Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1899-04-06

- ~ WI kAAAAfK ~ - w.
of the present system.
THE JOURNAL will print these ar
tlcles on Direct Legislation and 50
far as the influence OF It's circulation
with about fifteen thousand people
goes II will DO all 10 It's power to
bring about THIS reform. Not
that we believe II will BRING
at once political millennium.
But because II Is system founded
upon intelligence and education Of
the masses Of tue people. It. is the
opposite Of the present system under
which a class OF EXPERTS" grow
exert 10 chicanery and fraud, DR..
Drivers EXPERT ruling class
DIRECT LEGISLATION by the PEOPLE
vs. LEGISLATION nv EXPERTS
chapter T.
EDITOR JoURSAL:-In the jour.
NAL's issue of February 9, 10 is stated
that when the constitutional amend.
mcnt Tor the initiative aud referen-
dun was discussed in our STATE senate
one senator spoke strongly against u,
as "beiDg against representative
government" aGd that the senator
further argued that 1.-THE citizen EN- D.
ploys experts, % carry out his ideas
and administer 10 his wants Of all
kinds aud for that reason selects the
legislator 70 make bis laws" As this
argument is very able aud plausible
aud as II has become a very important
question for the people whether they
shall any longer leave the making Of
laws entirely 10 hired experts or
whether all the citizens shall Try their
luck at law making and aim ~ be
come experts; as every question has
two sides-a right Que aud "A wrong
one-as IL Is easier % lind "which
Is which" when both sides are
examined and a., so far, have failed
% observe that anybody has taken up
the opposite aide of the s,ecIal argu-
ment referred 20, decided % make
an effort 20 do 80. Before beginning
this defense OF direct rule by the peO-
pie wish 10 say that | have no per
soual III feeling toward the seua-
Tor, knowing we'll that all reforns, no
matter how necessary, have, especially
in their drst stages OF progress, been
opposed by SOME thoroughly honest
persons, some OF which later on often
became as strong advocates Of certain
reforms as they hrst were opponents
We know, for Instance, that at one
time Christopher Columbus was the
only Spanlard who b lleyed there
might be such thing as America,
while now all the Spaniards are thor
oughly convinced that the idea of
Christopher Columbus was correct
aud the funny part Of 10 Is that Il
was woman who saw enough In the
The ny 0f Columbus TO furnish him the
boats needed 90 make the discovery.
white che Kings could not see that
much. The senator said he opposes
direct legislation because IL Is against
representative government. have
tried 10 make tins argument Of the
senator and his actions to correspond
but failed.
IL the senator prefers government
by representatives wny aid he accept
a nomination aud electioa 20 the leg-
islature Instead helplug 10 get some
one else elected % represent him.
lion the other hand, the senator,
who IS a doctor, believes Ia voting
directly for aud against the laws pro
posed ior his gOYernment as he did
during the session OF the legislature
then Why does he oppose granting the
same right 10 an the other doctors aud
cititeus OF Oregon -wny does he then
oppose the Initiative aud referendum
which would enable all voters 20 vote
tor aud against the laws proposed for
tleir government
The next argument Of my DIS
tinguished opponent Ia principle Is
that che citiIen employs experts 20
carry out his Ideas aud administer %
his wants of an kinds aud for that
reason selects che legislator 70 make /
his laws admit that the hrst part /
OF this sentence Is correct and la .
some subsequent chapters will give .
reasons Why it works all right 10 can /
ploy experts at aoy kiud Of business /
except hN making; bat Ga not be-
.leye that the cltlfens are selerliug
0n account at UKpertness
,nd Will eNplain my posltiOu.
~ our cltigens are selecting their
'l islators on account of oXnertue,s
't laS makias they are certainly act
az rather queer La an ordinary
ioes OF business ID is supposed tnat
o0g aud close attenliou 90 certain
business makcs the expert, SET tue
itlsens select very treQlently, Il not
Mostly, men a. tue legislature who
lave uut served Ia that capacity ho
ore, when t0ege ae plenty ca lesls
itors ready 20 serve agaln II Tue
itl1eps select the LEGISLATOR on
ccount OF expeftness az lAw mak.
ag, Why do they so frequently retire
'glslatofs vino have had practice
nd nll their places WITH men Who
ave had nosucn practicey II upon cue
ther baud, lhe cltlacns sslect me