Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-01-03
Observation-Disclosures
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@ e1DIRECT LEGISLATION.po @
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Direct legislation is aw-making by the pee
pie, regardless of the will of their regularly
elected aw-niakers. 1t guarantees the peopl
the privilege of voting Eyes or 'no' on ever
law that is to govern them. 1t is carried OH
by the Initiative, which gives any citizen til
power to begin legislation by petition, provide
he can get enough voters to endorse his actio
to make it worthy of notice by the genera
public, and the Referendum, which compel
the submission of laws to the people to ratif
or reject, which is the veto power i'll the hand
of the people instead of governor"
Direct legislation is the most important ques
ton before the American of to-day, as all eco
nomic questions are depending OH it for solu
ton. Over a hundred years trial has convinced
us that we cannot depend on representatives t.
advance the general warfare" of the people
that 10 people are self-governed who are deniee
the right to pass IN PERSON on the laws tha
are to govern them, and that without this right
the great common people of America are bu
little better off than the subjects of 4 monarchy
AS general thing. "oflice seeking reform
cause of Direct Legislation, bit all true reform.
ers will do their utmost to have it placed at the
head of our principles in our next national
platform. ANY st,ldent-of politics well knows
that but little can be accomplished i'll the way
of aiding common humanity under our present
representative system, There are too many
obstacles in the way, Our present system af-
fords the oppressors too many opportunities to
use bribery aud blackmail to defeat us. 1t is
within our power to diSarm the enemy before
it, and it would be foolish to do otherwise.
The masses of America have but little more
to say about the laws that are to govern them
than do the common people of Russia. They
are continually fooled and betrayed They are
our side of & stream, and their government
is OH the other. At every election they send
over a ferry-load of new "servants" who invi-
rably follow the footsteps of their predecessors,
using their position and power to fill their
pocket books and CRAFTY selfish desires, instead
OF studying the needs of the people with
view to aiding them all that is within their
power. And you MAY depend OH it that the
peoples interests will not be looked after until
they look after it themselves. This stream
must be bridged by Direct Legislation, so the
people can go over and attend to their own
governmental affairs Whenever their servants
neglect or refuse to do SO.
The Imperative Mandate, which gives ma
jority of the people the power TO recall any
public officer at any time, regardless of his
fixed term Of servitude, is also a much-uecdcd
reform, and should he placed in practices along
with the Direct Legislation. If the people
have the right to clothe person with power,
they certainly have right to take that power
away at any time they choose.
Any argument brought to bear against Direct
Legislation or the Imperative Mandate is nee
essarily founded i'll distrust in the ability of
the people to govern themselves wisely. No
one who believes i'll government by the peo-
pie will, for one instant, dispute the right of
the majority to rule. TO the eXtept that any
one disputes this right, he advocates monarchy
And majority rule would certainly include
the right to deprive public servant of his po-
stion at any tine, as we'll as to vote on laws
Whenever man goes to great amount of
trouble to patch of an argument against Direct