The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-03-13
TUESDAY, - MAR. 13, 1884
A COMING REFORM.

The CHRONICLE would be glad to see the
republican platform favor the initiative
and referendum, and believes that the
expressed desire is merely in advance oi
what the party will do in convention.
The republican party has originated
many benefcent laws, and while it can
not lay claim to being the originator OF
this one, it can none the less recognize a
good thing presented by others, and as
fearlessiy eepouse it. Being so far off
the beaten track, the natural timidity
of the democratic party will prevent
them from openly favoring it. All
the reforms of the past thirty years
have had to be championed by the re-
publican party. All new legislation of
an upbuilding nature has been formu-
lated by it. While it would be infin-
itely pleasanter for the republican party
to have both originated and championed
an the United States this method of
lawmaking of forty years duration in
Switzerland, the party can as plainly
recognize its merits when brought for
ward by others. That it has merits,
not be denied. No argument against it
has yet been made, and there dare be
none made by any political party. The
greatest antagonism it can receive is
non-committal silence, and this not for
long.
Since this system OF law-making will
be new to many of our readers, we will
define in brief the basic principles of the
Initiative and referendum. By this
system, first, every citizen has the right
to propose measure of law to his fellow
citizens, this principle being known as
the initiative. Second, the majority
shall actually enact the law, by balloting
s-at the polling places, and this is known
=as the referendum.
The following additional information
lis CLEANED from pamphlet, $4,000 of
which were mailed to the voters of Ore
gon by the Central Labor Council of
Portland:
In nearly all states of our Union the
referendum is used. for making and
amending constitutions. Proposals to
tissue bonds for state, county, city, town
and district debts are almost univer-
sally referred to direct vote of the
people interested. If the people are
wise enough to make their constitutions
they are certainly wise enough to make
their bylaws.
Any man advocating a worthy law,
seconded by 100 citizens, can bring it to
a vote within year, while bad laws are
as easily repealed. By constant study of
law making the people are ready for
wise action at all times. Zurich state,
Switzerland. population 340,O 900, and the
city, population $4,000, for forty years
have permitted no law, tax levy or ap-
preparation OF public money to be made
without majority vote of the citizens,
and they have no beggars or pau
pers. The Swiss laws are by no
means perfect, but their educational
system is so good that one of our minis
ters to that country said it seemed that
the principal business of the nation was
teaching school; every Swiss can read
and write.
Many of our laws at present are not
enforced. But law which receives a
majority by the referendum will be en-
forced, because it is supported by pub
lie sentiment. Again, the indiscrimin-
ate use of money cannot prevail to get
bad law through, and lobbying will be
a lost art. Trading of votes will also
cease, which is responsible for many ex-
listing bad laws.
The last page of the pamphlet gives a
test of the intelligence of the public, as
shown in California on a vote of the peo-
pie on nine different propositions sub
mitted to the people by the legislature,
proving that they who are intelligent
enough to vote for man who may or
may not accede to their desires, are in
teliigent enough to vote on the desires
themselves.