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

free. intelligent expressions of til" ,peo-
ric-1 will b. ever found :avurinS both.
and can be So quoted. Whatever is
done should permit the fullest dis, us
SION before The vote IS taken SO that the
citlZenS may .oinparr notes fully. and
the questions discussed may enter int
the campaign among the PEOPLE.
Endorsements are also given from
ex-senator W. +. Mason of Illinois
governor of Dakota, and others. Con-
timing the letter says:
The bill is conservative because meas
ures to be voted on directly bring out
the intelligent vote and ignorant vot-
crs are found to refrain from voting on
most measures. The vote on measures
is almost invariably smaller than the
vote on men. While ignorant voters
easily judge of men and parties the in
tciiigent voter often finds it impossible
to choose between rival candidates, not
one of whom he has ever seen and
many of whose names he has never
read until he reads them on the ballO,
for the first time. He is called upon to
decide which lump seems to balance
toward the right. to secure cOrrcc:
history of parties and biographies of
men as he can pick out from as I'M
prcIuGlccd sources as he is able to dis
cover. From this data he must figure
on. an average right. The problem is
difficult and 50 depressing is the at
tempt to solve the problem that good
men often stay away from the polls. If
Their" ar" any political! dangers threat
cning America, they are because of the
encouragement of intelligent voters at
tho lack OF noSsibi- .'fft cti>-e initiative.
4l-N = 3 =. x -1sSWlV@
been due 10 any special agitation, but
4 result of plain common sense. san
FranciScos new charter gives the in
itiatiNc and Referendum on Il Il pc,
cent. petition for all ordinances and
charter amendments and the con.1.lll-
sOry referendum for ''granting fran
chiseS for light and water. for the lease
or sale of any public utility. or for the
purchase of land worth mole than $50
600" Los Angeles carried the initiative
and referendum for her new charter
the second day of last December by 1t
ma iOrity of to /. Such examples null
tipl:. but the collation. of reliable infor-
nation requires time.
That this is d Swiss Improvement is
not in its favor: for our imported Aus
tralian ballot has become indespcnS;i bic
10 us. Political turmoil. race hatrrds.
class hatrcds, rioting, civil war. opprts
sion. unconuuerable resiStancc.-:h hat
WAS the history of Switzerland until
Al years ago. when direct legislation be-
gar to be extended. Gradually, into cV-
cry city and canton and into the fed
eral government. the principle spread
Professor GrOSVenOr of Amherst. i'll his
Contemporary History says. THE most
important modification" Chat is in TIL"
new constitution is i'll the cNtciition
of the referendum. whereby the drci-
sion as we'll as TIL" initiative rest i'll tho
hands Of the people. If appropriate
laws. industry. and prosperity insure
the welfare Of people. is is very easy
to credit the boast Of the Swiss that
they are the best governed and the hap
piNSt nation in the world
Government i'll Switzerland" Il new
book by John Martin Vincent. Phi. D..
If Johns Hopkins University. puhliSh' d
by the Macmillan Co. gives figures and
analysis of which shows that public
thrift. under responsibility. has done
Cor The pr"pl" what private thrift does
for the individual. Every family in the
canton Of Berne. for example. has az
much public wealth back of it as every