Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-05-29
Direct Legislation.

OItSN A'gE AoieeiS'''
IA series of articles written for THE
JOURNAL by Max Burgholzer, Buxton
Ore.
EDITOR JoURNAL.-YOur advocacy
of direct lawmaking by the people Is
certainly appreciated by the friends
Of just government
The actions Of congress and legesla'
lures during recent years are conYinc-
lnv observing voters that some form
of the initiative and refere ndum is
imperatiyely necessity as you said
in your weekly of March Is.
History proves that governments
by few have always become more or
less perfect machines for the subIu-
CATION and plunder of the many, and
If the people of our United States
would much longer delegate their
lawmaking power entirely toa few
representatives our government TOO
would become just such machine.
That the people of our union have
been losing ground in their battle
with the monopolists is plainly
proven by the fact that the people are
now trying to get laws passed which
were once in operation but were re-
pealed by our so-called representatives
at the command Of the few privileged
wealthy.
For instance the people are demand
Ing the free coinage Of silver which
we once had, they are demanding an
income take, which was once success
fully collected, they are demanding
the issue Of legal tender treasury
notes Of which the people once had 4
good supply and of which the bulk
was ordered destroyed by plutocracy's
servants in congress. There was once
"A federal tax on the capital and on the
deposits Of national banks 1t was
repealed q,
There were once some taxes on bond
and mortgages which were repealed.
These and dozens more of just laws
were repealed during the past thirty
years at the instigation Of the pluto
crtaic element and where we take
into consideration that the wealth
of the monoplist is fast increasing
and with it their ability to bribe
public officials, does it not appear
probable that plutocracy willssucceed
In getting the remaining just state
ane federal laws removed unless the
people secure the referenau m-the
veto power.
While the referendum is needed to
prevent the repeal of wholesome laws
and the passage of vicious ones, the
initiative is as necessary to force the
passage of desirable laws opposed by
the monopolist and to compel the
repeal of class laws already upon our
statute books, to secure reduction of
official salaries, etc.
Naturally direct legislation will
first be adopted for the regulation of
state and county affairs, The people
of our western states are ready to go
thus far now. They have become
thoroughly disgusted with their pres
ent helpless condition in which they
can neither start nor stop any law
with certainty and future political
conventions that will ignore direct
legislation will in return be ignored
by the people especially by Populists,
The correction Of Oregon's state
and county affairs through direct law
making laws entirely within reach of
the people of our own state and will
ia itself immensely benefit the people
OF our state.
The correction of national affairs
can be but little advanced by the peo-
pie OF our state on account OF our
limited populotion especially under
our present ballet law which enables
pluctocracy TO help its candidates for
congress by ballot box stuifing, re-
peatlng and false counting of votes.