The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-03-21
"lniiiatiys and Referendum" the
Subjsc. OF A. W. Lyman's Lsc-
ture Last Night
II Is Not a New Thing, But Was
IA Use In America 800
Years Ago.
Aud To-day In Many states the More Im-
portrait Laws Are Made Directly
By the People.


foisa good audience al q. A. Il. hall lac,
night bT A. W. Lyman. editor Of IHE In
DEPENDENT. Tue lecture was one Of ths
series given by the Unity club. In his in
troductofy remarks Mr.. Lyman referred 20
the recent radical uttsranoss Of populisi
and socialist platforms. and tc She recent
Boston mob. az tsndina 20 alarm some pso-
pie as TO the vaRaries OF modern democracy.
The initiative aud referendum. he said. had
bsoomo associated In the public mind With
reWfAnglsd ideas OF government as an i'm
uractieable something ht only for the study
Of speou ativs theorists and utopian dream
ors. In reality 10 was a very practical ques-
tiou-sspeoialiy 90 60 the people OF Helena
who were about 80 employ the prineipls Of
ths referendum in asttling the location Of
tho state capital. Who can wonder. he said,
that you should make such an Api cal 20 the
Vox populi with supreme coundencs-yOp
who have carved out a mighty common
wealth from the wilderness. aud have es-
tablished for 10 a government based upon
tbs right OF the people to rule; you, descend
ants of the men OF tbs New Eng
land town meetingi you pioneers OF
Gold eek and Alder Guloh. who
have allotted mining claims. prescribed
penalties and punishments, and even ord
cred executions and banishments; 700. who
have demonstrated TO ths world that she
highest law Of this mountain lGnd, the law
Of ths mining camp made In open air mass-
meetings is the supreme law, recognized
not only by yourselves bat By ths highest
Judicial authOritF Of the United States; In The
Language Of the late Chief Justioe Chase, a..
'the offspring OF a nations iTreprssaible
march," and by q report OF q ommittee OF
the United state senate which declare "ths
miners Tules and regulations are not only
we'll understood, but have been construed
and adjudicsted for now nearly quarter
Of a century. BY this great system
/ established by the people 10 their primary
! capacities and evidsnoing BY the hiRhes.
/ possible testimony the peculiar genius OF
the American people for founding empire
aud order, popular sovereignty 10 displayed
in one of its grandsst aspects. The rules
/ and regulations OF the miners, forming the
basis OF the present admirable aratem,
arise out OF necessity; theV become the
means adopted by the people themselves
for establishing just protsstion to all
Mr. Lyman then gave picture OF one OF
the popular Open-Air assemblies In SWitzef-
land where all the PEOPLE gather With i'm
pfeBsivs ceremony 10 propose aud vote upon
laws. He then oonnasted this with a
miners meeting at Alder Gulch In 1864,
which furnished an illustration Of demOo-
rsey Just AS simple in its forms, Just -
pure as that Of vi o Appenzsll.
] II have dwelt thus upon this Popular side
Of democracy" said the spsaks'. mot 80
much because 10 IL novel. as TO take your
minds away from the idea that We are deal
ing with q new discovery IN government. !
think u has been a mistake Of the initiative
aud the referendum, or Of direct legislation
bg the Eeople, ne We might more popularity
term 1t, that they have not told us they
were not advocating somsthinR new. bat
! something Did. NTH modification suited
to climate aud condition. We have ths same
democracy, thousand years old II ysu
| will, under the oantons OF Switzerland,
dating back three hund ed years to the
New England town meeting and the Viz
cinin plantation, and encompassinR only
the life-t time of q generation IN California
and The Rocky Mountain region"
Mr. Lyman next dwelt upon the aeknowl-
| edged 81 Ortcomings of rep sentative gov
eminent. You, who sit before me to-
night" he sald. lin common with men Ani
women all over our great country, seeing
| the sins Of ON ission aud commission in a
representative form of government know
ing full we'll how delegated powers have
besn prostttuted to personal ends, ahAmsd
with the spectacle of Jour lsgislatu IS
bouGht and sold in the shambles, conscious
pudent right TO bless the accu ssd; make
the dread lsprosy adored; place thieves,
aud aive them title. knee and appreciation
with senators on the Lsnch,' having com
D. contemplate representative gOvsrnmont
with pardOnable distrust. but no doubt with
faith IN democracy higher and stronger
than ever, have gone back Go the anoleni
creed that the will of the pvopls should be
ana must be she supreme Law. After 100
ga during which period you have oon-
Que ed continent and lail tho founda-
tlons Of the greatest re ublio the world has
yet seen. or ever will see until that Rlori-
Gus time When We shall witness TIE IA La
nent OF man. the federation OF the world (;
YOU have gone back 20 the cabin OF the
Maynows anu In spirit have again signed
that so.emn oompaet 60 which the pilRi inns
pledged their sac ei honor on the day be-
70 they stepped upon the land Of the new
world. "
After sketchinR colonial democracy in
New England tbs speaker said: Compiler
growths Of civilization have made necea-
ssry changes IN methods OF administering
government. and Outlines men have lost
their bea ings and become welded 20 that
} I which has no afiiliAtlOn With democracy.
Ia one section OF our land a slave oliRarohy
ren cd its head aud houtod tue siirit OF
democracy to scoru; this has been followed
by . more insidioas, but not less dangerous
foe. plutOcrhcy; bat these are only passina
evils, clouds on abe sky that will vanish
away: one has already gone, the other Will
, he uisrollei - the uaista rise fIom oui
, view. The spirit OF the old mining eamr
still abidss with Us; the debates Of ths old
/ Massachusetts town meeting still ling m
our ears; aud the uhbrOken lights Of q
thousand years saline upon us from Uu and
Appenzsll. The lefOTms for which We are
today conteuding are not Innovations but
q return 90 first principles
. / The extent To which the referendum Il
al eady used Was dwelt upon by IA,
speeke "in November neEtthe electors OF
p tins state, each IN his sovereign capacity,
will pass anon tbs permanent location OF
the seal ~ goVernmunt. Our consultation
Of Iss9 provided that the rate OF taHAtior
should not exceed ons aud one-hnlf mi Il
. on each dollnr Of valuation vhenevoF "a,
taxAbla property amounted % 500 O000
un eas the people o. gene al election
should increase such rate. That instru
mcut also declared that the aggregate o
nuv sHistiug uett or liability slnuld not *
coed the eum OF SlQQOoO. unless the Law Cu'
thoriziEa tho same snail have received 4
. majority Of the votes % tho people AZ q
general election. In like manner. tks 10
dsbtedness Of = county for any single pu
. rose u vas declared. should not eKeose
$1,000 sEospt ~ approval OF ths naiurlt
~ ale reople. Ia rvsfy state OF the anton
iu ths county. the city. ths township ans
the school district, 49, employ. and VA Ase
= Englau have employed since the tevo. a.
, luton. this same popular political
? principle Our sister state o
I Wyoming located its state university
, peuitentiafy and other public institution
~ regular vote; AM its constitutions Pc