1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Colorado

COLORADO (see ). The pop. of the state in 1920 was 939,629; in 1910, 799,024—an increase of 140,605, or 17.6% as compared with 48% in the preceding decade. Native-born were 83.8% in 1919, whites 98%, negroes and Indians numbered 12,935, and there were 3,736 Chinese and 2,300 Japanese. The density of pop. increased from 7.7 persons to the sq.m. in 1910 to 9.1 in 1920. The decay of mining towns altered the balance between urban and rural pop.; in 1920 the urban pop. was 48.2%, the rural 51.8%; in 1910 the urban 50.7% and the rural 49.3%. The pop. in 1920 of the six cities then having a pop. of over 10,000, their pop. for 1910 and the percentage of increase, were:&mdash;

History.&mdash;A special session of the Legislature in 1910 submitted to the voters a constitutional amendment adopting initiative and referendum, which was ratified in Nov. of that year. The same special session adopted a primary election law, providing for direct nominations by the people of candidates for the U.S. Senate, Representatives in Congress, and all elective state, district, county, ward and precinct officers, as well as members of the state Legislature. This Act provided for party assemblies, at which party candidates might be designated to seek nominations in the primaries, every candidate receiving 10% or more of the votes of the delegates to the assembly being certified by the assembly as a candidate to enter the primaries. It was also provided that persons not entering the assembly might become candidates for any of the offices above mentioned by petition, the number of signers required being 300 for any official who is to serve any political district in the state greater than a county and 100 for other officials. The expense of candidates in such primaries was limited by the Act and severe penalties were provided for violations. In 1911 an Act was passed providing for registration of voters for all elections to be held in the state except school elections, and providing severe penalties for false registration and other violations of the Act. In Nov. 1912 the people approved amendments to the state constitution providing for recall of elective officials and, in certain cases, for the recall of judicial decisions. An Act proposed by initiative was passed at the same time, providing for a ballot without party headings.

The voters adopted in Nov. 1914 an amendment to the state constitution prohibiting the sale and manufacture of intoxicating liquor, which became effective Jan. 1 1916. The Legislature at its regular session in 1917 petitioned Congress to adopt an amendment to the Federal Constitution to prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors in the United States, and the prohibition amendment to the Federal Constitution was ratified by the Colorado Legislature in regular session Jan. 15 1919.

The Legislature in 1919 passed an Act providing for a budget system in making appropriations and creating a state budget and efficiency commissioner. The first budget prepared under this Act was presented to the Legislature in 1921. The Legislature in 1921 passed amendments to the constitution, for submission to the voters, proposing the extension of the tenure of state and county officers from two to four years. A proposal was submitted to the voters for a convention to revise the state constitution, this action being simultaneous with the failure of a series of Acts urged by the governor for the reform and consolidation of executive offices and boards. Persistent advocacy by the governor secured the passage of laws for reëstablishment and encouragement of a national guard, for a department of safety with a force of rangers as a state police force, and for a substantial appropriation to be available to suppress riots.

There were a number of serious labour disturbances between 1910 and 1920, some of them marked by violence and virtual insurrection which had to be put down by the military forces. A notable contribution to better relations between capital and labour was the industrial representation plan put into effect by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in the properties of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co. in 1916. Employees, by districts and classified groups, elect representatives who have the right to confer with executives on all questions affecting wages, conditions of employment and operation, and general welfare. The success of the system in Colorado has had marked influence on similar large industrial organizations elsewhere.

In 1910 the state administration was in the hands of the Democratic party, with Joseph H. Shafroth as governor. The Democrats again elected a governor in 1912, Elias M. Ammons, a result largely due to the split in the Republican party throughout the nation. In 1914 George A. Carlson, Republican, was chosen governor. He was succeeded by Julius C. Gunter, Democrat, elected in 1916 when the leadership of President Wilson on international issues made his party dominant in the states, largely through women's votes. A reunited Republican party, profiting by popular reaction on war issues, elected Oliver H. Shoup as

governor in 1918, and reëlected him in 1920 with an increased majority and a Legislature almost completely Republican.

During the World War, approximately 45,000 men from Colorado served in the army, navy and marine corps, of whom about 22,000 had been drafted. There were in the state 698,169 subscriptions to the Liberty and Victory loans, amounting to $144,813,550, which was 24% more than the quota.

Bibliography.&mdash;Wilbur Fiske Stow, History of Colorado (three vols., 1918); Jerome C. Smiley, Semicentennial History of Colorado (1913); Irving Howbert, Indians of the Pike's Peak Region (1914); Prof. James F. Willard, Union Colony of Greeley (State Univ. Hist. Collections, 1918); Enos A. Mills, Spell of the Rockies (1911), Rocky Mountain Wonderland (1915), In Beaver World (1913). Your National Parks (1917); E. Parsons, Guide Book to Colorado (1911); A. C. Carson, Colorado, the Top of the World (1912); Mae Lacy Baggs, Colorado, the Queen Jewel of the Rockies (1918); Alice Palk Hill, Colorado Pioneers in Picture and Story (1915).