New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-06
TIE REFERENDUM.

10 IN" Editor or The Tribune.
Sir: | have read The Tribune for years. and It's ut
,erances particularly edltorialiy. usually SO ac-
curlte that was astonished AZ one or two OF the
statements in the editorial on THE Referendum" In
yesterdays issue. and would like space TO correct
them.
Direct legislation is neither socla,s;ic nor anti
socialls;c. 1t is method Of making laws which
brings the power nearer the people The principe,
The rule Of the majority was setred a century ago.
In the las; referendary vote IN Switzerland 1t was
very successful weapon against socialism. The So
cll.lsa obtained the requisite 10000 signatures for
the reference to the people Of an amendment To the
Federal Constitution providing that the state should
secure work 10 all citizens The full OF this
may be found in the June number Of The Direct
Legislation Record" The this stood 5000
IN favor and 10000 against; The significance
writes Mr.. J. W. sullivan. "of this vote 10 us in
America les in the fact that. with 5000 extremists.
Switzerland Is perfectly tranquil.
In England 1t numbers among It's active adherents
Lord Salisbury. whom ~ one would think of class
ms as a Socialist; AMI In this country such men "a
Theodore Roosevelt and Lyman Abbott. Al our AS
bury Park convention W. had SPEAKERS from every
political party In the state.
Il has been adopted by large number Of the STATE
conventions Of the Popu'.ss. and BY almost al. Of
the State conventions Of the Prohibonists Il Ia In
the National platform Of the Social!st-Iabor party
l. is N the State platforms OF both the Democratic
and Republican parties IN Massachusetts, ana In a
number Of other old party Platforms. Ii Is IN the
platform Of the Democratic party in the lNth Con
gress District n New-Jersey, ana We are assured
tia; * will be in the Republican platform in tina;
district and in both platforms in jhr WIN and With
districts ana probably In others. So Il Is hardly fair
to call il an exclusive Popu,.st doctrine.
The preparing and signing Of petitions for he ref
erendum u.s. In Switzerland and by the proposed law
In N.w-Jsrsey and everywhere that know Of. 10
be- done entirely a, private expense. /; Is not an
S,gh NJ of III AZ he
wasted. bur VIII I, be easily wasted under the
present system under direci legislation? Is not
good deal OF this effor; and money now used IN ran
nng discomfort. when under direct legislation these
dg.,atOrs would the useessness OF violence?
10 no, know how Il is IN Switzerland. but In
New-Jersey propose 10 vote on any Avs ahicn
ft 10 Ths is mater u detail and IS evidentiy
wisest course There wi. then BE- no extra cleo
tons.
You are mistaken when You say: 1T IS seldom that
% cent Of the registered voters can De- ersuddrd
averages js.5 per cent Assuming TINS to be cor
rec r. prov "Eih Ing III copsrei Tn me SHOWS vSSs
that th~ voters car more for the measures so -.
la the United states only % per cent OF the pO-
,en:.al voters vote even on Presidential elections
ami on state elections 1t l. frequently beo" - per
c,n, The facts are not at hand TO Wy prove my
voters vote tor men In the United States than vote
IL : no; 4 fact TIA, - very large percentage of
tn Bins enacted by the Legislature are rejected by
~ pope when the referendum = applet. There
have been ;~en,y refer'ndary votes in Switzr
including mentioned above" SIX
ten " these nave been accepted ana Twelve re-
jrcteI
be- iu tDuch win Their cor s;ltu.hts Dnt "ry are
not; This makes them directly responsible Tor the
their constituents il InaEes greater care in'law
making. greater respect for the laws because the
p.lpl, know that they ar their own ana not IN
acrI by some secret Influence greater stability, be-
cause. You VIII get small body OF legislators
and it viii do away with the lobby. because the cor
rupt LEGISLATOR cannot then be sure OF delivering the
To prove that is truly American. need only cite
the words Of Ebr!ge Gerry membtr OF ne Cons '
OF an P,"'r ~ ~ ', Ssr ihe cre,,urss Of their own
creai m vested with certain powers 10 gutri the
hfe liberty and property Of lhe commnny Ana iSeIL
principles determine contrary to the wishes and ex
pecisi.ons Of their constituents the people nave me
reyison Of their conduct deput. others In their
room: or ( they think proper. TO demand further
time or deOe"on o" En TWE F! G Po SIf: mo-
Secretary Direc, Legislation League OF New-Jersey.
Newark. y. j.. sept ~ 1871
CThe Tribune did not call direct legisa ton 'an
exclusive Populist d. ctrne." or anything OF the
kind Ii did say that il always forms a con-
spicrous feature Of the Socialist programme
which IL true. The Tribune did not say that the
preparation Of petitions was in switzerland an
expense to the State. but Just the contrary IL
did say that the cost of printing ana circulating
the proposed laws. and Of the holding OF cleo
lions on them. was borne by the state ana mat
Is true The Tribune did not say mat Ii was
pronosed to have special elections for the refer
endum I'm New-Iersey. 1t did say that such was
the practice I'm Switzerland: and IT is. The last
rsferendary vote in Switzerland" quoted by our
correspondent. on yer? important issue. was
cast by 3s5 900 voters. out Of a population OF
about 100000 At the last general election in
kol ga l4O S11
persons. out of a population of 100000: in the
two states Of Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
bv 44a572 out Of 27l3 900; and in the whole
limited States by l2O17 657 out of 65 593 900. The
Swiss voters were less than IL per cent. the
American voters more than Is per cent of the
population: and the qualifications OF voters are
,h. came in the two countries Full returns of
the results of the referendum In Switzerland. to
date are not al hand. hut In the first ten years
of rs existence from 1874 to 1884. seventeen laws
were referred to the people. and thirteen or
these were rejected by the people. Thirteen
sevonteenths Is what The Tribune called very
large proportion. As 10 the Increase OF po-
lttical agitation and rssened stability OF legal
system under the referendum. let us take New
Jersey az an example. Legislature Is CHOSEN
I'm November: II does its work In January, Febru-
airy and March: the init!ative-or petitioning Tor
referendary vote--follows say In April. May and
lime. and In November the referendary vote Is
t,lxen. and new Legislature elected. That Ger
,ainly seems to keep the year pretty full OF
political unrest.-Ed)
MIR. CHESEBROVGH EXPOSES A TRICK.
IN the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: The Metropolitan Association OF Cyc'ing
Clubs has just issued circular advising all wheel
mon 10 vote against me for Congress In the Nun
Compress District for the reason that nave OPP