The Advocate and news., 1898-03-23

presslons from both gubernatorial candi-
dates and mailed copies Of these with
q circular letter, requesting pledge, to all
legislative candidates; Of the 264 candi-
dates thus addressed, we received pledges
from seventy-three, and OF these nine
Senators and twenty-three members OF
the House were elected (the Senate con-
sists of thirty-tWo and the House Of 100
members). None Of these was then iden-
titled with the movement and our bill
was introduced in both House and Senate
by strangers (Repubhcans) at our re-
quest, and referred In each to the Judi
ciary committee. After several disap-
pOintments we succeeded in obtaining a
hearing before the joint committee, in
the Senate chamber, and In the presence
Of that august body, and DR.. Sherman's
address created such favorable impress
sion for the cause that canvass Of the
Senate few days later by the press re-
porterS showed up more than the neces-
sary two-third.
But the trouble was to get the bill
reported out of the committee. We soon
convinced ourselves that the Senate COM
mittee was irreversibly opposed to the
measure, and as the introducer also op-
posed 1t, we found 1t impossible to bring
1t before the Senate first, as intended,
and accordingly concentrated our efforts
on the House committee, where we man
aged an alliance Of the Pingree Repub-
icans with the silver Democrats by
means Of which the stubborn resistance
of the chairman and the machine was
overcome and the bill reported out with
out recommendation.
Being placed on the regular order, it
was reached repeatedly, but never come
to a vote for the reason that when 1t
came up the first time it was laid over
at our request to give us time for secur-
ing friends for 1t among the members,
and afterwards, when we had secured the
necessary majority to prevent 1t being
killed and when all the members under
stood that they had DO go on record,
the introducer, who until then had aided
us, managed to prevent vote on it de-
spite our most urgent requests made YER
bally, by mail and telegraph.
Since then we have confined our eff
forts mainly to Detroit and are now rea-
ture will have some members identified
with and who will uphold the cause Of
direct legislation above any and all other
interests
Whether or not our constitutional
amendment shall be adopted Is impossi-
BILE for us to say at present, because
firstly the corporations, who exert an in
fluence on the Legislature, which even 80
powerful and popular man as our pres
ent GoVernor-with all the cunning
shrewdness OF his political advisers, to-
gether with the solid support Of the sill
yer minority-has not been able to over
come-are perfectly aware of the fact
that direct legislation is not only Sc
rious menace and danger to their spe-
Cial privileges and so-called vested rights
to plunder the people, but must inevita-
bly, sweep them out OF existence. Sec
ondly, our State constitution provides
the submission, every sixteen years, to
the electors OF this question: Shall a
constitutional convention be called? This
question must be decided again next fall;
and last, but not least, the next Legis-
lature elects Senator.
II is therefore quite safe to say pow
erful influences will make themselves
felt in the legislative contest; but what
ever the outcome may be, the principle
Of direct legislation, that all power be
vested In the people direct" will be
brought forward and we have reason to
believe that at the conclusion of the
campaign 1t will be found in such a
prominent position as to overshadow all
others.
cAnAn lan...A NNf..n. . c..