The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-10-28
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
FACTS.

INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
FACTS.
Since the beginning of the state
campaign the democrats have claimed
all the credit for every move in the
direction OF giving the people OF Mon.
tana an opportunity to express their
wishes as regards a constitutional
amendment providing for the initia-
tive and referendum. Not above the
others of his party, Governor Toole
in his speeches at different places
tells his hearers that the republicans
simply adopted the plank in their
platform because they knew the dem
ocrats would, and then further tells
for its adoption, saying that he recon-
mended submission OF the proposed
amendment in his message to the Leg
islature. He furthermore declares
that the republican pladge is shallow
and made only to deceive; that in
the event OF a republican majority
in the legislature and the election OF
g republican governor the people will
be denied the right of passing upon
the question, for it will not be SUBJ
mitted.
In view of his intimate, personal
knowledge OF the subject and his ex-
allied position it would seem that the
governor would be less careless in,
his treatment of the truth. He knows
that as a party the republicans were
the first, as between the democrats
and the republicans, to endorse the
measure and were also the first and
only ones who undertook to place it
before the people for their adoption
-aor rejection. The record on this
score is clear and emphatic in the
STORY it tells.
six years ago the legislature was
overwhelmingly democratic and popu-
listic in both branches. A democratic
populistic governor, Robert B. Smith,
was in the executive chair. Only four !!
OF five republicans were in the house.
4 bill for submission Of the initiative
and referendum was offered. 1t was
: defsRted by an immense majority.
Swo years later, in 1900, Joseph X.
Toole was governor. The legislature
in both houses was democratic. The
message of the governor contained
no reference or wen the slightest al
fusion to the initiative and referen-
dunn, neither was a bill introduced at
that session for it's consideration by
the people. so far as has been heard
the subject was not considered. The
pretended contempt OF the democrats
for the pops prevented this. Two
years ago, in 1902, Governor Toole
suddenly became possessed OF the
idea that the time had arrived when
the initiative and referendum was the
only thing that would save the state.
The reason tor this was that the
house was republican, while the sen
ate was democratic. He say a chance
for a little shrewd political work. In
his message to that session he incor-
porated, among other things, a econ
mendation that the legislature TAKE
the necessary action for a constitu-
tional amendment by which the peo-
pie were to be given the right to inl-
tiate Legislation and to pass upon
that enacted by the legislature. He
had not the, faintest hope or notion OF
the adoption of his recommendation.
In this respect he was not disap-
pointed-his own party saw to that.
Whatever he may have believed as
to the action of the republican house,
that body promptly accepted his ad-
vice and passed the bill, sending it
to the senate for it's ratification. The
democratic senate defeated it, and
that was the last heard of the initia-
tive and referendum until the republic
can state convention took it up and
made endorsement of it in one of the
planks of its platform.
These are the facts, plainly and
tr%uthfully told. They show that no
official expression of endorsement or
recognition was made by the demo-
cratic party previous to it's action at
its recent state convention, held Sep.
TENDER IA, sever days after the re-
publican state convention had de-
clared itself. Governor Toole knows
this and the democratic editors and
speakers know it also.
While it may be true that in former
years the republicans, as a party, did
not subscribe to the theory OF initia-