The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-11
TOLD BY ANNIE DIGGS.
Initiative and Referendu m
Means Direct Legislation.
Will Not Be Revolutionary In
Its Workings.
Declares Written Constitutions Be
come Obstructive if Not Destruc-
tive of Popular Will

principle of government and is working
with all her might to secure the adop-
ton of the plan in Kansas Mrs. Diggs
said today:
by far the most important measure
before the Kansas legislature is the in
itiative and referendum amendment to
the constitution. Should it pass and
be ratified by the people, Kansas will
have taken step in advance of any
other commonwealth in the whole
nation.
1.-The initiative, briefly defined, means
the power of the voters to formulate
and demand such laws as they deem
promotive of their welfare.
1.-The referendum is a provision
whereby acts passed by the legislature
may be referred to the voters before
they become binding as laws upon the
statute book.
"A reader definition of the initiative
and referendum is. direct legislation.
THE most familiar complaint against
modern politics is the deplorable fact
that the power to actually control legis-
latiOn is being farther and farther re-
moved from the individual voters. The
initiative and referendum is an effort
to restore that participation in govern
mental affairs which the founders of
the republic contemplated, and which
was indeed enjoyed in the primitive
times of the New England town meet
ing, when each man felt himself a part
of the state and thrilled with patriotic
pride and sincere endeavOr to conform
his public conduct to his high privilege
of personal partnership. AS the slow
years of the century moved on it be-
came apparent that the cherished ideal
of government by the people was be-
ing devitalized by the limitations of the
machinery of methods The popular
will was checkmated and the popular
voice silenced by the circumlOcutiOn of
labyrinthian legislation. Each sue
cessive generation finds itself farther
removed from active partnership Thus
arrangement, alienation and a sense or
helpleSSneSS have wrought a decadence
of patriotism, lowering of ideals and
prevalent diStrust of republican insti-
tutiOns.
1.-The machinery of state has been
seized by the few and operated for their
own ACKNOWLEDGMENT and enrichment
Under the provisions of the initiative
and referendum, popular Will and popu-
lar voice may be restored and the cher
ished ideal of a government by the
people may become a reality, bringing
with it a restoration of patriotic deVo-
ton to a government in which all quail
fed voters are potent factors.
1.-The initiative and referendum Is not
revolutionary, in that it does not de-
stroy or derange legislative or judicial
| bodies; it merely remands these repre-
! sentative and deliberative function
aries to their legitimate place in the
i body polite and re-enthrones the PEG
| pie as sovereign Instead OF permit
to fully carry out the popular will, it
| makes that body serve but the purpose
| of collating conserving and practical
| ling the will of the people.
Instead of permitting the judiciary
| to nullify whatever small remnant of
| popular will the legislature may have
| spared, the referendum makes the
| sovereign people the last court OF APP
| peal Reference here might be made
! to the United States supreme court in
| the matter of the original package
| cases, about which many kanSanS (not
| anarchists) expressed free opinion in
the event of a decision multiplying the
| votes of the sovereign state OF Kansas.
! The recent income tax decision finely
| illustrated the ratio of governing power
| between the millions of voters and the
| one judicial vote in the supreme court.
| And again, by way of enjoyment of fine
| literature, on this point reference might
| be made to Mr.. Sol Miller's post-elec-
ton utteranceS on the methodS ana
] moral status of the judiciary
| All thoughtful persons realize the ut
| ter futility of fixing methods or con-
| structing machinery that will ade-
| ouateIy serve for any great length of
! Time the progressive, expanding life of
| human beings and of civilized society.
| Ideal principles these may be, but
| ideal methods have not yet been dls-
| covered Hence, constitutions and
| codes which serve well the purpose OF
one age become obstructive and even
! destructive in a later time. Constitu-
| tiOnS
| man progress will tramp1e over them.
| The initiative and referendum preserves
| constitutions and conserves social or
| der while providing such marching ma
chinery as will make violent epochs
and rude demolition terrors of the past.
Given liberty and intelligence and the
| people may be trusted Men are but
children of larger growth" Democrat
| lied and WaVering children may be in
! spired. enthused and saved by appeal
| ing to the highest, by trusting them and
| by placing them in active partnership
| in wholesome employment.
| Without the belief that his intelligent
| comprehension of the laws of his state
| may have chance for expression and
| effect, the voter has little heart to de-
! vote himself to- serious study of such
| LEGISLATION as would be beneficial The
initiative and referendum furnishes this
| spur and impetus to the voter. Of what
| avail the good citizen asks, are my pa
| tent research or my patriotic consider
| ation if after all, the legislature may
! fritter away or foil my desire. And the
good citizen settles into inertia, narrOWs
! himself to private interests, leaving
! the intricate machine of politics in the
| I1Snds of those whose familiarity with
| its multitudinous pulIeys and levers en-
| able them to dextrOUsly outWit the SOW
! ereign people.
! THE initiative and referendum has
within the last generation wrought the
! highest and most satisfactory results in
! the republic of Switzerland. So simple
| has been its benefits that the wisest
| political economists of England are aS-
| itating for it's adoption by that nation.
| While in the United States not only the
| best thinkers and scholars, but the de-
| spondent rank and file are Selling upon
| this method as the escape valve from
| periIous conditions and are hailing it as