The record-union., 1893-02-21
THE REFERENDUM PROPOSED.


! THE REFERENDUM PROPOSED.
| The present Constitution is too easily
amended as it is. But here comes an
Assembly proposition to amend Article
| XVIII, so as to provide that an amend
ment may be proposed by majority, in
stead of two-thirds-as at present-of the
members of each house.
There is nothing to be said whatever
for this proposition, because it tends to
render less stable the organic act. But it
is mild compared with the attempt made
to initiate the Swiss Referendum, as pro-
posed in Section 2 of the suggested amend
ment.
By that section any amendment to the
Constitution must be submitted to a vote
of the people, if 10 per cent. of the quail
fed electors of the State-on the basis of
the aggregate votes cast at the general
election next preceding-petition the
Governor to submit any proposition set
out in the petition. If it should happen
that a number of amendments to the same
section should be petitioned for, then only
that is to be submitted which is signed
for by the greatest number of electors.
This is not the referendum proper, not
such as we understand obtains in Swift
zerland. The conditions and form of gov
ernment there widely differ from those
of this republic. The plan now suggested
would open up to political demagogues,
crazy reformers and promoters of all
manner of wild-eyed schemes, means to
keep the voters constantly in hot water
and the State laws in constant confusion.
Under this scheme at every general cleo
ton we would be exposed to the danger
Gus and difficult task of Constitution
making. The ease with which signers to
petitions can be obtained here, the diff
Guilty with which they can be obtained in
Switzerland; the exceeding willingness
of our people to sign petitions simply to
avoid annoyance and to get rid of petition
canvassers, would tend to keep US at the
task of Constitution patching. We should
never know when we had a stable con-
stitutional system; just how far property
and life were protected or endangered, or
Just what guarantee there would be for
investment, from one year to another.
The good of the people is promoted by
the least legislation consistent with the
absolute needs of orderly government
and growing community. These inter
ests are conserved by an organic law
changeable not with ease, but with such
difficulty as to encourage great delibera-
ton and perfectly cool study of every
proposition. To make it matter of
small labor to patch the Constitution and
keep the people in constant turmoil over
the work, is to greatly endanger develop
ment and arrest healthy political and ma
teriaI growth in such land as ours.
The referendum is not without positive
merits among the Swiss and it is believed
by many of the best thinkers that it can,
in time to come, be introduced into our
system with profit. Without passing
now upon that thought the bill in ques-
ton does not propose wise or feasible
litical science in this day of our history.
In Switzerland, where the social and
political conditions are peculiar. under
the referendum enactments of the Canton
or Confederation legislative bodies may
be submitted to a vote of the whole body
of the people. Where the Constitution
provides that the legislative work of the
Grand Council shall be submitted to the
popular vote, it is called the compulsory
referendum: where a certain number of
the electors of the Cantonal govern
ment petition for it, theIlegislative Act
must be submitted to the people.
The optional referendum relates either
to constitutional amendment or ratifica-
ton of legislative Acts. The Federal
chambers may submit any proposition to
the peOp4e, aAO d hlOAouAO III iO1e DS SUI
mitted when $4,000 citizens petition for it.
At this time the best minds in SWISS
craftsmanship are in favor of receding
| from the referendum as an initiative of
legislative proposal on constitutional sub
iects, though that system has not yet
been on trial two years.
We are not prepared in this country for
such an experiment as the Swiss entered
upon in July, 1891. Here the balance
is as yet better preserved by retaining the
initiative in legislative chambers rather
than by committing it to a population so
cosmopolitan as is ours, and where inter-