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

address by Eltweed Pomeroy
upon the subject of direct legislation.
Every American should be interested
in this most important subject irrespec-
tive of his party Affiliations.
We are personally acquainted with
Mr.. Pomeroy and are satisfied that he
is thoroughly in earnest In his advocacy
Of direct legislation. He is president of
the Direct Legislation League, nation
al organization for the promotion of the
Swiss system of making laws, and has
likely done more than any other one
man toward the adoption Of measures
in the various states looking toward
initiative and referendum law making
In these states.
About year ago Mr.. Pomeroy was in
the ofice OF the Representative and ex-
pressed to both the editors of this paper
his entire confidence in Bryan and the
reformed Democracy's advocacy and
hearty support Of the initiative and
referendum system of legislation.
We insisted that while Bryan and
an inconsequential minority of Western
Democrats might honestly favor direct
legislation, and possibly few other re-
form measures, the controlling forces
behind the Democratic machine would
at the critical moment turn down direct
legislation and all other genuine reform
measures. We unhesitatingly charged
the Democratic party, as an organized
political power. vita duplicity and bad
faith.
Mr.. Pomeroy was a national commit
teeman from New Jersey on the old
Peoples party national committee
headed by Marion Butler. and when we
saw his manifest leanings toward fusion
on the assumption Of Democratic sim
certify, we. naturally, felt like reading
the riot act to him. We protested
against his blind credulity in plain and
emphatic English; the debate grew
warm and closed with some friction
under the collars of all concerned.
AL pal I1C0, AOWCNOl 1Cu1d1ACO VI tuc
same opinion STILL"
At the Kansas City convention Mr.. P.
still nursing the delusion that the Dem
ocratic party stood for reform, drew up
very carefully direct legislation plank
Tor the Democratic platform.
We are unable |. give our readers the
exact language of this .,ank as drawn
by Mr.. Pomeroy. but hope uo NAV he
furnished with copy of the sam. 70,
some future issue of our paper. i
would be very interesting to know JUS
how hard the Democratic politician.
kicked Mr.. Pomeroy and sat down upo1
his pet measure.
With our knowledge of the admirabl.
measures drawn by Mr.. Pomeroy fol
some of our states, we feel sure tha
any such measure drawn by him would
be unequivocal, to the point and non
estly leveled at the all-important goa
of direct legislation.
It would be clean-cut, straightfor
ward demand for change from oul
present representative system to thu
Swiss initiative and referendum system
OI Inakins laws.
Mr. Pomeroy would demand direc,
legislation without waiting for thu
consent of any other nation"
He would never have hedged his de-
mand behind the straddling trickste1
nj ~ YrJr
PRACTICABLE"
He would never leave the door oper
for our congressman to declare that Il
was practicable in town and municipal
affairs, but not so in state and nationa
legislation.
1t is safe to say that the weak, evas
i've, straddling and meaningless plank
in the Kansas City platform bears NJ
resemblance to the plank drawn by
Mr.. Pomeroy. 1t is not only meaning.
less, but its position in the platform il
such as to show that 1t was not seriously
considered and was regarded as a mat.
ter too small to be noticed It is al
follows:
We favor an amendment to the fedora
constitution providing for the election o.
United States senators by direct vote Of
the people, and we favor direct legislation
wherever practicable
Contrast the foregoing Democratic de-
ception with the following plank in the
Cincinnati platform:
l. We demand the initiative and refer
endum and the imperative mandate, OF
such changes Of existing and fundamental
and statute law as will enable the people in
their sovereign capacity to propose and
compel the enactment of such laws as
they desire; to reject such as they deem
injurious to their interests, and to recall
unfaithful public servants.
. Democrats would never consent to
have such plank go in their platform.
1t would ruin their business. The con-
gressmen and senators from the five
Democratic sugar-producing states
would be shut off from the barrel of the
sugar trust. Perish the thought! When
man says: Il am a Democrat" it is
safe to assume that he is against direct
legislation. He is for the Offices and
what are the Offices good for without
Doodle?
Come back to us, Mr.. Pomeroy, we are
sorry that you lost the way.
II man be fooled once he is not to
blame; if. he be fooled twice we begin
to question his sanity If not his mo-
ives. e. A. T.
INSUL TMOUNTAIN HIGH.