Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-06-25
DIRECT LEGISLATION.
Union of Reform Forces in Ohio.

Columbus, Ohio, May 24.-The mi
nority parties met in this city today |
to form a general party for the pur-
pose of evading the provisions OF the
Pugh amendment.
At meeting tonight at the Great
Southern theater the plan of action
was mapped out. They propose to
form a party to be known as the
American Party" the sole plank in
the platform of which will be that
they favor the initiative and refer
endum plan of government.
During the day the different par
ties of the minority stripe met in diff
ferent parts of the city and held their
state conventions. They are the
populists, the free silver republicans,
the liberal party, the negro pro-
tectiye party and the socialist labor
party.
Tomorrow Afternoon they will meet
in the Southern Hotel and join the
movement by the adoption of gen.
eral platform and nomination of
general ticket. 1t is the hope of the
promulgators of this movement to
make the new party national one
before the year is out.
1t looks to us as if this is just as it
ought to be at the present time. We
must have new party in American
politics if the American nation is to
ever see the light of industrial and
commercial redemption.
This building of the new party on
the one solitary plank of direct legis-
lation, is born both of philosophy and
ripe experience. No pet hobby is
here ignored or menaced, and it has
been seen that the different schools
of thought have stuck to their opin-
| ions regardless of how often or by
whom assailed. In this idea of direct
| legislation is born to them a new hope.
They now see that their especial plan
of salvation can be brought directly
to the front and examined and acted
upon on its own merits regardless of
all things else Hartford Conn. Ex-
aminer.
The tendency of all reform organi
cations to unite on direct legislation
is wholly good and is daily growing
stronger. However, it is somewhat
misleading to call the organizations
above mentioned party" 1t is
really simply an association formed
to secure the adoption OF single re-
form direct legislation by the peo-
pie.
A fair comparison would be that of
half dozen travellers who, wishing
to reach a neighboring town, and
finding no conveyance, should unite
in hiring a livery team and driver.
When their common destination is
reached they pay their proper shares
of the bill and separate, each going
his own way.
The old parties exist merely to Sc
cure spolls of Office and so will con-
tinue till 'spoils are no more"
The minor parties are organized
for such profound reforms that it will
be years before majority of the vo-
tiers Egill favor their radical plat
forms. Plutocracy dares not debate,
for it has no arguments: but it wins
by smothering agitation beneath
bank notes and Doodle. This is espe-
cially true of action in legislative
halls.
Reformers are beginning to see
that all they need in order to win a
majority of votes is education. sim
ply getting the people to understand
the situation.
With direct legislation there will
be little trouble in carrying national
ownership of telephones, telegraphs
and railroads. Naturalization of
mines would not wait long Civil SER
vice reform always carries when the
people can vote on it direct. Exemp-
ton of homesteads of less than
$500 from all kinds of taxation
would carry at once. Anti-monopolv
laws would not only carry but would
also be enforced. for, under direct
legislation, no Judge can declare a
law unconstitutional,
The Brotherhood Of the Corpora
tive commonwealth is not Il political
organization and its members vote as
they see fit. but personally the editor
OF INDUSTRIAL FREEDOM will be glad
to DO all in his power to secure the
nomination and election OF state
legislature which will submit to the
people of Washington a direct legis-I
lation amendment to the state con-
stitution. Fusion for Offices is the
devils work, but a union for single
campaign in order to incorporate di-
rect legislation in the state constitu-
ton is the climax of statesmanship
for this year. There is one thing
however which we must insist on: