The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-13
PURE POPULISM

lation.
George Fred Williams, Democratic
candidate for governor Of Massachusetts:
The first step in the establishment OF
new system Of government is to prove
the weakness of the existing system.
Ours Is conservative people. ever hop
Ing that the old will prove sufficient.
The thing now to be remedied is the
scheme OF representative government.
Its proven weakness is it's failure even
substantially to represent. Its first
fallibility is shown in the caucus. The
preliminary party meetings discourage
the voter because the slate succeeds so
often that he abandons eventually the
effort to control it. Second, the result
Ing convention is seen by the voter to
be still further removed from his will.
preliminary representation is found to
be hopelessly under the control OF the
machine. Bossism has developed so
generally that in all parties the voter
feels that his time is wasted in the party
prelimfnaries. There are few exceptions
to the rule that the boss holds his power
through the special interests which are
IN politics to secure valuable legislative
privileges or to defend themselves
against the assertion of the public
rights.
The next stage OF action is the legis-
lative and the executive. New influences
and new motives are now added, the
lobby, the legislative caucus, the persis-
tence of pressure, the power of the party
organization, desire for reelection. flat
terry and even bribery now play their
individual parts. Under these multi
tudinous influences, the fools are led
and If they are not supreme, the knaves
are brought in to make majority The
house is more faithful to the people than
tho senate because the influences are
more scattered. The house comes for a
caucus, the senate for a convention
The nearer the representative to a
plebiscite, the more faithful he will prove
to his constituency.
Then comes the committee formed and
handled generally in behalf of special in
terests. The committee has full and
special knowledge of the facts concern
ing each measure, and it is rare that an
individual can overcome its recon-
mendations. The committee having
special interests in charge are generally
appointed in their favor by presiding
officer who needs these interests for his
success.
When arbitrary rule over legislation
is assumed by the presiding officer, as
now in the house Of representatives, it
is by his grace that the peoples will can
even receive consideration. The several
stages of legislative progress from the
caucus to the veto present just so many
opportunities to special interests we'll
organized and skiilful to prevail over the
peoples interests. They succeed by two
methods, force, thwarting legislation,
and, second, securing bad legislation.
Hence the necessity for the initiative to
secure needed legislation and the ref
erendum to defeat bad legislation.
We are somewhat familiar with the
referendum in popular votes upon con-
stitutional amendments, municipal char
ters, license laws, etc. But the initiative
must appear even more important to the
realization of true democracy. 1t is diff
ficult to see where either Of these meas
ures is assailable from the Democratic
standpoint. They represent indisputably
the peoples will firmly expressed. The
initiative may need careful considera-
tion in detail, but the referendum seems
to be plain right Of the people. The
| legislator in theory does the peopies S
will through representation; II in fact
a majority of the people be against a
| legislative act, the theory is falsified and
the defeat of such an act by direct vote
Of the constituency corrects the practical
failure of the representative theory.
It must be said that the presen: con
ditions OF legislative work are scandal
GUS. Corporations have been created by
| the state to turn like Frankinsteins, up
on the state, their creator. Railroad:
own legislatures, and even constitution:
| are over-ridden by them as in the Pen
nsylvania case. So ruthlessly are tht
peoples rights shattered under the
representative system, that men unhesi
tatingly talk of revolutionary violence tt
undo these wrongs. There is an ugly
spirit abroad and we listen to threats O.
| violence from men who 20 years age
| would have rebuked language like theil
own But force is no proper instrument
/ in a republic till all others have failed
| AS our sense Of helplessness comes from
| the representative system, why not fur
nish methods Of reform which will give
peaceable remedy? In the name of Oul
dear republic, let us have at least tht
| referendum with which to undo false
| legislation. The initiative may be ap
| preached tentatively and developed will
experience, but the referendum should
| be placed at once in our constitutions.
The Australian ballot is developing
serious defects; the caucus, the conven
tion have nroyed more potent under i