legislature to immediately pass House Bill 44 and do it before they had a chance to read over the bill. If 44 was proposed for adoption now, it would get the approval of only the kind of people who feel that the world is going wrong If they are not shouting for a fanatic of some kind. Why the hurry now? Sincerely, AAGOT RAAEN, Co. Supt. of Schools. BUBOH LOCALS Mrs. A. L. Stewart went to Valley City Wednesday evening returning Monday. Bob Mitchell was a caller in town Monday afternoon. He went to Hope that evening and from there will' go to Montana. Conrad Sund, of Pickert, called on relatives in town a few days last week. Leslie Jones, of Finley, was a vis itor in town Monday. Adelaide Martinson is out of school on account of scarlet fever. Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Burner and daughters, Lucille and Evelyn, spent Sunday at Gobel's. Mr. and Mrs. M. T. Langager were Sharon 'visitors Thursday. HOPE, STEELE COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA, MAY lfi, 1919 $2.00 per year, 5 Cts. per copy and fruits, always fresh. Spring and Summer UNDERWEAR JUSTICE FOR THE POSTER PARENTS OF OUR CHILDREN It is strange that the generous hearted American people, who pour ed out their riches so prodigally in response to every patriotic, every charitable appeal, and who accorded such enthusiastic and liberal support to every measure and to every group that helped win the war, should have neglected to properly encourage and reward the services of one of the noblest professions in the field of hiunan activities—a profession that in lofty ideals, in unselfish principles in sacred responsibilities, stands side by side with the ministry of the Gos pel itself. Our new lines of men's, women's and child ren's spring and summer underwear are now open and on display at our store. We have a fine as sortment and are making attractive prices. We wish to especially to call your attention to "LADY SEALPAX" UNDERWEAR We wish to bespeak, with what ever power and authority we may have and with such words as may be granted to us, some measure of con sideration for the foster fathers and mothers of our children—the school teachers of the United States of A merica. There is no class of workers of which we demand so much. We commit into their keeping the minds, You are invited to come to The Economy Store for your candy, ice cream, soft drinks, Just what the ladies have long been wanting. SHOES OXFORDS and PUMPS For the ladies we have the famous MARTHA WASHINGTON Also a nice line of cigars, tobacco, stationery, and variety goods. New goods coming daily. F. W. RUPPELIUS, Prop. Line of high kid shoes, oxfords, pumps, and comfort slippers. .We have just the shoes you want for the child ren's summer wear. Tan shoes and oxfords with rubber soles and heels. Our line is also complete in men's dress shoes in black, cordovan and spartan calf. If you are in need of any of the above articles, come in and look them over. We are here to look after and satisfy your wants. KRAABEL & KRAABEL the bodies, and the very souls of our children in the tender and formative years of their lives, and they, re ceiving these children, can indeed be said to hold in the hollow of their hands the future of America. We expect these devoted men and women to watch over and care for our sons and daughters as tho they were their very own, to drill them in the arts and sciences, to train them for busi ness and for citizenship, to Instruct them in manners and in morals, to do for them those things which we would do had we the training and the leisure. No class has assumed so heavy, so trying a burden and a responsibility with such willingness as these con secrated men and women. No class has perfomed their increasingly hea vy tasks more devotedly, more con scientiously, and with less thought of self. No class served their coun try more wholeheartedly, more loyal ly during the trying and tempestu ous times of war, day by day pursu ing their round of duty, day by day helping the young people, and: thru (Concluded on Page 8)