The morning call., 1893-01-15
THE BALL ROLLING.
Peoples Party Initiative
Meeting.
THEY WANT BETTER LAWS.
The New Movement Starts Off With
a Big Boom and Gains Many
Followers.

The Peoples party movement In favor OF
the initiative and referendum received a
r0using send-Off at the Metropolitan Tenn
pie last night. The meeting was a success
full one as far as setting the bali rolling was
concerned and enthusiasm ran high in the
well-flled hall. The addresses by Hon.
Frank Dixon of Oakland and Hon. T. V.
Gator were not without effect and 1t may
safely be said that the speech made by the
former gentleman was by long odds the
most eloquent. impressive and in every way
the best address that has been made at a
Peoples party meeting in San Francisco.
The main object of this movement is to so
amend the constitution of the United States
as to submit all laws to the people be-
fore they are finally placed upon the
statutes and this was fully explained at the
opening of the meeting by Jake Hartman,
who occupied the chair.
The State Legislature. said the chairman,
could be bought on almost any question and
1t was the large corporations which gov
erned this country. He urged that the
power should be taken from the politicians
ana placed in the hands of the people. The
greatest mistake free nation ever made
was to place the social power in the hands
Of their representatives, who should only be
the executive officers OF the people.
Mr.. Gator then took the stand he said
that he would be willing to sacrifice all the
other propositions of the Peoples party in
favor Of this movement, which he charac-
terized as the grandest question that had
ever been put to the people tor their con-
sIderatiOn.
The United States has never had a
democratic form of government and the
DeclaI alton of Independence was living
liz xyd nnr it,v ha ryh IF IN
make their own laws to govern themselves.
The Peoples party comes TO the front with
this new movement to bring the government
OF the nation in direct line with the grand
principles laid down by George Washington
and his colleagues over hundred years
ago. The sovereignty of the Anne lean
people is In the hands of the people, and the
people should be the sOvereigns and not
elect sovereign to rule them at his desp0tc
will.
This movement only asks for the modifi-
cation Of section ] Of article Nv OF the
legislative department. 1t does not ask
that any matter shall be brought before the
people. but that the citizens when they see
fit shall have the right to demand that they
shall be the ruling sovereigns, or to express
it more simply, remove the power OF attor-
ney which every voter places in the hands
OF the legislators and have the privilege of
passing on all matters which concern them
before they become law.
Rev Frank Dixon was then introduced.
He said that the present venture of the
Peoples party was the first instance in the
history of the United States where the peo-
pie were trying to get themselves on pure
democratic basis. People have been trying
every form of government since the
world began till they have got to
class of people elected to represent
the people, but who represent everything
else but the people Corruption Is found
all the way down from Washington TO the
most puny town Council in the backwOOds.
Representative government is at present
founded on the dlstrust of the people. and
some change must be made.
1t is claimed by Legislators that the masses
are too ignorant to make laws, and IL so 1t
would be better to disenfranchise them.
This initiative step of the Peoples party
Is in the direction Of simplifying govern
ment The laws of the country are too
complex, and if man wants to take
single legal step he must employ a lawyer
to take it for him. The laws should be so
clear that an ordinary business man should
be able to understand them. The simpler
the constitution becomes the greater pro-
lection it gives the people.
The Inauguration of this movement would
compel intelligence. 1t would so educate
the people to govern themselves that it
would be necessary that they should under
stand the laws of the nation. All legisla-
tive powers are corrupt and the speaker
cited several well-RnOwn instances, and
closed with the remark that there is 10
power on earth that can be trusted except
the people themselves.
4 resolution indorsing the object of the
meeting was adopted. and the meeting
closed.