The Advocate and news., 1898-09-14

upon them at all would mostly do so at
random. The small vote usually polled
even upon such important questions as
constitutional amendments, issue Of
bonds, etc., which are peculiarly adapted
to popular vote, is an evidence that
questions Of less Importance and general
interest would receive a yet smaller vote
either for or against. Few questions
could be simpler or Of more general In
terest than was the constitutional
amendment prohibiting the sale Of in
toxicating liquors, yet more than 10000
men who voted for State officers at that
election did not vote upon the amend
ment Even were it possible or profita-
BILE to submit all statutes to popular
vote the fact would still remain that the
framing and proper submission Of pro-
posed laws is all-impoTtant and requires
a body of able and honest legislators,
such as only the preferential ballot can
give.
The experience Of Switzerland on this
point is interesting. AS already said,
the initiative and referendum is far
OAuCA IA OWAIAClAuAu IAdNA pAOPOA SAOAoA
representation, in three cantons dating
back to the twelfth century in four to
the thirteenth, in one to the fourteenth,
two to the fifteenth, but as yet adopted
in only fourteen Of the twenty-five can
tons, and in some of these only in ref
erence to constitutional questions ,un-
usually large expenditures, or other
limited class of questions. Many con-
fuse the Landsgemeinde Gland commu-
nity) or general popular assemblage Of
cOmmunes "a commune corresponding
to our township, with the referendum
but they are quite distinct. They are
the same as the New England town
meeting, the later being derived from
the former through similar communal
meetings Of Holland. The initiative and
referendum are peculiarly adapted to
local self-government, where the ques-
tiOns in issue are generally simple and
have had thorough local discussion, but
may be extended to State and national
questions upon important issues which
are easily comprehended and have been
sufficiently discussed to enable the peO-
pie to vote intelligently upon them. AS
a matter Of fact, the initiative and ref
erendum in Switzerland has been little
used except in municipal and local mat
ters, and its use is decreasing in cantons
and cOmmunes having proportional rep
resentatiOn, for the reason that the peo-
pie are so perfectly represented that the
will Of all the people is expressed as
fully by their representatives as it could
be by popular vote The recent ma
tional referendum taken in Switzerland
upon the government taking control Of
railways was one Of the very few ma
tional referendums taken and is a good
example of the class of questions upon
which all the people can vote intelli-
gently.
The British colony of the island of
Tasmania has had longer experience in
the use of proportional representation
by the preferential ballot than any other
country. 1t is used there in all cleo
tions, and the universal testimony of
both citizens and visitors is that it has
enlightened and purified government to
an extent not deemed possible by even
its warmest advocates One of the first
results observed was that an incompe-
tent or dishonest candidate was inVaria-
bly, beaten at the polls, for the reason
that ne received no second or third
choice votes from other than his own
party. This fact compelled the nomina-