The independent., 1905-03-23
THE INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE
II Creates New Nations, Builds up
Peoples and Through 1t the
World Moves On.
AN UNKNOWN NEVADA HERO
Will This Country Follow the Nations
of Oid-First Liberty, Then
Wealth, Then Decay7

wealth, Then Decay?
Editor Independent: Recently an
European diplomat congratulated the
English Chamberlain on the English
colonial policy and Chamberlain re.
piled that England had no colonial pol.
icy, that she had simply blundered
into great colonial empire. The Ger
man kaiser has tried hard to build up
German colonies and has miSerably
failed and he can not understand the
reason why. Chamberlain, by his
speech, and the kaiser, by his acts,
show how profoundly ignorant they are
of the reason of democratic progress.
England has gotten colonial empire
because Of the strong and vital demo-
cratic spirit of her colOnists; Germany
has failed to get such an outside en-
pire because that democratic spirit is
hampered and tied with rules and reg
ulationS so that 1t can not expand and
grow.
The secret Of colonial and all other
progress consists in freedom, in SO
developing the power and spirit Of
individual initiative that whenever q
new occasion arises, the individual Is
ready to meet 1t and does not have
to go to some authority to tell him
what to do. He meets the crisis In
some way and .conquers 1t.
For this reason, real progress Is
rarely brilliant, spectacular. eye-at-
tracing. i consists Of multitude Of
small deeds of initiative and creation
by multitude OF men. It is not boast
full and Dragging, 1t does not surround
itself with pageants. The autocratic
spirit can not understand It. 1t seems
to them weak and humble, mass Of
petty details and happy blunders. But
England did not blunder into colo
nial empire; her sons and daughters
came to this country, to Canada, to
Australia and to the ends of the earth
and usually the home government left
them alone which was the very best
thing they could do and the real demo-
cratic spirit Of these virile men and
women met each condition as it arose
and great lands and peoples developed
out of hard conditions. When the
home government interfered and
strove to force it's will on colony,
it made tremendous blunder that
divided the Anglo-Saxon peoples by
the American revolution.
The autocratic spirit today possesses
the business and industry OF our coun-
try. 1t largely controls the press. II
simply does not see the signs of real
progress. 1t is blind and it's blindness
some day will lead 1t to over-reach
itself and tremendous downfall, just
as the blindness Of the Russian autOc-
racy has led it into the overwhelming
blunder of the RussO-JapaneSe war.
But the immediate purpose Of this
article is to tell of the really greatest
happening at the last election on Nov.
8, 1904, and this great happening IL
iustrates both the method of demo-
cratic progress and the utter blindness
of our autocratic leaders of industry,
of the press and pulpit.
Shortly after the election, wrote
to all the secretaries Of state In our
country asking il there had been any
referendums ON constitutional amend
ments and if so, for copies OF the
amendments and the vote on them.
wished to prepare an article on these
referendums. / was greatly surprised
to receive from the secretary OF state
of Nevada the following:
Unconstitutional Amendment for the
Referendum in Nevada
Section 1. Whenever 10 per centum
or more of the voters of this state, as
shown by the number OF votes cast at
the last proceeding general election,
shall express their wish that any law
or resolution made by the legislature
be submitted to a vote Of the people,
the officers charged with the duty Of
announcing and proclaiming elections
and of certifying nominations or Ques-
tions TO be voted on, shall submit the
question of the approval or disapproval
OF said law or resolution to be voted
on at the next ensuing election where