The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-13
DIRECT LEGISLATION.
FOR THE PARTY MAN.
BY Eltweed POmerOy,

FOR THE PARTY MAN.
BY Eltweed Pomeroy,
President National Direct Legislation
League
The old Greeks had legend of giant
named Antaeus, who personified the
powers of the earth, with whom Hercu-
les had a fight. This giant could not be
conquered while he touched the earth;
he gained strength from the earth and
was irresistible when in connection with
it. Hercules only conquered him when
Antaeus allowed himself to be held aloft
from the earth.
Every great political party has
gained it's headway from a direct con-
tact with the common people, and has
been unconquerable, vigorous, irresis
ible as long as their spirit freely rose
and guided it's councils, directed its
leaders, inspired it's laws and policies.
The people have been the mother earth
from which the Antaeus of party strength
has derived that strength and vigor. No
matter how firmly knit and powerful
the party organism may have been, how
glorious the record OF past deeds, how
splendid and dominant the party pres
ence may loom, all these can but delay
the downfall of the political party which
has severed its connection with the
great common people and no longer
serves them, but some private or spe-
cial interests.
So we find the principles of Direct
Legislation embedded in all political
parties. 1t is Federal and Whig, Repub-
lican and Democratic. But what is it?
1t is government by the people. Other
nations may have DEGREES issued by
czars or monarchs; ours is a government
by laws. The power which makes those
laws is the power that rules. The ex-
ecutive executes the law, the judiciary
interprets the law, but the laws rule.
Direct legislation means that the people
make or sanction every law by which
they are to be governed. In small To-
calities this is done in the town-meeting.
In larger communities, as the city, the
state, the nation, it is accomplished by
the use of petitions through what is
known as the Initiative and Referendum
BY the first, reasonable minority Of
the people can sign a petition for a law
forcing it for discussion in the legisla-
tive body and the people If the legis-
lative body does not pass it, it then goes
on to the referendum or vote of the
people; also by the latter reasonable
minority Of the people can. by signing
petition, force any law passed by the
law-making body to vote of the whole
people. This means that every law will
be tacitly or actually sanctioned by the
people who are to be governed by it. It
means government by the people.
It's principle was old when George
Washington said in his wisdom-steeped
farewell address: ''The basis of our
political system is the right of the peo-
pie to make and alter their constitu-
tions of government" and when James
Madison said in the Federalist, No.
XLIX.: "The people are the only legiti-
mate fountain Of power" And when
John Quincy Adams, in his first mes
sage to congress, said: OUR POLITIC-
AL CREED is, WITHOUT A DISSENT
ING VOICE THAT CAN BE HEARD,
THAT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
is THE SOURCE AND THE HAPPT-
NESS OF THE PEOPLE, THE END OF
ALL LEGITIMATE GOVERNMNT UP
ON EARTH"
Many other quotations might be given
from the fathers OF our Constitution and
country, but the rest will only aim to
show it's connection with the present
great political parties, beginning with
the oldest.
Thomas Jefferson is rightly acclaimed
as the founder of the present Demo-
cratic party-he was more; he was the
great democratic thinker of his time.
and his words are the heritage of all
ages. He wrote to John Taylor (page
sos Of Vol. vi. Of the H. A. Washing
ton edition of his writings) Were
to assign to this term IA Republic) pre-
else and definite idea, would say,
purely and simply it means a govern
ment by its citizens in mass, acting di-
rectly and personally according to
rules established by the majority, and
that every other government is more or
less republican in proportion as it has
in it's composition more or less of this
ingredient OF the direct action of the
citizens. The further the de-
parture from direct and constant con-
troll by the citizens, the less has the
government of the ingredient of repnb-
licanism If, then, the control
Of the people over these organs of gov