St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-04-19
SWISS REFERANOUM.
The Ballot Laws OF Little
Switzerland Vigorously
Discussed.
Prof. FolWell and Others Dis
course Interestingly
Thereon.
p 3pub iclls Arrange or Two
CoLv. mt o IS { nd O.. e Sc
OF Delegates.
Attitude OF Minis ters Toward
the PooP--A Minneapolis
Man COINED"


The Union league rooms last night
were crowded to the doors. the occasion
being general discussion Of the So
called swiss Referendum" Several
members Of the Republican state CEN
trail committee were present, also a
political science club Of the state
university. Prof. Falwell, Of the latter
organization, led the discussion,
with paper containing a
brief. though exhaustive explain
alton OF the 'Teferandun" law In
voyage in Switzerland. The ''RefeFan-
dunn" he stated, dated from the time Of
the old Swiss confederation, though its
general adoption was in 1880. There
are twenty-five states or cantons IN the
little Kingdom. some of which are abso-
lutte demOcracies. where people meet
in the open air and and pass upOn laws.
Other states are so composed That meas
ures and laws are formulated by the
legislature and passed upon by the
people. This does not refer 10 all laws,
but questions that are consttu-
tlonal must 20 10 the people,
while i'm some cases it Is option
OF not: for instance, such as increasing
the army or referring to the school sys-
TEN. However ia the strict application
Of the word. the "Referandum" means
tile submitting OF any general law To
the people for acceptance or rejection,
provided ; per cent of the voters ask
such submission. Prof. FOlwellS
paper was scholarly one, and dealt
with the subject In hand in a vigorous
and brilliant manner. A species Of
"Referandum," he said, exists III
this country, and the central
idea may be recognized in the
submitting of constitutional amend
meHts TO the people, The local option
question was AN eXemplilicatiOn Of the
idea. In fact, the professor maintained,
that referendum" Is so constantly re-
sorted to here that it may be said to
form part Of the constitution. In local
and state matters the people are gradu-
ally embracing the idea more and more,
partly through their dlstrust OF the leg
islature. augmented. perhaps, by the
attitude Of both the press and pulpit to-
wards the legislative body. The legis-
laturc itself Is very often released from
an embarrassing position by referring
questions that it does not fully
understand 10 the people. But
Prof. FOwell thought it better 10
stop the sitting process and form some
regular manner for performing proper
legislation through the people them
selves, The statesmen and Legislators
would have plenty TO do in drafting
SOUND laws, for necessarily all details
would have to be left to them. In
Switzerland the Referendum" had
proven itself success; itdiyOrced poll
ties from legislation, and had whole
some and purifying effect. The people,
he said, can be trusted to not abuse
their franchise, and cOnstitatiOnally
organized form of ''Referandun" would
be far better than the wild growth that
has sprung up.
When Prof Folwel had concluded his
excellent dissertation the question was
thrown open for general discussion.
Senator j. A. fancy, of WinOna, in eX
pressing his opinion, said lie did not
think 1t advisable to extend the refer
endum" beyond its present practice
here. at least for the time being. mas
much as there was such vast amount
Of legislation necessary, owing TO the
comparative newness of the state, also
so many nati0nalities represented. The
latter reason was in his opinion potent
one, from the reason that so many diff
licutes would arise in the proper un-
derstanding of the laws to be acted
upon. Prof. Judson, of the university,
believed that the Swiss law would have
a peculiar effect on the legislature.
here, from the fact that it would reduce
politics 10 minimum. The Legislators
in Switzerland. because of this law, are
elected, not because OF politics, but
because of sound business judgment
and experience, rendering them compe-
tent to draft sound laws. AS to diff
culties arising in the application of the
law because of the many different ma
tionalties represented in the state. he
was OF the opinion that they could be
Oyerridden, for the law would have an
cducatiye effect. II would educate the
people to fully understand their suf-
TRACE.
A. ID. Stevens, of CrookstOn, mem
Der Of the central committee, said that
he believed the inauguration of the IRE
ferendum" would make class legislation
a thing of the past and relegate dema-
gogues to oblivion. II such a thing
could be done, he would advocate an
addendum to the law, prohibiting those
who are uneducated and cannot speak
the English language from exercising
their franchise until they have fully
fitted themselves to understand the
same. Among other wholesome effects
the law would have, according to Mr..
Stevens, is the doing away with the
pernicious gerrymander. Col. Edwards,
in speaking on the subject, expressed
himself as being against adopting
the referendum" system. There was
enough of it in vogue here now. Wilt
lam Henry Eustis was of exactly the
opposite opinion. 1t was an excellent
theory. he said, and he was convert to
it. If it would divorce politics from
legislation it ought TO come at once.
BY applying it, the race of so-called poll
ticlans would become wholly extinct
Several other gentlemen discussed the
question, some pro and some con. The
fundamental laws of legislation were
turned over from Alpha to Omega, and
altogether the meeting was an interest
ing one