The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-03

banks and railroads" can be pulled down
In one great voting swoop?" / will state
it briefly susceptible of speedy applica-
ton to the state of Minnesota. Suppose
we had constitutional provision by which
whenever the voters of this state should
present a petition signed by one-ffth OF the
voting population to the governor, asking
the submission of a certain law alrsa
in force or a proposed law to the popular
vote, then it should be done matter
OF course, and the majority should deter
mine whether such law shall be rejected
or adopted, is it not very apparent that
this would enable to pull down a pluto
cratic government in one great voting
sNouu?
Now, tbs is what is known as the optimal
referendum. 1t is probable it should be
adopted, in order to gain the desired pur-
pose together with the form of referendum
known obligatory. The latter requires
the legislature to submit certain PROPOSE
tons to the direct vote of the people before
they can become laws. 1t will hardly be
doubted that if the people could make their
own laws in this manner, the farmers
would long ago have had their warehouse
and elevator law and the people would not
have been overruled by their own supreme
court. 1t would be impossible for any rail-
road company, wheat ring or other corrupt
conlbinatio to obtain advantages by legis-
lative bribery, or snap Legislation or any
ployed by them The objection cannot be
successfully made to this system that 1t
is new and untried. On the contrary,
similar system has been applied to Swtzer-
land for many years, and has been emf
nently successful. The objection that Swift
zerland is small in area and population
and SO readily responsive to system
which cannot be applied to the larger area
and populations in America, is also incom-
petent. Switzerland has nearly two and
half times the population of Minnesota
and is twice the size of the state OF New
Jersey. 1t is probable that the control of
national Legislation by the people can be
most conveniently and effectively secured
by the plan involving the demand by petit
ton. All this has been attempted and in
some forms actually tried in the United
States, but in limited degree. The prac-
tice of petitioning the government to enact
certain legislation has been common since
the foundation of this government ana is
in fact the only method by which most
of our citizens can make their wants
known to the law making body. Since the
war the rapid and pernicious growth or
the lobby and its sustanment by monopo-
lies, trusts and corporations, has crowded
the petition out and made its use fafclcal.
The petition was all that was left to the
poor in the direction of legislative control.
The worllmen of this country, the pro-
ducers and distributors, have so little IN
fuence through their petitions that they
may we'll be said to have no voice at all.
The lobby kills the petition. The initiative
of legislation proposes that the petition
must be recognized if signed by sufrcient
number of voters, and the proposition must
be submitted to the people as matter OF
course This plan destroys the lobby, ana
restores the government to the people 1.
makes the right of petition operative II
invests that right of petition, which mas
been recognized ever since John Quincy
Adams time, with practical value.
The referendum is not new to America.
1t has been adopted in many states IN a
limited degree, and it is worthy of especial
note that it's adoption has been calculated
to protect the liberty of the citizens ana
preserve the republic. 1t has always peeli
found that the people can better be trusted
to legislate wisely and we'll on the pflncl-
pie of equality than can any special class
or selected few. Examples of the referen-
dunn are found in the following cases: Con-
stitutional amendments now so 10 the peo-
pie for vote in every state except Deia-
ware. Among matters which the people
vote upon directly at the present time are
provisions for their constitution prohibiting
| or regulating the liquor traffic; prohibiting
| or chartering lotteries; determining tax
| rates; esta bishing legal rate OF interest;
| fixing the salaries of public officials; draw
| ing up railroad and other corporation regu-
| lations, and defining the relations OF nus
| bands to wives and of debtors to creditors
| In 10 states. until submitted to popular
vote. no law changing the location OF the
| capital is valid; in seven, no laws for the
| incurrence of debts, excepting Such as are
specified in the constitution, and no excess
| of casual deficits beyond stipulated
| sum; in several, no rate of assessment eX-
| ceeding a figure. proportiOnate to the ag-
| gregate valuation of the taxable property.
Without the referendum Illinois cannot sell
| its state canal: Minnesota cannot pay in
terest or principal OF the Minnesota rail-
| roads. Many other instances can be cited,
| and in every one of them it will at once
| occur to the thoughtful mind the referen-
| dunn was and is the refuge of the people
| from the Wholesale robbery practiced by
| a few
What the Peoples party wants is to eX-
| tend this principle to all important branches
| of legislation. We thing it will prevent
| fraud just as it has prevented it in the
| instances cited and it has done effectu-
ally in Switzerland, where it has been most
| widely applied Get the initiative and refer
| endum adopted and the people will soon
| express their views upon the silver ques-
| ton, upon the tariff, upon the sugar trust,
upon the interstate commerce law, upon
| the proposition to extend the payment of
| Union Pacific bonds so years, upon the rail-
| road question, upon the civil service syS-
tenn, upon reciprocity, upon the currency
| question, etc. They will express their ap-
| prevail of just laws and their disapproval
| of unjust ones
| No Hobbies, no bribery, no public grants,
| no squandering of public domain no fraud
| ulent contracts could successfully run the
| gauntlet of the popular vote.
| | hope the readers of the Representative
| will examine the subject deliberately. be-
| cause therein lies the salvation of this re-
| public. FRANCIS H. CLARKE.
| st. Paul, Sept. %.