The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-21

taxes. the prohibition Of the liquor hafiie.
aud the extension Of the suhTage. In eyerJ
stats Of this union, sHospt Delaware, Ia
recognition Of the democratic priaoipie Of
Law making by topular vote, and. In the
older states, such has been ths practice for
more than century. All the states, en-
CO - the one named. decide by popular vote
whsther they shall have a new form OF
state government" After showing how re
cent state constitutions had largely shorn
legislatures Of their power, MI. Lyman
said:
The right Of the psopls 10 propose laws
IL 80 self evident 10 those Who believe Ia
the riRht Of the people 20 pass upon laws
that. 10 those who accept the Teferendum'
the addressing OF an argument for the ini-
tiative seems absurd. Tho growth OF DEM
oorAcy Ia recent years. the assumption on
every side bT the citizens OF their right 10
pass al eotiy upon laws tsa plain admls
sion Of she shortcomings ana FAILURES OF
representative eovsrnmsnt and We eanno.
long have that limited form OF refefenau m
only IN which disc edited representative
bodies slon0 shall submit roposed laws TO
The people. Tha right TO submit laws 10 as
sacred and necessary "a the right TO pass
upon them, The referendum and the IN
itiAtive go together. aud a people who have
the one will not be denied the other.
/ No doubt we should have trouble
/ IA adopting the Swiss plan Ia
this country. In parts OF our
own sparso.y settled state 10 might be Inn
| possible 30 give 10 full play. Az nTat, per-
haps. We could only emp OF "a In more
thiokly settled communities. and as TO more
Important laws.
msn are created equal no doubt q great
many wiseacfes shrugged their shoulders
/ and said, that Is all very we'll as prin-
oiple, but there are 80 many difficulties In
/ the way that you will never be able 90
| establish a government on that basis,
/ Well, 10 took IA 100 years TO establish that
| principle, but We did H. | do not suppose,
| II W. begin to declare for the principle OF
the initiative and the referendum In our
conventions aud party platforms, that va
shall - once see IL universally adopted, OF
perfectly successful; Ne shall dad many
! obstacles In our pathway, aud 10 may
be years before No roach the result.
achieved In Switzerland, where venality and
/ legislative bribery aud misrepf esentstivs
! Legislatures are now happily thing OF the
past. Nor would 10 be feasible or desirable,
| or necessary, that We should every where
resort 10 she primitive meth )da in vogue in
this country. In remote rural districts ~
might still see the oIsn-alr ssssmblies. and
/ hsar the debates OF VILLAGE Hampdens. bot
In large Part the omniyoTous and onnipres-
ent newspaper would do what u has already
done in large degree and make the orator
rather the occasional ornament than che
everyday necessity. hope We may never
see the final meeting Ia those beautiful
/ swiss meadows where the aun-k Kissed noun
tain peaks look down upon Gods own de-
mocTacy. Bat / cherish no rose -coloTed illu-
siona that We shall implant these primitive
and touching customs IN ninstsenth
century America. The railroad. the
telegraph, the telephone, the newspaper
| have made it unnseeasaFy that large con-
stituenoiss should anywhere assemble In
mass convention to propose OF adopt laws.
| 1 woald smphaaizs tnia point because / OBJ
| serve that sOma Of the criticisms made
! against the adoption of the swiss system
here 10 that IL is not practicable. We have
/ printing presses and mails, and every voter
can have placed before him At iuoOnsidera-
BILE cost every proposed Law upon which he
! 10 called 10 vote.
shall We in Montana adopt the new re-
form, aud how and whsfsl Yes. by all
means. here and now. In what state could
/ We more o. uthfully declare that r0preasEta-
tive ROveTnmsnt has become . farce than IN
our own commonwealth, where The hsada oil
| one-ban out people are bent In ahams
Whenever the name Of orr state legislature
| Is mentioned, and the heads OF nearly an
other half are bowed TO the yoke Of = polii-
/ teal boss. For one, hope 10 see Aontant
march shoulder 20 shoulder With little Mas
Gaohusstts In this matter. / fear hasss-
oh asstts 10 going 10 be q little ahead OF u.s.
for both her leading political parties have
al eAdT committed themselves 20 this re-
form. auo theTo 10 now penolhR IN tho Aek
islaturs Of that state a bill that 10 likely
soon 90 become a law,-to confer upor
voters In cities the power to lsgislats b.
direct vote whenever 10 per cent u
the voters of such city shall rsuues
such law to be submitted for popular ap
proval. LIST as, who draw OUT inspiration
from the Pure democracy OF tbs mialnR
camp. not be behind the men of the tow
meeting in this movement The initiative
she TsfeTsnGum and the Australian ballot
these three. The last appeal TO the psopl
tnsms,lves! / do not pretend 10 say tina
even then We should see the dawn OF pol
itiaal millennium. The people ae come
times W onR but thsy never stay wrong
Give them the power and they will speedily
undo that which has not been well done.
How Is the election GOingP said . dss
airing patty boss IN Massachusetts 10 tn
fret year the Australian ballot vas tried Ia
tuat state. How do know Put one o
these blamed Yankees in boz with onl'
his God and his lead psRoil aud who car
tell What will hAprsnY And l suppose "
Should have somsthing of that feeling n
our own state on our fret experiment wit
direct legislation, but of one thing We couli
rest assured, We should see tue speedy
downfall OF ths political boss, OF oorporat.
dietation and pUt chased lsaislAtures."
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