The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-04-20
DIRECT LEGISLATION


advocates Oh Iuo A0lCA OA
for the optional referendum winch -
that only such measures shall Dc VOL
ed on as are enough obJectlonapie "
enlist a reasonable minority to start
and sign a petition with I'VE OF more
ner cent of the voters attached 10 II.
But every constitutional amendment.
save in Delaware, must be submitted
to the people. 1t has the ophgatory
referendum attached to 1t.
On November s, 1905, sixty-nye
amendments and seven other ques'
tions or a total of seyenty-tWo meas
ures were submitted to the voters III
twentv-three states or an average OF
over three to a state OF those hasliS
such referendums or nearly Two 10
state If we include all the states
in the union.
Eight states voted on one eacn ana
the largest number was III Louisiana
where there were fifteen. Thirty-nlne
of these questions carried and thirty
three were defeated. Much discrlml-
nation was usually shown; thus IN
louisiana nine were carried and SIX
defeated. in California four were car
ried and three defeated But Mis-
so,,ri was SO incensed at their legisla-
ture that her people defeated Inc
whole five submitted and the same
was true of Tennessee where seven
were defeated. a.I
Few of these amendments were Oh
any Importance. Most OF them were
really laws which the legislature ASK
ed the people to enact thus showing
the responsibility off from their shoul-
ders Most of them were ambiguousiy
and lengthily Worded. 1t would re-
ni,ire a careful study of the Tennes-
see constitution to find out what some
of it's amendments meant. AS RUE
tha vote on these amendments was
small much smaller than for candl-
dates but also as rule, they were
not worth voting on. This illustrates
the need for the initiative to accom-
many the referendum. Where legisla-
tnres only have the initiative IN send
ing to the people only such questions
as they decide, then wordy and I'M
important matters will be submitted.
And these will be followed by small
number voting.
Only three of these measures were
really initiated by the people and
these were the three questions sub
mitted in Illinois for the advice OF
the legislature and these brought out
: large vote even if nothing was act
ually enacted by them at the time.
Altogether a study OF these reIeren-
dums is both interesting and lnstruc.
tive. When we get complete dlstflct
legislation, students will look back on
these referendums as very crude ana
will wonder why the people submit
ted for so long to such stunted and
awkward methods of attaining com
plete democracy.
Arkansas.
Two amendments we're submitted II
Arkansas. The first added another
Judge to the supreme court and reg
Mated it's action and it was defeated
nv the close vote of 1880 for to "A 49,
against. The second was stringen
one that neither the state nor any
municipal division of it Should evel
loan their credit for any purpose no.
shall they issue any bonds save D.
regular ordinance specifying TIT
amount and the purpose" and tina
ordinance must be submitted to
referendum. This is SO stringent tina
the governor vetoed it, but the legis
lature passed it over his veto. Despit
this fact and also that the first amend
ment was defeated this one carrie
by 45,198 to 44,378. Neither OF thes
referendums followed the vote for cleo
tors where the democratic ones re
ceived about four times as many vote
as the republicans.
California.
NV Brainard G.. Brown, San francisco
California;
Some months ago, it was expecte
that the approaching presidential ele'
tons would supply the opportunit
for a large number of important ref
rendum votes in California and pa
ticularly in San Francisco. There hs
been formulated under the provision
of the San Francisco charter, MOI
than twenty propositions for II
amendment of that charter. But 9
lection was made on the ground tn
le charter provides that no votes
amendments may be taken within tv
years of each other and not qui