Hutchinson gazette., 1899-01-05

bitter content with the corruptionista
WIS put In operation.
Direct Legislation means that the
voters make tho laws, the Initiative be-
ing the proposal OF o measure by th,
voters, while the Referendum Is the re'
ferring OF proposed law 10 the polll
for declslon. IN small communities the
system Is operated In It's purity there
they have no Legislators, the voters pro
posing and deciding every local mcns'
ure. This systcm IL not new Ia thi.
country, tho Massachusetts, towns nl'
ways having conducted their affairs In
a like manner, with resulting honest
government, the voters assembling fol
tho purpose OF legislation at what are
known as town meetings."
Such system OF law-mnking Is, oi
course, impractioablo In large commu
mites, and 80 the cities, cantons (states)
and the Swiss national government
have legislatures elected by "Propor-
tional Representation" plan which
voices the exact will OF the voters both
ns to nominations and those elected.
The legislative bodies are, however, re-
stricted In their power for II they
should pass any measure that Is objec.
tionable, q certain designated percent
ago Of the qualified voters, soy : per
cent (the percentage varies In the diff
ferent cantons), cNn, by signing petit
tion, demand Il Referendum" upon II.
AS cpn be readily understood, this ref.
erendum power checks bad Legislation,
for although It is comparatively easy Ia
buy up legislature, II is impossible TO
corrupt majority OF the voters.
Now let MS presume that some legis'
lation Is necessary for the peoples well
fare, but that the legislature refuses to
pass II, then the Initiative can DO in.
voked, The desired law IL framed and
II signed by the proper number, II must
be submitted for u referendum vote. II
the ma ajority vote yes" the measure
"initiated' becomes law, the lcglsla.
turo to the contrary Notwithstanding,
The Initiative can be lisened unto n
whip held over the heads of the repre-
sentatvcs, wlilo the Referendum may
bo compared with relns being held by
the people, by which pernicious lcgls'
lation can always be stopped.
Together with Direct Legislation the
Swiss have adopted what Is known as
"The Imperative Mandate" This gives
the people the right TO vote out Of Of.
Ace, any official who fails TO perform
his duty.
But some may claim that 1t would be
impossible for such system to be put In
successful practice in this country for
the reason that the American people
are too busy to be continually signing
"Ihitiatives," "Refercndums" or elm
pcrative Mandates But is 1t true
that wo would neglect these duties2
Are not our people generally awaken.
ing to the fact that the present fright
ful economic conditions are due entire.
ly to legislation passed either in igno.
rance or by bribery; that the poor nre
growing poorer and the rich richer
that the great middle class Is being
gradually wiped out as the result OF
written laws enacted In defiance OF
natural laws?
But the practical working Of Direct
Legislation in Switzerland has shown
that the voters have none OF the trouble
which, al first thought, would seem to
be necessary. The first result Of tho
system was the total abolishment OF
the lobby--"the third house" The
bribers gone, the professional politician
soon became unknown as such, and
then In turn political parties were dis
solved and now partisanship never
warps the judgment OF the voter.
And, lastly, instead Of officeholdlng
being disgraceful, upright citizens now
strive for Office because Of the honor
attached. Thus good legislation at
once resulted, and very seldom do tho
voters make use OF their prcrogatives,
and then only to settle matters Of
minor Importance involving merely
differences OF opinion. Today Switzer'
land is a model republic
The Direct Legislation movement In
this country is being bitterly fought by
the plutocrats, for they clearly see that
It's adoption would forever end their
public plundering. To scare weak
lfneed individuals they declare that I'll
Is not safe to place such great power in
the hands Of the people," but the fact
that since It's operation In Switzerland
none but the wisest laws have been
proves the contrary In fact,
this power has sobercd the radical
theorists into what might be termed
radical conservatives, and untried po'
Iicies are only inaugurated after thor.
ough discussion, and even then they
,re brou0ht nbout GRADUALLY.