The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1895-10-11
DIRECT LEGISLATION.
This Feature OF Populist Doctrine Clearly
Explained bv Eltwecd Pomeroy.

x
cratic party?" Yes. my friend. and
fully. The only trouble with that
party is that it doesn't live up to its
democrat. Old Thomas jefferson is
good enough for me. But. alas! the
distance between democratic practice
and precept is pretty near as far as
day from night.
Here's Sullivan's definition of direct
legislation:
The initiative: The proposal of q
law by per centage of the voters
The referendum: The vote at tho
polls on proposed law.
''LawmaLing by the voters is termed
direct legislation to distinguish it from
lawmaking by representatives, which
is supposed to carry out the will of the
sovereign people Indirectly
Here's some things that jefferson
and others have said:
Thomas jefferson, in his first in
augural address: Sometimes it is
said that man cannot be trusted with
the government of himself Can he
then be trusted with the government
of others? Or have we found angels
| III Iut 10TH ol " govern
Let history answer the question
Thomas jefferson, in letter to Ed
mund Randolph: THE whole body
of the nation is the sovereign legisla-
tive, Judiciary and executive power for
itself. 1t is the will of the nation
which makes the law obligatory: it is
their will which creates or annihilates
the origin which is to declare and an
nounce it."
Thomas jefferson, in letter to E.
Samuel Kerchival: Governments are
republican only in proportion as they
embody the will of the people and exc
cute it."
Thomas jefferson, in a letter to Col
Ed Carrington: Il am persuaded that
the good sense of the people will be
found to be their hest army. They
NAV be led astray for a moment, but
will soon correct themselves. The
people are the only censors of their
governors; and even their errors will
tend to keep to the true principles Of
their institutions
Here is what st. Loe Strachey, ed
itor of the London Spectator, said re-
| Gently:
"The most democratic measure con-
ceivable is the referendum. No one
| who upholds that institution can be
accused for moment of not trusting
the people or of failing to acquIesce in
the principle that the people them
selves constitute the ultimate sover-
eign power in the nation. That is the
| true touchstone. The man who re-
| fuses to agree on the referendum may
| be very good Jacobin-one, that is,
who holds certain abstract views as
sacred-but he cannot be true to the
essential principle of democratic gov
eminent"
Calhoun, on rights of states, said:
by nature every individual has the
right to govern himself; and govern
ments must derive their right from the
assent expressed or implied of the gov
erned and be subject to such limita.
tions as they impose
! Thomas jefferson: THE will of the
majority is the natural law of every
society and the only sure guardian of
| the rights of man. Perhaps even this
| may sometimes err. but its errors are
honest, solitary and short-lived. Let
us forever bow down to the general
reason of society,""
Here is what two professors say Of
our present system:
Prof. John r. Commons: True rep
resentative government does not exist.
We have a sham representation. 1t
| gives show of fairness but it is
crude and essentially unfair. Itdoes
not represent the people. 1t repre-.
sents the politicians. We are law
abiding people. Yet our laws are
made by the minority of the people,
and by an irresponsible oligarchy more
| dangerous than that our fathers re.
volted against
| Prof. q. ID. Heron: Really, we are
not representatively governed and the
majority does not rule. Representa-
tive legislation and government are a
fiction SO far as our nation is con.
cerned."
There. my friend. if you are demo-
crat and that don't convert you to di.
rect legislation, I'll give You up as a
bad job. If you are not a democrat
| paste it in your hat and fire it off at
the next one you meet and convert
| him. You are worthless unless you
| spread a good thing.
| The last plank in the peoples party
| platform in Kentucky says:
I'VE favor n constitutional amend.
ment providing for system of direct
| legislation, by which 20 per cent. OF
| the legal voters of the state on state
| matters. or the same per cent. in any
legal subdivision on local matters in
such subdivision. may, by petition,
have submitted to all the people of the
state, or to the people of such subdi-
vision. to test their sovereign will, any
act of legislation
If you believe the will OF the people
ought to be the supreme law of the
land. you should vote with the peoples
party and get direct legislation.
Kentucky now has direct legislation
on the whisky question and the voters
of any county can. by petition, force a
vote on that question at any time.
Why not on other questions:
Corporations can buy the, legislature
''body and breeches," but they cannot
buy the people of kentucky. Direct
legislation will break their power for.
ever.-Nonconfo rmist
Poor New York
The voters of New York will be
called upon this fall to vote for or
against the proposition to bond the
state for 50. 600, 900 to improve the Erie
canal. the Lake Champlain canal which
will connect the St Lawrence river
with Lake Champaign. and the Owego
= L