Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-10


of the votes from that state has been
| lodged and such judge shall forthwith
transmit that list to the seat Of govern
| ment."
| The Legislative Committee of the
Maine State Federation of Laor. of
which Abncr W. Nichols of this city
| is chairman has Just sent out a circular
| letter in favor Of the referendum. They
| say:
| 4 proposition will be made to til"
Legislature this winter to 81 amend our
State Constitution as to provide tina;
whenever a certain specie fraction
| tsay s per cent?. of the qualified voters
of the Who'll" State. shall be petition
| rake such request, that any public
measures mot exceeding three at any
| one election. and each of such meas
urns to be separately. :int specifically
stated on said netitionsl be submitted
| to vote of the people for decision: sub
| stantially rs is ct present i'll cases OF
proposed amendment to our State Con-
! slituticn. Also IN provide for DIPLOMA,
| referendum vote by 4 similar system on
| all acts of the Legislature. provided
| that III" required petition are flied
| within Il specific Tina Ito be established
by law from Gatr OF paesaC
! And also to provide 2 similar system
2.lapt"d to the municipal! government
of the cities in this State.
| The principle of the Initiation. and
| refere rdum. is lii full operation i'll the
| New England town meeting. where ten
votes. or Sometimes on" voter. can
| bi ing m any snh1n,1 cot discussion.
and decision. What is now required is
! to extend this principle 20 the laws OF
| til" cities. stars and nation.
The state Oranges Of Rhode Island.
West Virginia. PENNSYLVANIA, Wiscon-
| sin. illinois, MinnaEota. ana region have
adopted resolutions in favor of the
rcfercndum: and Massachusetts, and
many other states have had it in the
platforms OF all their parties.
No political party has Is yet opposed
| ii.
Rapid advance of civilization has
wrought new conditions; Gil the whole
| most dcsirablH.
| Prominently among tn. Stsn new condi-
tirn has come the strprndOus urganiZa.
| tiunS Of mOne" knOw1 as the modern,
trust: whose every effort seems intent
| on running This nation for their own
| profit: aud up 10 present writing they
seem 10 have met with becoming sue
| cess.
The inherent principles or our town
| meetings. when a'napt ID 20 city. state.
| and national law mall king: W i'll solve thu
problem Of regulation. and control of
| monopoli"s not ny regulation and con-
! trolling n;Ononoli"s but by preventing
tn" existence of monopoly: through
regulation ana control of the modern
| capitalstic organizations.
w. :. I'rrn NJ Oregon city. Oregon.
| representative" to the Legislature. IN the
| Arena Of March. 1870? says:
| Our experience hero shows that the
| politici as 4 class ar" at Icas; as
anxious as any OF Americans to I'M
| prove our govern nnrnt. Az examination
Of the proposed amcrdm,n: convinced
| almost all tn Successful Ioliticia rs anG
members OF the Legislature" that it was
| an attempt to make practical machn-
cry With which a maiurity Of the voters
coul1 decide any important question
solely on its merits and separate and
apart from all other matters. The
| brightest minds among our political
| leaders believed !: to be as safe for the
| legislator and n;Iic"-hnldcr as it is for
the people: first. because with these
| powers reserved to. tht. citizens they
are n" longer Obliged to defeat a use
| full public servant TO-. reelection AMI
| thus destroy his political career in or
| der 20 override his vote or opinion ON
some one question: Second there can he
no excuse for the creation Of new pnliti
| cal parties. because. when q group or
| rcformcrs have made y sufficient num-
Dor of converts. they can get the dccI-
sion of the people on their measure
without clncting or defeating and can
| didate for Office.
| There were orlv thirteen votes op-
posed To the amendment in both houses
| of the Legislature in 1872. It was cauti-
| o,Isly favored by tn" Republican and
| Democratic state conventions of I1ON
| Rut it was 50 clearly satisfactory To-
| the people that thor was only one Oh
posin" vote i'm the Legislature of 19O;
and it was enthusiastically approved and
| endorsed by the Republican. Demo-
| cratic and Socialist conventions in 1902
| It was adopted by the peoplc 1t the
| regular general election in ,J,nl,. las:
| year by a vote If 81 G2i in its favor tu
/
| JGGS against il. This is tha FIST amend
| ment to the constitution of Oregon
which has been approved by the pcoplc
though many have been rejected.
The letter then quotes endorsements
| from William Atkinson. editor of the
Farm Journal. Philadelphia. Tay;or r.
| Frazier. secretary of til" Indiana Stat"
Grange. Austin T. Buxton. lecturer o.
the Oregon state Grange. and FIX
Speaker David 9. Henderson. who Is
| quoted as follows:
1t would be great advantage to a
public man. if expressions on maa sures
coul' he had from the people. An in
telligible expression :rrn the mass of
III. voters on any ami all leading nues-
tionS would be Of great value to public
servants. On these Two Leading PROPOSE
.;o,a -, ,,,tra mmcI1p1 halle -. A.