The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-03-10

rial at direct legislation. -Four pro-
posed municipal laws, deemed desiEg-
Die By sums OF the ciiizrus, were SUBJ
mitted 10 Q, popular vote OH tlle end u
january. THE Hrst Of these proposi-
tions WIS: --ssliaIl the city have Tree
ibraryy'' The second: shall licensed
bars he closed aJ z p. mp The third;
-Shug tile city purchase au electric
light plant, not 10 cost uIurs than $50
OUUY'' The fourth: .sShali the wards
OF tile city be reduced To rOury' IN
view of tie then approaching election,
tile contents eft The London Daily Id
gertissr Of December 2Ist were mighty
interesting. The hrst column Of Jle
4drsrtissr's editorial page contained
fac siuiles Of the ballots % be used ia
voting OH the four Questions The
second aisd third colu,anss contained
editorial comments Oh JIFset1eSisia-
ton as "a political principle and Ou its
application ia London GA that ogesl-
s.Uu- The drsL page contained "a mum
| Der Of letters from citizens fbT and
ugainst tile several proposed measures.
| rn,st Is TO say: Esrst, the newspaper
naturally becAus the medium of coz
rect information AS 10 tie methods 10
/ be- followed Dy the citizens iu voting
hence the fac SMILES; secondly, 1t cOu-
hHed ITS editorial remarks TO the priu-
etJles and measures involved m Tie
{. ectiou. neither il nor ths people car
/ ins sugJs about their Intermediates
ln Jaw making, since the citizens thsHi-
selves were Co settle the moOted ques-
tons; thirdly, The newspaper became
the forum fOt popular debate, even
wuuep and other uou-voters having
therein their voice and iuIIusuee,
Unler direct legislation, ths Pened-
cent power Of the press vastly increases
THIS peweT cannot be restricted u
any class Of newspapers, siucs news
papers VIII spring iuto existence fOI
amy set of rslders desiring to promote
amy political idea. When msn chem
selves vote directly Oh subject, they
weigh the nesssuTe ghey are TO vote Oh.
and lts9iCs they read the newsP.t psrs
9Th Iu enhanced Interest and watch
fuIness. The newspaper managers
therefore. employ their enterprise h
Offering % their readers isle,ts pertinent
To the subjects debated, rather tnIu
gossip about politicians and guesse7 a..
u Ihe characters of candidates.
When tile legislation is in The hauds
OF "a far-om representative Legislature.
propositions Of law made through lh,
press nave but slight show of being
T effectively considered. But when On,
legislation is i'm the hands at the citi
70 lshfP, such propositions become DOS.
81 ,jliIIes Of fitct. recently wrote q
"a friend la Geneva, Switzerland. sug
costing THAT, now That lHe euutan Iiat
the initiative, the workiugmeu might
propose municipal pueblo hands fol
humssites and au electric road from
the heart OF the city of Geneva to Ga,
- public land. Ny friend Thought the
workers of the city were as yet hardly
educated up 70 thus conception of theil
; rights. But 1 have just received q
Geneva paper in which the proposition
b il printed, with comments which show
that the idea is taken seriously by jhs
editor, and may grow 70 be t publ,
question:.
Direct legislation practIccd iu eacI
civilized country would make all sucl
countries one democracy, each par
wing with every other part la practic
ing advanced methods. What is uuW
true Of the civilized commercial world
that tie G'usL pUuEtgbls ideas ia in
dustTy and trad rapidly spread every
'vhere-s"gld tbsn be possible iu tha
puiiticnl world IH all lWuds public
spirited men would call attention 20
the latest Developments Of other de-
mHcr8cies, and, since tile general inter
est would llepHnd them, these devel-
oPmen's would DO sdgpJsL wherever
they WoHlh be needed. What every
where Stands in the WHY or such Ealiti.
cal success is the special interests II
tie privileged clssses.-J. ~. AlsElsran.
IN IEceasisah G'eHtvru.