West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-08-28
THE OREGON
AMENDMENT,
And a Government Of tho People, by
tho People and for the
People.


In June the people of Oregon amende,
their State Constitution. The amendmen
carried II to I nearly. II does no, take IN,
function of leeislating away from the Stat,
Legislature. That function remains. Bu
by petition S per cent of the voters car
bring before the people any law desired. I,
be voted upon at the next general election
Instead of petiiioning to he laughed at. they
can command 10 be needed Likewise
per cent OF the voters can by petition hole
up any vicious act Of legislation aud vote
the same down. Such an organic law l,
supremely in the interest of true Democracy,
aud good Government. Like Otheilo, the
lobbyist will iind his occupation gone. The
briber and advocate OF special privilege may
find himself unhorsed while the people arc
In the saddle.
And Why not such an engine Of pure
Democracy for West Virginia "Moun.
taineen are always freeman" The citizens
arc the sovereigns in republic. The
sovereign who comes To his own hired man
with petition in his hand. petiiioning and
praying and expostulating, must cut funny
hgure indeed. No wonder our Legislators
so often laugh at their pe,ioniug puppets,
aping the subjects of medieval monarchy,
and turn their demure pensioners away
empty Have you ever for a moment
thought OF the so'called right of petition. Of
It's origin In feuds! times when either fool
or fanatical rulers affected to be In partner
ship with God in the destiny business 2 Have
you reflected upon the divine right Of kings,
as they asser, II, with the right Of petition
in It's waks--the harmless and ineffective
privilege of begging a favor King George,
crazy as he was and like all divine humbugs
as kings surely are, was repudiaied by self
governing America. lie claimed to be the
father of his people, aud he insisted upon
governing his colonis,s for their own good
according 10 his own notions aud in spite Of
their petions. Now, while more than a
century ago we cast aside the monarch, we
have been ever since wearing some of the
dsddy's old clothes of the monatchiai sys.
TEN, notably the knee. breeches of petition.
submit the plain proposition that a sover-
eign people ought to command their will of
servant legislators. not beg as did minions
of monarchy centuries ago.
Too much government by indirec,ion and
the machinery of monarchy. We boast of
popular government. Why not boas, of
politicians government, Of government by
colerics of ofhcc-holders 2 Oar Federal
Government las three departments. One
set OF officers. electors, choose the President
Another set, Slac Legislatures, elect
Senators. Thereupon the President and
the Senate appointed by The respective
bodies Of officers, appoint a third branch of
government. the Supreme Court Voters,
you never voted for President yoa never
voted for u. S. Senator you never voted
for Supreme Judge. Well, for whom did
you vote You voted for one Representa-
tive 10 Congress. That's all. The House
OF Representatives is oue-half of the legis-
latiye branch of The general government.
You vote for one. half of one Of the three
co-ordiratc branches that is, your popular
government OF which you boast Of in spread
eagle yehemence is one sixth popular, and
ye'sixths politicians, or officers govern.
ment And you have the right Of petition,
to be laughed at or not, is this system Of
popular indireetion. Your rulers, SO to
speak, have discretionary powers under
constitutional construction to do Just as they
please. You cannot compel one Of them
to do thing. You cannot force one TO
resign no matter how egregiously he may
misrepresent you. You are a pretty sover.
eign and your representative nice servant |!
Yes. Why marvel that party platforms and
the good intentions Of the sovereign voter,
enforced merely by right of petition, "pe,er
out" so remarkably
wish TO express no dsrespect for our
Constitution, nor its trainers. II is not what
Jefferson would have made il. But IL has
For instance. our Senate patterned after
the English House Of Lords. is a shameful
success. Wealth wins its way there and
inirenches itself to defeat the popular
mind The wish to elect Senators at the
polls, thus making the Senate creature Of
the people of the several States rather than
corporation attorneys. The Senate de6es
them. II effects to know what the people
need better than what they do themselves.
The American people are the victims Of
indefensible paiernalism. The county Is
| given over TO the brokers and exploiter.
Financies flourish, and the trusts absorb
the common wealth. Paternslism forces iis
ideas Of good government upon the people
What recourse have they The right Of
petition, God woi
And what is TO be done II the people,
a majority, rule, as we boas, they do, why
not initiate our braggadocio with a moiety Of
truth Direct legislation could not he
worse than the entirely irresponsible pater.
nalism that wrecks our landmarks and ro,s
the lahoring masses. Had the people had
privilege TO decide. ibe Filipino folly would
assuTedly have been voted down. and the
/ Declaration of Independence left to the
world uns,ained. Had direct legislation
been invoked, instead Of 30 years u adverse
silver law.making. the question (who can
doubt n would have been settled riohteously
at The start. Seif.govefnment as the means
81 saving human liberty. Is the justification
fof the existence If a republic
Shall the great Declaration survive ?
Shall IL inspire our insitutions ? Shall the
masses mould the code Of laws under which
they musi live and lsbor Shall every in.
dividnal ~ every class have equal Influence
IN the framing - just statutes Is the
right of petition, the heirloom of British
monarchy, powerful enough to subscrvc the
bcs, ends II republican government ol
shall The sovereign majority be allowed 10
assert us inaiienabIe right TO command and
20 be obeycd IL "vOx populi, vOx dei''
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