The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-04-19

place on the representative ticket, which was nomi-
mated by acclamation. The other two Legislative
ddates, O w. Eastman and Charles f. Clark, are
Republicans.
BENEFITS or DIRECT LEGISLATION.
In Oregon the people will have an opportunity to
vote the direct Legislation amendment to the cOnst
tuition allowing the people opportunity to adopt
reject the initiative and referendum This proposed
innovation is very simple, giving the Legislature power
to refer any law to the people to take effect only if it
is approved by majority vote 1t also leaves with the
legislature power to declare that law for the immed
ate preservation of the public peace health and safety
shall take effect the day it is passed. This would in
cudc the general appropriation BILL salaries of public
officers, and similar fixed charges of government. Any
other law including practically all special appropria
tOns, must be referred to the people, when it is de
manded by five per cent Of the legal voters (Which
would he about 1900 sgners in Oregon, if the pet
tOn is filed within ninety days after the last day of
the legislature A petition for the referendum cannot
be for more than one law separate petition is nee
essary for each law which vote of the people is
demanded.
Any proposed law must be submitted to the peo
pie independent of the legislature and the governor If
il ispet0ned for by eight percent of thevoters which
would require about 1000 signatures in Oregon This
petition must be filed with the secretary of state not
less than four months before the general election at
which il is to be voted on This is the initiative.
Oregon is thus long step in advance Of many
other states in the Union by having reached the stage
when the people can vote on this important question:
and there is good reason to believe that the amend
ncnt will carry The Capital News favOrs the direct
mode of legislation, because it brings the government
down to the people, and takes out of the hands of
the tricksters and schemers Big, useless apprOpria
tOns by corrupt legislature and vicious laws enacted
contrary to the wishes of the people would be abO
ished by the supreme mandate of the balObOX, under
the provisions of the referendum and would have
the purest dcmOcracies after the fashion Of the New
England township plan more than anything else The
initiative we do not believe is important in any
spcct the referendum, but there are advantages to
be derived from it that well worthy of cOnsidcra
ton AS one advocate says
"Thc principal use of the initiative is to allow
hearing before the people to the agatOrs and advO
Gates Of new ideas in government, and thus do away
with the for political parties 1t cheap
and convenient method for testing the popularity ami
growth of alleged reforms The expense to the public
treasury, if the amendment is adopted will he hut
trhc-ony the cost of printing the questions ON the
official ballots No special election can be had unless
ordered by the Legislature. The whole expense of get
ting up the petition falls on the sgners, the public
treasury pays none of it,
We sincerely hope that ldah0's next legislature
will consider this matter of direct legislation and take
the first step tending towards its submission to the
people for approval rejection. The worst act of
the last session that in which enough Democrats
ioined with the Republicans to defeat the pending bill
looking to this cOnsummatOn. In Oregon every p0li
ical party before the people has endorsed the idea of
submitting the question To popular yoter and the
opposition i'm Idahos legislature uncalled for and
without II sensible excusc.-BOisc Idaho, Capital
News.