Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-12-30

make all laws passed by legislative
bodies subject to review and reversal
by II higher court, the court of the
whole people entering verdict through
the ballot box.
1t is true our people have in an in
direct way the power to reverse the
acts of their representatives by turn =
ing down such representatives when
they come up for reelection and Sc
lecting new men, pledged to undo the
obnoxious acts. But the tendency is
to circumscribe this power, to put it
beyond the power of the people to con-
denim distasteful acts of their represen.
tatiyes while approving satisfactory
acts. In the nature of things the dis
tasteful must be condoned if the sat
isfactory acts are to be approved, or
vice versa, if the distasteful are to be
condemned so must be the satisfactory.
Representatives must be turned down
when they seek reelection or they
must be returned. If they are return
cd their faults are overlooked, there
can be no pledge that the obnoxious
legislation that they passed will be re-
pealed, indeed certainty that they
will not repeal their own acts. Or if
they are defeated it is prone that their
good works will suffer q tearing down
at the hands of their successors along
with the bad.
Moreover in campaigns for re-elec-
ton some one act of legislation, some
one issue will inevitably overtop others
and the contest will be decided at that
issue. So it happens that the people
have the opportunity to pass Judgment
ON that one act, that the opportunity
of passing upon other acts, of revers-
ing such minor acts as are not con-
ceived in their interest, is closed to
them. So the need of entrusting our
people with direct power to reverse
the acts of their representatives, OF re-
ferring To the people, for final judg-
ment, all acts Of legislative bodies
where such reference is demanded by
any considerable body of voters In
40 other way can the people exercise
effective control over legislation, pro-
tect themselves against legislation
conceived for the benefit of the few
and the injury of the many and keep
direct hand in their own governing
that will enable them to effectively
prevent the directing of government in
the interest of the few.
We have said that there is little out
ward opposition to the principles Of
direct legislation. That there is much
covert opposition and for reasons we
seen is undoubted. There is, too, q
placid opposition, born of ignorance.
1t is this opposition that the oRly true
opponents of direct legislation bend
their efforts to build up. They build
it up by keeping silence, now and ther
entering wedge of ridicule and mis-
representation. Thus an unthinlSinl
opposition has been built up to direct
! legislation. We find them dreadinl
the very words initiative and reteren
/ dunn. II they understood the meaning
of such words they could not dreSr
them, unless, indeed, they would drea'
/ the right of governing themselves
e dread the circumscribing Of the power
4 of politicians 70 direct the government
- so that the people might have a direc
s voice in :heir own governing, for thi
o is what direct legislation means.
70 We do not want to be harsh, but h
- who, understanding, opposes direC
y legislation is no better than a monaI
o chist for he hold that the people AT
Y not fitted to govern themselves, this
p the few are fitted by divine law to rule
that the many are condemned to