Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-06-16
DIRECT LEGISLATION.
A New York Newspapers Plea for
Popular Government.

Popular Government.
On Manhattan island there Is a voice
crying in the political wilderness for
direct legislation, and 1t proceeds from
the Verdict. Oliver Belmont's illustrat-
ed weekly. The Verdict says:
Monopoly. fecund Of trust, spawns
like pike; while principle, minated OF
popular effort. lies in barren bed. The
enemy strengthens himself while We
idle. The growth OF the trusts marks
the growth of ignorance; the sun or
American progress borders narrowly
on an eclipse of money and another
dark age may yet descend. Someone
once said that: Law is the safest he'll
met The value of the apothegm de-
ponds upon who wears this steel cap.
If it be honesty, good! But II some
trust robber go to Albany or Washing
ton and forge himself some head piece
of statue, the story runs blackly dlt-
ferent. 1t is not always true that
state has added to its safety because IL
has added to its laws. AS things are.
the Verdict is free to say it despairs OF
fair and virtuous legislation. In those
lists of house and senate, right seems
ever to go down before the spear OF
riches. There must be change-change
unusual and change that reaches rar.
In this storm of money that beats for
evil upon our capitols, the verdict,
steering for safety, finds the public's
best harbor in the initiative and reter-
endum. Is it radical and what then
Lincoln and Washington and Christ
and all they strove for were radical
Novelty is not, per Sc, defect, anu
justice has its skirmish line, improve
ment its pioneer. The initiative anu
referendum would but put In the
hands of the people the power 10 ol-
rectly propose law, or pass law OF
repeal law. Is that suggestion OF
topsy-turvy revolution? II a people
may be trusted to select their lawmaK-
ers, may they not be trusted to select
their laws? The trusts might corrupt
a congress or buy a legislature, but
they could not bride whole people.
Give us the initiative and Referendum
and give us the income tax. The nrst
would be lattice to let in the day; the
second a broom to bring down those
law cobwebs, spun Of money, anu III
which the rights Of the public are
caught like flies. 1T is better TO De a
poor fisherman than to NEEDLE with
the government of men, said Danton.
But the Frenchman was tumDrel at
the time and suffered no doubt some
coming confusion of the guillotlne. HAD
he been given freedom and sober
second thought, he would have seen
that one is driven to NEEDLE with gov
eminent. to keep it from meddling VII
lainously with him. Therefore, let us,
the public, become promptly, popularity
meddlesome, and let it be by that sys-
tenn of initiative and referendum above
rehearsed. Democracy could do this,
and democracy should. The party
should not hesitate nor go half way.
Its cry should be: All or nothing:
Its war should be to the death. There
should be no blackmail Of partial peace
paid to monopoly; no traffic with the
enemy whereby he gained the least 1t
is the worst of oppression that makes
coward terms with tyranny, or which
would-to use a colloQuialism-'divide
the pot with the trusts. This Is an
era of potato bug politics. and the
trusts devour what the people grow.
Some stand must be made; some near
and stubborn stand, or two decades Will
witness us overrun and swamped o.
money. He will be wise in that day
who, living without flag as without cit
itzenship, carries his country on the
sole of his SHOE"