The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-05-28
THE SWISS REFERENDUM.

Especial Paper Read by l.. p. OF Glass Ed
The question is. would the system known as
the Swiss Referendum improve the government of
the United States" To state it briefly, the Ref
erendum is the reference of proposed laws to the
people for their or approval.
l am not prepared to assert that our govern
ment would not be improved in respects by
the introduction of the Swiss system of allowing
the people to pass judgment upon proposed leg
islation; but. taken the whole, think that the
general application of such system would be a
clog upon country's progress.
In the first place, hold that the United States
is the best governed country in the world. There
fore, its system of government must be superior
to that of any other country. Then why should
we adopt from another country a system under
which that country has not advanced above
own? 1t is true that our government is no more
the embodiment of all perfection than any one
man is the embodiment of all wisdom Each form
of government possesses some excellence pecu-
liar to ITSELF but that particular good point might
be positive evil in every other form of govern
mont that would attempt its incorporation. l do
not that our system of government could not be
improved by Incorporating some of the excellent
features of other forms of government but here
is the trouble, to judge just what may adopt
without endangering our whole governmental
structure. Our government is constructed after a
plan and we cannot make radical changes without
altering that plan. Now. to incorporate the Ref
erendum would be change of the most radical
nature, and would revolutionze our whole system.
This would not be desirable, for 1 have al.
ready said, our government, with all its imper.
fections, is the best earth to-day, and is ad-
mitted to be such by the profoundest thinkers of
over as the land of freedom. peace and plenty;
and hundreds of thousands of the oppressed of
other nations are seeking refuge here.
But what are the particular ills of the United
States that the Referendum would cure? We be-
leve that the greatest evil under our government
to-day. and the parent of all other evils COM
planned of, is the unlawful use of money. To ex-
press the nature of the unlawful uses Of money
by which the aims of good government are de-
feated in this country we will include them under
the general term bribery. Would the Referendum
prevent bribery? or. in other words, would the
Referendum stamp out the corruptve power of
gold? 1t is said to have done in Switzerland
and that the administration of the government of
that country is exact expression of the I'M
bribed sentiment of majority of the people
That may be true. The same cannot be said of
jority of our people is decidedly against the tend
ENJOY of the administration of our government
The people say that the ablest and purest men do
not have the making and administering of the
laws. but that only the money bags and those
who will do the bidding of the money bags" have
that power. If it is not the will of the majority
that it should be thus, why is it so? Does not the
majority rule in this country? Evidentially it does
not. Why not? There is but one answer. Many
of the men whom it delegates to carry out its will
are incompetent or corrupt, and instead of serv-
ing their electors they the selfish interests
of individuals. cliques and rings. Would the
Referendum do away with this evil? We are told
that it has done this very thing in Switzerland.
If understand rightly, our laws are good as
good those of Switzerland, and that the evils
complained of are in the administration of the
laws But the Referendum would only enable US
to control the making of laws. If it would give us
greater power to control the administrators of
the laws. then should advocate its adoption.
Plainly the only means we can have of purify
ing our government is by purifyingthe ballot box;
and means have been found tor doing that in this
state at least by the adoption of the Australian
system of securing to each man perfect liberty
and security in the casting of his ballot at the
polls. This is, think. the one way by which the
majority will finally come to rule in fact instead
of in name only. The Referendum could not give
the people moro intelligence in voting than they
have now. and it is intelligence they need to en-.
able them to make proper use of the powers they
already have.
Mr.. Sullivan, the author Of. the Chautauquar
article tells that the Referendum sin all parts
of Switzerland has scotched the Lpolitcian; in
some parts it has buried him." If Mr.. Sullivan
has in mind the place-seeking politician dis
tinguished from the true politician I say let vi
import the Referendumsas our political under