Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1901-01-17
MADE BY THE PEOPLE
LET ALL LAWS BEAR THAT
STAMP.
The Initiative and the Referendum the
Only Safe Form OF Government-fhe
Bankers Have Begun te Fight 1T
Alarms Them.

A Chicago newspaper published by
(and chiefly for) the banking interests
of the city has been bothering itself
about the initiative and referendum
which the Federation of Labor desires
to see introduced in America. Says
tAe newspaper:
In pure democracy, or, If the Am
erican Federation prefers, under the
initiative and referendum, the people
would originate laws, if they desired,
and if they took the trouble to elect
representatives for any purpose, they
would be called upon to vote upon all
measures of Importance which might
be proposed by their agents. Without
public sanction no bill would become
law. Without popular approval at
every step there would be no govern
ment. The government of the states
and Of the nation would be town meet
ings in session most of the time. A
better way to paralyze all government
it would be difficult to devise"
Yes? Oh, we think not. Why not
say that the referendum means the
spreading of smallpox or the introduce
ton of yellow fever? No advocate of
the referendum has ever suggested that
all measures should be submitted to
the people, but that the people should
have chance to pass upon such
measures as they might desire to pass
upon.
The bankers organ very likely
thinks that If the people of this coun-
fry mr. TN a h,rh
legislation devised by the wise and
wealthy classes, they would be doing
something foolish all the time. They
might, for instance, if they had the
referendum, abandon all their business
and work and do nothing all the year
round but vote about legislative en-
actments.
AS to the paralyzing effect of the
referendum on government, we need
only to remark that the government of
Switzerland, the freest and most pro-
gressive republic in the world, seems
to have proceeded many years under
the referendum and without degree
Of paralysis observable to the naked
eye at least. While this terrible refer
endum has been in operation there the
Swiss have had more freedom, COM
fort, happiness and general prosperity
than any other people on earth. They
have enjoyed system of taxation that
does not grind the poor and fatten the
rich, and a government that is not in
league with corporations, trusts, rob-
Der steamship companies and thieving
contractors. If there Is any paralysis
in this sort of thing, we suggest that
We impart little of it.
- Possibly this is one reason why the
corporation newspapers are so sensi-
tive about it.
But the whole subject is an apt IL
lustration Of the irresistible, If slow,
advance Of democracy. While the cor
poration organs scream and rage and
lie against the referendum, the refer
endum steadily advances upon us.
Whenever any community determines
by vote whether it will issue bonds,
build school houses, increase It's taxes,
dig sewers, found public libraries. en-
gage in public works and improve
ments, it vindicates the referendum.
New York city adopted the referendum
bodily when it voted to build the rapid
transit tunnel, and the steadily in
creasing number of similar elections
throughout the country shows that the
people have already approved the prin-
ciple involved. Nothing more is need
ed than the extension of a practice al
ready begun.-Chicago American.