Hutchinson gazette., 1899-07-13
BACK TO THE PEOPLE.
POWER RESTORED TO THEM
BY DIRECT LEGISLATION.
What "inllla,Iyo and Referendum Means"
WIN Give the ioppls AbdlcAtod
Rights rogl ssa Calla for Radical
Change In our Present Methods,
Direct leglslation-Ipw.malslng by

DTecJ leglhlhuoh oh-lIhW'mNklhB ny
the voters,
Tho initlatlve-The proposal Of n
law by percentage Of the voters,
which must then 90 TO the
Referendum-The vote at the polls,
Laws thus enacted occupy the sane
ground rs the constitutions they are
: above tho powers OF the co'ordInated
branches Of government and can
only be amended or annulled by the
same power that enacted thcm-the
people.
The great social problem IL now be
fore the people impeAtiyely dcmand-
Ing solution. Who Is TO solve II? Is II
TO be solved by tho people In their In.
tcrest or by the rulors In thcirs? How
Is IL TO be solved? Shall we, MS u pco.
pie, retracc our steps or advance?
These arc the questions that will have
10 be answered by this generation
The adoption OF the system Of direct
legislation by the people will effect
ually answer the first question and be,
ht the same time, the first and most
difficult step to be taken to reach
solution Of the social question In the
interest Of the people.
Karl liurl,ly, u Swiss legislator, said'
"Direct legislation viii be the instru-
ment In tho hands Of the people to ere.
nte new forms and laws not according
10 prcconceivcd soclnl theories or the
Interests OF any ono clusN, but accord
Ing TO the real wants Of all the people
as they make themselves felt; the will
Of tho people will prevail, pcueeably,
by the ballot where now the dcspotism
Of accumulated wealth rules supreme
by starvation and the bullet,
Experience has taught the ruling
classes the great advantages they de-
live from political forms favorable to
themselves and they will, surely, do nil
they can TO prevent the adoption Of q
form Of government abolishIng their
privileges AS rulers, Socialism, even OF
The most radical kind, has no dangers
for them as long MS the political full
rrum Is missing To the social lever So
elal reform Is condemned to remain In
! h state OF theory until tho right means
I nre found TO put II into practice, and
these means Gun be no other than,
hbovo ALL. to bring about II govern
mental reform OF snch Il nature that
The laws shall hcncciorth bc made by
the voice Of all the citizens aud no
longer according TO the wishes Of u
privileged few"
All rights and privileges carry with
them corresponding duties and obliga-
lions. II the latter urc not performed
The former must inevitably ceasu and
become void.
The right to life, liberty ard thepur'
suit Of happiness entails the duty upon
each individual to defend this right
us u soldier, to form, express Ur cnuct
it us II legislator, and to vind.catc II Us
judge, II rights are inalicnubIc their
corresponding duties are not transfer
able, Each individual must, Of nrres-
Bity, In his own person exercise these
duties Here no division Of labor, no
substitution Is possible without also
delegating, at the same time, the right
The individual slmrling tho duty de-
prives himself Of The right and be-
comes II serf or S ave,
Woe to the people who delegate their
defense TO class, specially trained
and kept Tor this purplss only. 1t crc-
ntes standing army, the most terrible
tool in the hands OF the 20, ornors and
inevitably used by them 10 control the
people.
Whenever people delegate the enact
ing oil laws To. others, the luws will
be written In the interest Of those en-
acting them or thosG ubI1 10 cause
their anuctmeni. The history Of the
world aLundantlY proves that law Is
but written expression OF the inter-
rst Of tho lnwgiwuE, As. well expect
bluvehOldrrs to, make laws Ia the inter-
est OF their sln Uas US TO, expect the
privileged Glnssas to- solve the social
question IN, Lbn interest Of the toiling
massas,,
ThDmns Jeifunson sabla Sometimes
IL Is said thai nam run not be trusted
with the government OF himself. Can
l,o then ba. TRUSTED with tho govern.
ment of otbQrs2 Or huve we found
angels in the forms, Of kings TO govern
him2 Let histCHT aAswer the qles'
ton"
Docs the past ~ STORY of leg slatnres,
city councils on congress show in them
any divine glft OF superior wisdom
thut entities them TO govern the pco>
pie MS, "thG peoples representatives"
ratSeu thnt that the people SHOULD gov
ern themselves directly?
IA thp MANILA delegatc the ndnAiaia-