People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1898-08-12
THAT LAST PLANK.
A Clean Statement of Direct Legisla-

@~~SS ~ A@@GAAp W SANGO SNA Lass ~ 49,
often the case that there are laws and
acts of the legislature that the people
do not approve and also, that there are
certain principles that the people de.
sire to have put into law; but the law
making power refuse to comply with
the will of the people.
In either one of these cases If the
constitution of the state or nation was
so amended that the people could file a
petition of 90 per cent of the voters
with the government and that would
compel the calling of an election on
any question that the people desired a
vote taken on; the people would re-
peal all bad laws, both state and ma
tional and would prevent the putting
into operation of laws such principles
as would be beneficial to the masses
without the aid or hinderance of the
Legislature.
The getting up and fling OF the petit.
ton with the state or nation, is called
the initiative and the referring of the
questions to the people for vote, is
called the referendum.
II you hire 8 man to work for you,
or if he does not do your work as you
want it done, you would be sure to dis
charge him at once.
We hire people or put them into
Office by our votes; but we cannot dis
charge them. When in office they be-
come our masters and not our servants.
We need the state and national consti-
tutions amended so that majority can
elect and majority also, can discharge
from Office, This is the Imperative
Mandate with us. We see these prin-
ciples in operation in all Baptist
churches. II church elects a man to
preach for them, and he does not suit
them, they will discharge him. Or, if
they elect deacon and he does not suit
them, or does not sustain q good moral
character, the church will use the I'm
perative Mandate by taking the Office
away from him and bestowiug it on
another more worthy.
Beneft-If these principles were put
into operation, we would have much
better officers. The bride taker and
giver's business would be gone in city
council, state and national legislatures.
It would be useless to pay city coun-
Gil, state legislature or congress to
pass any measure if the people had the
power to vote it down. 1t would also
do away with the control of the people
by political leaders through political
prejudice as now. To illustrate this,
take the income tax. If all the leaders
of all the political parties were to op
pose the income tax the people would
vote for it 10 out of 90. And again,
take the silver question, which has
been before the people for Is years and
we are to-day further from a settle
ment of this question than when we
commenced in 1878. By the Initiative
and Referendum, we could have set
tied this, or any other question in sixty
days. The stamp act was passed June
18th, and on July LIST, just II days after
stamps were printed and sent to all
parts of the U. S and the law put into
operation, which was far more trouble
than ordering an election, as all very
well know.
We would not have had this war on
us if the people could have voted on it.,
Instead Of spending $500, 600. 900 to muir
der and get cur people murdered, the
people would have voted to spend this
amount in creating wealth by building
some great national railroad or some
Improvement by which the idle would
have been employed and the nation
would have been made happy and pros
porous, instead of the sorrow. misery,
destruction of wealth and bloodshed
we have.
With these powers in the hands OF
the people it would be next to impos-
sible to have a war and especially a
civil war. The rights and liberties of
the people would be protected, and
peace, happiness, joy. pleasure and
contentment would be the abode OF
every home in this land. We would
lead the world in civilization, wealth
and morality, and our religion would
be changed from system of strife,
covetousness and competition, to one OF
love on earth, peace and good will
toward men; in which our sympathies
would know no bounds.
These conditions would be brought
about by the people voting outof exist
once all combines, trusts and monopo-
lies, that rob and Cypress the people.
Our battle cry should be relief to the
oppressed the world over and to lift up
the race and bind them together in
love, our religion, What noble work.
Who would not be q follower Of such
elevating and ehristlike principles.
thank God l am in this move and re-
ioice to know that we shall be able to
leave even to our enemies and their
children such rich inheritance that
cannot be taken from them.
If the millenial reign of Christ is to
be brought about by man, or il man is
to have anything to do with it, the use
of the initistive, referendum and i'm
perative mandate will be part, if not
all the means necessary to bring about
the reign of peace on earth. But those
working at. and advocating these meas
ures have but faint glimpse Of the
real possibilities in store for the people
when our work Is completed,
This is the form Of government that