Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-10-08

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E-pSEI adopted which provides for the in
Initiative and referendum in that state.
Under this amendment whenever per cent OF
the Oregon voters petition for specific law it must
be submitted to popular vote, and majority pass.
es it. Law passed by the legislature must be sub
mitted to popular vote whenever per cent Of the
voters of the state petition for It, and majority We
toes the law. The veto of the governor Of Oregon
does not extend to measures thus submitted to the
people.
South Dakota already had similar law.
In Iowa there is law which authorizes any
twenty property owners in a city to require the
mayor to submit to a popular vote any proposed
grant OF public franchise. This is equivalent to
submitting all proposed franchises in Iowa cities to
the approval OF the people. The present Republi
can state platform in Missouri has section which
reads: ''Ihe Republicans of Missouri believe that
municipalities should grant franchises only by di
rect vote Of the people constituting such municipal
tiles"
Georgia petition to which 144,91S names are at
tached has been submitted to the governor asking for
vote throughout that state next November to decide
whether or not the people desire the Legislature to
apply the initiative and referendum principle to
county, municipal and state affairs This is not a
partisan movement being supported by Democrats,
Republicans and persons OF all shades Of pOlitrcal
opinion.
There is at work in Illinois Referendum League
which has acquired an immense membership and
very evident influence. The principle which it was
organized to promote must be strong in Illinois, as
30 many prominent politicians endorsing it.
Senator CullOm has recently written to the league
that he is IN thorough sympathy with its ideas that
he has favored the referendum for several years,
and believes it to be the greatest safeguard against
corrupt legislation and Doodle in politics."
The initiative and referendum originated in
Switzerland and has long been established there.
historian OF that remarkable little republic saws:
cit will always remain the chief honor Of Swiss
statesmakship TO have discovered the solution of
one Of the great political problems of the age-how
to enable great masses of people to govern them
selves A member Of the Swiss assembly for seven
teen years says that within his knowledge the ref
erendum has stood as a warning to politicians and
yet has not prevented the passage of any beneficial
law" -
The initiative and referendum has such firm
hold upon the people Of Switzerland that no public
man in that country would dare to advocate its alb
OlitiOn. The system works in Switzerland as fol-
lows:
When $4,000 citizens, or eight cantons demand
it, the laws and resolutions of general nature pass
ed by the Swiss congress must be submitted to 81
popular vote, and mOority Of the people can thus
eto any law The initiative empowers the people
to propose new laws or call for the alteration or
abolition OF existing laws. The referendum Oper-
ates locally as well as nationally Fifty thousand
signatures requisite to obtain the initiative in(
federal legislation and 5000 in cantonal affairs
The Swiss have exercised this right very con-
servatively The referendum is not applied on an
average more than once year. When tits applied
the matter involved is discussed and voted upon on
its merits, the people not dividing upon party lines
Wherever it has been tried in the United States
the initiative and referendum haP zen found to work
satisfactorily and its growth in popularity has been
rapid in the last few years.