Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-19

The reform movement appears to be
a great spectacular medley. POpulists,
socialists, single-taxers, prohibitionists,
preachers, charity societies, labor
unions, purity leagues, and the saliva
ton army, are all playing, singing, toot-
ing and pounding at once.
No two play the same tune, and every
single one Of them is trying to make
more noise than all the others together.
Everyone Of them is playing a good
tune, If all the others would only stop
and listen moment, and If they could
all agree to play the same tune there
are enough players to make the grand
est chorus or the most magnificent or
chestral music ever heard on earth
since the morning stars sang together.
Harmony is all they lack-but lack
ing that they lack all Of successful exc
cution.
Though every instrument be perfect
in the performance of its special part,
and all the players be masters-yet II
jealousy, egotism, quarrels, contrarl-
ness, fanaticism, boasting and dispute
are INDUCED, there can be nothing but
grating discord and misery to the ears
Of the audience listening for harmoni-
GUS solution Of our social and industrial
problems.
Is there not some simple tune on
which we can all agree and relieve the
world Of all this CHATTER and screeching
and bowling and groanlng and yelping
and growing. and hooting and footing
pandemonium? Is there not a prac-
teal and agreeable plan whereby each
may have his turn, or that all can play
together?
There is.
And we believe that nearly every one
of you will agree with us, when we say
that the Initiative and Referendum"
is the tune upon which we can all unite.
The greatest problem Of all is to get
the government restored into the hands
of the people.
A direct vote of the people would de-
molish party machinery and drive the
money power out of the control of gov
eminent.
Then all reforms that majority OF
the voters, regardless Of party, desire
can be adopted.
The merit Of the issue and the intelli-
gence of the people will decide the fate
of your theories impartially.
II your idea have no merit, or II the
people be not capable Of grasping It,
Won will have to wait, and 1t will not
require any longer for you to educate
the people to the desired view than 1t
would have required before they OBJ
tanned control of the government. Be
sides that, il you educate them under
the present system it would be to no
purpose.
The silver men, for instance, would
like now to have direct vote OF the
people on the silver question. And no
doubt they would win if the question
were submitted directly to all the peo-
ple on its merits regardless of party
platforms.
fit be a good thing to have the silver
question settled thus-why not other
questions, some of greater and some OF
less Importance perhaps?
If we concede the silver men a right
to a direct hearing before the people,
why should they not concede such a
hearing, to other reformers on other
questions?
The populists would like to see di-
rect vote upon the land and transporta-
ton questions; upon the abolition Of
trusts and monopolies, etc. They be-
lieve that such a vote would show that
a majority Of the American people IA
vor the principles of the Omaha plat
form. II so, then that should be the
policy of government. If not, what
ever policy the people want-the decis-
ion would be in their hands.
And so on with the socialists and
others.
But even this direct vote is not the
most important part Of the initiative
and referendum idea. Inseparable
from it is the principle Of proportional
representation, which would give all
parties representation in congress and
state in proportion to their strength.
This would give us a government Of the
whole people instead Of a government
entirely by the victorious party. The
minority parties would be as fairly rep
resented as the majority party. All
would have a fair hearing, and thus ed
vocational work would be unlmpeded.