The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-08-02

ure of measures to a special election.
In these cases the special election shall
be held between thirty 500 and sixty
(60) days after the fling of the petition
or after the passage of the resolutions
In the council on such day as the council
may select.
Section T. Whenever a petition, or
petitions. signed by not less than five
hundred 5000 voters of the city, asking
for the passage Of any ordinance shall
be filed with the city clerk, he shall
within Ave days after filing transmit
certified copy to each body OF the coun-
ell where is shall take precedence over
all other business.
Section s. II the ordinance so peti-
toned for is not passed as petitioned,
and signed by the mayor within forty
five (45) days after the date Of the filing
OF the petition or petitions for 1t, 1t
shall be submitted to a vote of the peo-
pie at the next city election not held
within thirty (3O) days after the ex-
piration Of the forty (45) days. The
council, however, may by a majority
vote Of both houses refer it to the peo-
pie at regular election, or at special,
to be held between thirty (3O) and sixty
(6O) days after they pass such resolu-
ton.
Section 6. The council, by a majority
vote of both houses. and without the
mayors signature, and without a peti-
tion asking for it, may submit any ordi-
nance Or ordinances to the vote of the
people at a regular election not held
within thirty (30) days Of the passage
Of such resolution, or at special
election to be held between thirty (3O)
and sixty (60) days.
Section Z. Any ordinance voted on,
II it receives a majority of the votes
cast thereon, shall become an ordinance
Of the city one day after the vote there
on and the mayor shall proclaim the
fact
Section 8. Ordinances voted on and
enacted by the people shall not be re-
pealed or altered unless their repeal or
alteration is submitted to a vote of the
people and carried by majority of
those voting thereon.
Doubtless, on further study, this can
be condensed and improved much: but
it will give an idea of what is needed.
and may afford a basis to work from.
In any event, tho earnest men and wo-
men In the Twin Cities are, l believe,
going to seize this splendid opportunity
now before them, and change it from
an opportunity into a shining example
to all the cities Of the country of what
can be done and Of how direct legisla-
ton actually works.
Direct legislation means law making
by the voters. OF course it embodies
the initiative and referendum. The in
itiative, plainly speaking, means the
proposal Of law by percentage of
the voters. which must then go to the
referendum. The referendum is a vote
at the polls on law proposed through
the Initiative, or on any law passed by
a law making body whose reference is
petitioned for by percentage of the
voters
I am surprised that the masses of the
United States are not enthused on the
subject. However, my colleagues and
are doing a grand missionary work.
In my address at the present time l
am referring particularly to Switzer-
land, where we have accomplished a
great DEAL
POOR FIELD WAS OFFERED.
OF all spots in the world, doubtless,
that country was the most difficult
wherein to introduce direct legislation.
1t was the meeting ground of races, re-
lfgions and languages. The people
were the most unhomogeneous of any
on the globe. Some of the cantons or
states have had direct legislation there
for centuries, in a way. 1t is only dur
Ing the past IS years, however, that it
has been adopted nationally.
And see what it has done It has
bound them together in an inseparable
nation. with a strong national feel
ing. The problem of living, which is
troubling US, has been mastered there.
There are no paupers in Switzerland,
and few. II any, millionaires. In Zu-
rich. one Of the first things they did
after they got the referendum was, by
progressive taxation, to tax out of ex-
istence the half-dozen millionaires they
had.
Switzerland spends more money on
education than any country in the
world. not excepting the United States,
and she spends less on her army than
xuy european nation. Switzerland has
better factory laws than Massachusetts,.
She has the best laws protect
ing woman and child labor It is sell
dom that you hear Of emigration from
Switzerland. That shows that the
people are eonteated. They have fewer
lawyers In proportion to population
than We. In plain figures, they have
only one seventh a. many. and their
laws are short, simple and easily UNI,
deFstood. In 1896 there weFe over H.
600 laws, state and national, passed in
the United States.
In one year the Albany legislature
passed over 1000 laws, some Of them
longer than the Justinian code that for
centuries governed the Roman empire
We aro fooded With lava In twelve