The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-05-02
DIRECT LEGISLATION

caileo 20 the number of edvo
Gates Of the initiative and referendn'"
among the country's ablest men. Sly
then our attention has been caIIad y.
the fact that at the Chicago convo"
ton w. ]. Bryan made a stropp nIsS
for the insertion of the initiative ons
referendum plank in the Democ,ot:'
platform. In an editorial to his pano.
The Omaha World Herald, April d.
1896, Mr. Bryan said:
1.-The principle of the initiative On,
referendum is democratic. It will ~.
be opposed by any Democrat who on
dorses the declaration OF Jefferson
that the people r capable of self oon
eminent; nor will it be opposed BY An,
Republican who holds to Lincoln's ido.
that this should be a government n
the people, by the people and for thu
people,"
Another advocate of direct legisIe.
tion is Hen. George Fred Williams. NJ
Massachusetts. In an article on tbo
subject, he thue sets forth his views.
1.-The first step in the establishments
of a new system of government is n
prove the weakness of the existing
system. Ours is conservative peopJe
ever hoping that the old will prove
sufficient.
The thing now to be remedied i,
scheme of representative government
It's proven weakness is it's failure even
substantially to represent. Its first
fallibility is shown in the caucus. Tbe
preliminary party meetings discourss
the voter because the elate succeeds 80
often that he abandons eventually the
effort to control it. Second, the re.
sui ting convention is seen by the voter
to be further removed from his will.
Preliminary representation is foundto
be hopelessly under the control of The
machine. Bossism has developed 50
generally that in all parties the vote
feels that his time is wasted in The
party preliminaries. There are few
exceptions to the rule that the bos,
holds his power through the specialin.
terests which are in politics to secure
valuable Legislative privileges or to de-
fend themselves against the assertion
of the public rights.
"The next stage of action Is the legis.
Iative and the executive. New infu.
ences and new motives are now added,
the lobby, the legislative caucus, the
persistence Of pressure, the power Of
the party organization, desire for re.
election, fattery and even bribery now
play their individual parts. Under
these multitudinous influences. the
fools are led, and if they are not GU.
preme the knaves are brought in 70
make a majority. The House is more
faithful to the people than the Senate
because the influences are more scat
tered. Toe House comes for a caucus,
the Senate for a convention. The
nearer the representative to a plebis
cite, the more faithful he will prove to
his constituency.
Then comes the committee formed
and handled generally in behalf Of
special interests. The committee has
full and special knowledge of the facts
concerning each measure, and it is
rate that an individual can overcome
its recommendations. The committee
having special interests in charge are
generally appointed in their favor by
a presiding officer who needs these in
terests for his success.
when arbitrary 1ule over legiala
ton is assumed by the presiding cffcer,
as now in the House of Represents
tives, it is by his grace that the PEG
ple's will can even receive considera'
ton. The several stages of Legislative
progress from the caucus to the veto
present just 80 many opportuni lies TO
interests we'll organized and
skilltul to prevail over the peoples IN
Eerests. They succeed by two metn'
ods-force, thwarting legislation, and
second, securing bad legislation. Hence
the necessity for the initiative to secure
needed legislation and the referendum
to defeat bad legislation.
1--WE are somewhat familiar with the
referendum in popular votes upon con,
stitutional amendments, municlp"
charters, license laws, etc. But TIE
initiative must appear even more In
portant to the realiz alton of true De
mocracy. 1t is difficult to see where
of these measures is assailaDs
from the Democratic standpoint. They
represent indisputably the people'
will firmly expressed. The initiative
may need careful consideration in aS