Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-11-20
INITIATIVE and REFERENDUM
GAINING IN The EAST.
a Proposition That Was RidiCuIed a
Few Years Ago as Visionary is
Rapidly Becoming Regarded as the
leading Remedy Against NOnOpO.
w and Machine Rule.

WASHINGTON, d. g Nov. l7.-(Special
to the HERALD. The n tional head
quarters of the Initiative and Referen-
dun movement. located j.. this city, de
.clares that the revolution in this country
against machine rule and urivate monop.
oily is as yet only just commenced. also
that recent developments in political
methods have swept aside the machines
power to sid-track the dominant issues.
G. ii. Shibey, president of the league.
says:
"While it is admitted on all sides that
the election returns show tidal wave OF
popular Indignation against boss rule
and private monopoly, few seem to voice
the fact which every thinking individual
must admit, that the peaceful revolution
for better political and industrial liberty
have only just )mmenced. Only the
first steps toward political and industrial
liberty have been taken. The replacing
of one set of machine rulers with anoth-
er, as is the case in Philadelphia and
Penns, lvania is not the re-estahl sh.
,ment OF liberty.givng institutions. 1t is
simply the installation OF better set OF
rulers. But in Buffalo, Cincinnati. and
in the states OF Ohio and Massachusetts
the initiative and referendum program is
triu no phant, which means the establish.
ment in the pe1.'' If right to direct
vote on public questions-the peoples
sovereignty--to be followed, of course,
by the termination of private monopoly.
"In Cincinnati all the members of the
legislature are pledged to vote to submit
a constitutional amendment for the ini-
ctiative and referendum. The defeated
republicans refused to answer or they
evaded the issue. declares Mr.. Kiefer,
representative of the Cincinnati Refer
.endum League.
''In the Ohio legislature the required
three.ffths vote will unquestionably be
secured, for all the democratic members
are pledged, likewise few OF the repub.
licans, and no one in public office dares
to openly refuse to vote to submit to the
people the question of whether they de.
sire to terminate machine rule by estab-
fishing their own sovereignty. In the
Montana legislature Of one year ago the
vote was unanimous.
"In Massachusetts last year the House
passed bill for the establishment OF the
advisory referendum system. and it
passed eecond reading in the Senate, but
on third reading the monopolists rallied
their forces and defeated it. This year
the recently established Massachusetts
Referendum League questioned all the
candidates for the Senate and the replies
we're published in the leading papers o
the state. In the legislature now elected
doubtless the required majority vote will
be secured.
"At Buffalo, N. Y, the advisory refer
endum, established by act of the city
council, has been used twice, thereby
educating the people to its advantages.
This years vote for municipal ownership
and operation OF an electric light and
power plant was to l. The principal
owner OF the city monOpolies is repub-
lican who is said to control the republic
can political machine. This year the
democractic candidate for mayor, who
stood strongly for the referendum. was
elected by a vote of 36,472 as against
26 1897, whereas last year the republican
vote for President was 3S ,40l as against
28,S7l. In other words 10000 citizens
out of 81 600 voted independently and
for the referendum candidate.
"It is clear, from the above and other
election returns" concludes Mr.. Shibley,
"that the referendum and municipal
ownership are winning, and are going 30
wherever the questions are brought to q
vote. Furthermore, these issues are
being brought forward by the systematic
questioning OF candidates, as we have
seen, while the advisory vote system is
being established by mere majority-vote
in the legislature or city council. 1t
follows that the rising tide OF sentiment
against machine rule and private monop.
oily will advance and with giant strides.
The party machines can no longer side.
track these dominant issues"