Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1900-07-03
CONTINUED from First pagel

0PSOAASA ANU u VAAoO UA4O
remedy is to be found in direct
legislation. It would prevent the
robbing Of the people by railway
corporations which increase the
freights and by trusts like the
Standard Oil company which take
of the peoples substance at will.
Direct legislation was explained
to be in operation. in rural New
England where small communities
get together two or three times a
year and vote on all the laws. It
works we'll. In the large
cities the petition is emp
loyed and is highly useless,
but under the initiative and refer
endum it would be different. The
petition would count them.
The referendum, Mr.. Pomeroy
explained, is the negative or op-
position side Of direct legislation.
Theinitiativeis the affirmative side,
and the two are calculated to make
the people supreme in government.
Under direct legislation legisla-
tors would not b. abolished, the
speaker said, but they would be
raised to a higher plane by being
deprived Of irresponsible power.
Now we concentrate corruption by
delegating Irresponsible power to
individual hands. This makes
bribery easy. It is not a difficult
thing to buy a legislator who is in
the market for a thousand dollars,
but it would be quite another
matter to buy a thousand men,
even though they we're willing to
sell themselves for a. dollar each.
We have no right, it was urged, to
put men to the test of the tempta-
ton to which they are exposed in
city councils, legislatures and con-
gress under the present system.
In Switzerland, where direct legis-
lation has been in force, Mr..
~
Pomeroy said there had not been
a case Of Legislative bribery in 25
years. There they re-elect the
same men year after year, but
here it is expected that two years
in the Legislature will spoil a man
and it does.
The speaker then referred to the
great number Of laws passed in
this country and to the foolish
ness Of some of them, citing, as
illustrative examples, certain silly
enactments that have been placed
on the statute books of Missouri,
Nebraska, Kentucky and New
York. The latter state had de-
creed that not less than IL oysters
should be put in an oyster stew;
Texas, that the skies of the Lone
Star state are bluer than those of
Italy.
The time has come when, &C
cording to Nh. Pomeroy, the
people must make a choice, They
must either have a pure demo-
cracy or be ruled by corporations.
Direct legislation is genuine
democracy, and direct legislation
is coming. 1t is gaining ground
rapidly.
Mr.. Pomeroy made much of the
workings Of the initiative and
referendum in Switzerland. The
conditions there were not favor
able. The country is the meeting
place OF the races. Many differ
ent languages are spoken and
religious differences are marked,
and yet direct legislation has been
a success there and is accepted
by the people as a matter of course.
Because it works we'll there Mr..
Pomeroy thinks it would work
we'll here. He closed his lecture
with a defense of socialism as q
principle, contending that the
people must follow the example
set by the religious, charitable anc
business world-combine for {
common purpose.
. NOTES.