The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-09-02

measures submitted to the people ana
by them approved is withheld from
the governor. Here we have the refer
endum.
Many of the objections urged by
those opposed to direct legislation
are eliminated in the measure that
will go before the legislature next
winter. One ground for opposition
will be absolutely removed. Provis-
ion is made for avoidance of the null
tiplicity of elections that would have
been necessary were the initiative and
referendum to be adopted as original
ly proposed. As then advocated it
would have been incumbent upon the
governor to call a special election
every time five per cent of the legal
voters of the state petitioned for SUBJ
mission of a law they desired to have
passed. 1t goes without saying that
this would have been burdensome
and onerous and a downright nuis-
ance, and the objections that were
heard were reasonable and proper
and only the extremists justified the
expense and bother adoption of their
pet theory would have entailed.
AS now proposed initiative and ref
erendum petitions are not to be acted
upon by the people, except at the
regular biennial elections. The ar
guments that formerly held against
the innovation consequently are no
longer tenable as applied to the in
creased number of elections follow
ing it's adoption. 1t may be said that
because of the long interval which Of
Introduction of a a and it's
final acceptance or rejection the in
terests of the people may suffer
through the non-eXistence of a law cal
culated to remedy an existing evil
or initiate a benefit. As opposed to
this remains the argument that dur
ing the interim the voters will have
ample time to study and digest the
proposed measure and qualify them
selves to vote upon it intelligently
and understandingly. This will pre-
vent the possibility of the enactment
of a law or laws prejudicial to the
interests eff the masses or for the
benefit of some special class. The
power of the lobby will be broken
and legislative 'jobs" will be impos-
sible. Corporations, against which
loud protest is now made in many
lu0l lCIo OCCduoC VI CuCll dD11lIy W
secure passage of laws by which they
are given special advantages over the
common people, will find themselves
under a curb and forced to submit
to the will of the majority, constitute
ed in this as in all other states of
the masses, the people of moderate
means, the workingmen and all 9th.
ers who have no selfish purposes in
view when asking for the enactment
Of laws.
From sources in the party in antag
anism to direct legislation comes the
plant that were it made one of the
institutions of the state it would
constitute a handy vehicle for a lot OF
agitators and disturbers to load the
code with laws anarchistic and so
c~ialistic in their intent and purport
They recite the existence of such 8
crowd at Butte, where all cults il
: opposition to the existing order O
} things find ready adherents, and say
t because of the majority of citizenship
in the larger centers of population
, they could and would dictate the law.
that should govern the state, unmind
ful and totally disregardant of tn
l danger and menace they might prov;
t to the people. Fortunately for al
r even in Butte such men are in tn
. minority. The sensible, reasonable
intelligent men of that city woul'
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