The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-24

-
pie to alter or abolish 1t: laying its
foundations on such principles and or
gaming It's powers IN such form as 10
them shall seem most likely to effect
their safety and happiness. declaration
OF American independence
IT HAT our representative government
has failed to enact such laws as
viii protect the people in their
rights and give happiness to the great
est number Of our citizens, is evidenced
by the fact that about % per cent of
the population of the United States is
termed the poor; about 80 per cent
''the middle Glass; leaving Only per
cent as the rich class" The rich Cor
8 per cent? hold three-fOurths or the
wealth Of the country, While the middle
and poor classes comprising 81 per
cent? only hold one-quarter Of the
wealth Of the country. Included IN this
rich class are over 1900 milliOnaiTeS,
who own S12,000,000,000 of accumulated
wealth!
Where is there an intelligent, liberty
loving American who viii deny that
this great concentration of wealth IS
not the direct effect of our representa-
tive system, system that has been
corrupted to the extent of enacting
class legislation, granting franchises
and special privileges to the favored
few, whereby the necessities of the peO-
pie, under the forms of law, are taxed
TO swell the fortunes of a soulless plu-
tOcracy? 1t is evident to every think
ing, fair minded person that such po-
Htical, social and economic conditions
cannot continue much longer without
causing an eruption that will shake the
foundations of our whole political SUI
perStructure.
What then is the remedy for these
eVlls2 VIII the people continue to let
their representatives miSrepreSent them
and sacrifice their best interests, with
out let or hindrance, or viii they
change the system and demand a di-
rect voice in the laws that govern
them?
Direct legislation is law making by
the voters themselves, through the mi
tiative and the referendum.
The initiative is simply the proposal
OF law by the petition on the part of
certain percentage of the voters af-
fected thereby.
The referendum is the vote at the
polls on law, pro or con, proposed
through the initiative, or on any meas
ure proposed by the legislature on be-
half of the people.
Direct legislation has been the gov
ernlng principle at the birth Of every
republic, and it is only where the people
nave been careless of their rights in
surFendering their power into the hands
OF representatives that their liberties
nave been taken from them.
A nation becomes great and glorious
only by the fact that it possesses with
in its borders great men and women.
Men and women become great only to
The extent that they become seIf-re-
liant, self-sustaining, independent
thinking beings. No nation of slaves
ever achieved greatness or lit the torch
al,
only true self government makes a
people Self-relant and responsible be-
cause they must act for themselves if
they would possess the priceless bless
lnSS OF true political liberty. 1t makes
them self-sustaining because il calls
INTO INTO activity all their latent powers
New occasions teach new duties
New enterprises show US more. Every
step increases our strength. Every eff
tort stimulates to new efforts and
greater achleVements. It does away
with sluggish inteiIects, because it
places responsibility upon the individ-
ual cIt1zen where it rightly belongs
1t makes him alone responsible for his
own welfare, and as all men desire bet
ter living and larger measure OF ham
plness, they would seek to bring about
condition where brighter prospects
ana better opportunities would be omen
10 all Each one, guided by his natural
inclination to promote his own welfare
70 the fullest extent, would see to it
IuaL laws granting special privileges
TO the few be not enacted.
Inc strengthening day by day of this
SeI-reliant, self-sustaining character
lStic in the people would make then,
more and more independent. thinkino
beings. The greater they become in
this, the greater would be their wis
dom, their joy and their prosperity.
Inc greater the people become the
greater the nation would grow. until
Its institutions became the beacon light
OF the world. No patriotic, no true citf-
zen who desires his cOuntry's institu-
tons to shine before the world as a
nope and inspiration to mankind can
afford to oppose direct legislation.
Wherever the people have had a direct
voice in the laws that govern them.
there comparative happiness and pros
perity has attended them. The republic
Of Switzerland, with its 5000, 900 of peo-
pie, is striking example to the world,
showing how, through direct legislation
a people can reclaim their political and
industrial freedom out of the mon
archical and plutOcratic conditions of
the dismal past. Where formerly the
land was mOnOpOlized by the the few.
the public utilities owned by favored
interests, now the land of William Tell
is divided up into small holdings SO
that the people may have homes. The
railroads, telegraph, telephone, postof-
fee, banks, electric lights, gas, etc, are
owned by the public and the revenues
from these sources aid in Iessening the
peoples taxes. Politics has ceased to
be a trade for there is no money in the
business, for the reason that all laws,
when desired, are subject to a revision
by the taxpayers. This has been ac-
complished by a nation whose people
speak different languages, belong to