Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-01-17
GARNETr, KANSAS, JANUARY II, 1896.

meaning Clown" Hence, bylaws were orig
inally town laws. notice that the names {
some New England towns preserve the "by
as equivalent to town, as Ashby. This is pre-
nounced Ash-bye, which is, itself, all uncon
scous witness to the ancient meaning of tn
word
Mr.. Fiske remarks that ''if age gives re
spectabilty, the Office of constable may Vi
with that of king Elsewhere, he speaks o
the town meeting as ''the best political tranin!
school in existence" for the reason that eacl
citizen is kept in close touch with local affair
of public interest, and each has all equal righ
to vote as well as voice in discussing, pro
posing or opposing public measures. 1t is {
SOFT of debating society in earnest One is re-
qured to face argument with argument, and, i
he would win, must keep clear head and hold
his temper under control. cts educational
value, Mr.. Fiske says, is higher than that OF
the newspaper, which, in spite of its many
merits, is very apt to do its best to bemuddle
and sophisticate plain facts" We have here
the Initiative and Referendum in embryo The
people assembled propose local regulations and
if majority vote in favor of them, they be-
come operative. On the other hand, if they
wish to annul bylaw, they have the privi-
lege of doing so i'll simple and direct manner.
In the seect-men, town clerk and constabes
the town has an executive department. These
officers are elected annually, but are frequently
reelected for successive years if they are faith
full and give satisfaction. The select-men are
given ample power, joined with complete re-
sponsibility; hence they cannot plead lack of
power for failure to do their duty. They have
the fullest opportunity and encouragement to
do their best in the management of the towns s
affairs.
The adoption of the Initiative and Refer
endum, although the names have somewhat
unfamiliar look would not mean the adoption
of any new or foreign principle of civil govern
ment, as w. D. McCracken we'll points out.
The Initiative and Referendum are the applica
ton of the town meeting principle on larger
scale; that is, to larger civil districts than the
township The Initiative is number of voters
proposing additional legislation, just as Citizen
Smith would rise to make motion for new
bylaw and Citizen Jones would second it. Then
the question is put to the house, which, i'll the
case of the Initiative, is the people of the
commonwealth or state, and by their vote it is
accepted or rejected. Thus, the Initiative and
Referendum are in civil government what the
application of steam and electricity are in the
industrial realni-they tend to annihilate space
by enabling the people of a state to keep in
close touch and direct control of the central
law-making power.
had the pleasure of hearing Mr.. McCracken
in lecture at Brown University last winter.
AS he is one of the ablest exponents of the In
tiative and Referendum in this country, some
extracts from my notebook, describing my inn
pressons of the man at the ti1ne may not be
out of place i'll this connection. For one who
has made himself such well-known authority
OH the subject through his numerous books and
lectures, he is surprisingly young-looking
man. There is not much personal enthusiasm
in his manner, but his thought is clear-cut and
explicitr He talks in quiet, even tone of
voice, with little reference to his notes, although
he does refer to them occasionally; makes you
feel that he fears making misstatement or
statement not quite clear to his hearers, much
more than the failure to make telling impress
sion upon the emotions of his auditors through
any tricks of oratory or rhetoric When ques-
tions are asked, it seems to help him out rather