The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1905-12-28
Approved by State Grange.

Approved by State Grange.
In as much as the Initiative and Ref
erendum was approved by the Maine
State Grange at it's recent annual session
IN Bangor, and as the question is sure to
be prominent one at the next legisla-
tive session some explanation of what
is meant by these terms may be oppor-
tune
The constitution of Maine now vests
all law-making power in the Senate and
House of Representatives.; it is the pur
pose of the Initiative and Referendum
to provide that the people may. when a
considerable number wish to do 30, vote
directly on any given measure and thus
legislate directly for themselves. 1t is
therefore necessary to change the con.
stitution to provide for the use of the
Initiative and Referendum and the pre-
sent question is; "Shall the next legis-
lature submit to the people constitu-
tional amendment providing for this
changer" II it should do 80 and ma
jority of those voting thereon at the
regular election in September 1908
should vote "Y es," it would thereafter
be possible for the people of Maine to
participate directly in the enactment of
laws in the following manner:
Whenever considerable number of
voters of the state believed given legis-
lative act to be desirable they would
petition the legislature for it's enact.
ment. in practically the same manner as
petitions are now addressed to that body
for the passage of laws desired by the
petitioners. The legislature could then,
as at present, pass the law asked for, but
should it not see fit to do 80, it would be
compelled, provided the required mum.
Der of voters Casually five or eight per
cent? had signed the petition, to refer
the law to the people, and it would be
voted on at the regular election next
following the session of the legislature
to which the petition had been directed
If at this election majority of those
voting on the question should vote
" es" it would become a law with the
same force and effect as though passed
by the legislature and signed by the
governor The petition by the people
to the legislature for the enactment of
the reference of "a law is called the I'm
ltiatiVe" and the submitting of the act
or resolve, thus petitioned for, to popu.
Both together are known as Direct
Legislation" that is, the making of avs
directly by the voters, as contrasted
with the present form of "Representa-
tive Legislation the making of laws by
representatives e.ected by the people
for that purpose. Direct legislation
does not abolish any department of
government or change the relations
which now exist between them 1t sim
ply gives the people the power, when
ever they suffi cieutly interest themselves
to make use of it, to participate in the
legislative functions of government and
to enact or repeal laws by their own
vote.
Direct Legislation cannot be said to
be an American idea although il has
been made use of in it's simplest form,
since the first settlement of the United
States, in those gatherings for the con-
duct of municipal affairs known as town
meetings 80 far as its application to
state and national legislation is concern
ed, however, it may be readily traced
to switzerland, where il has developed
during the last sixty years, and where it
now dominates all legislative matters.
In America three states, Oregon, so.
OAK ta and Utah, have changed their
constitutions so as 10 provide for the
Initiative and Referendum ana many
American cities now have charters in
which it has been incorporated
A constitutional amendment, provid-
ing for the Initiative and Referendum,
was presented in the Maine legislature
OF 1903 and referred from that body to
its successor. 1t came up again in the
legislative session of 1905 The test
vote in the House was 66 to 38 in it's
favor and the vote in the senate was a
tie. The legislators from somerset
county who cast their votes in its favor
we're Hon. Forrest Goodwin of Skowhe-
gan and Hon. William g Bailey of Har.
mony, senators; Edward \. Merrill of
Skowhegan and Cassius G. Kinsman of
Cornville, Representatives Represen ta-
tives Fred w. Bunker of Anson, A Led
yard smith of Madison, Allison
dowes of Palmyra and II. l.. Sawyer of
Smithtield cast the votes in opposition
Edwin o. Vittum of Concord, Somer-
sets remaining Representative, was
absent, The Grange of Maine is the
twelfth state organic alton of that order
to endorse the Initiative and Refer
1pI,p,