The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-23
IN OREG0N
V|C7ORY FOR PEOPLE
Mo chine Rule Is Terminated by
Recent Election in State OF
Oregon.
poon1e Can Now do as they Please
Home Rule and Majority Rule
Installed.


rhe recent election in Oregon was
q complete triumph of the lh'l'a'''o
a referendum. The constitution OF
the state was reconstructed anu M
nortant laws enacted, all IN the 'A',
est of the people. 1t was the
ZION of a peaceful revolution asain's
machine rule. The last Veselse "
.autocracy was wiped out
Here is what the voters or Oreson
have accomplished since thev
lished in themselves veto po"o
through the optional referendum anu
mower to initiate measures py pe''
tion.
The system was established early III
1902. and two initiative petitions were
Immediately circulated, one FOR ol-
root nomination system and the other
eou ,ooo, ontion on the Nquos license
question. Both measures were ADOPT
ed by the people,
The next election has just oeen nelo
FOR which ten initiative petitions "ere
circulated and sufficient signatures Sc
cured for their submission. FIVE OIL
these were proposed by the Peoples
Power League and are as follows:
constitutional amendment for the
initiative and referendum for ORDINANCE
es in cities, towns and counties, ana
the referendum for single items IN ap-
propria tion bills.
A constitutional amendment giving
cities and towns exclusive power to
enact and amend their own charters
cti t11fin
inal laws.
constitutional amendment permit
ting the state to control at all times
the cost of state printing.
constitutional amendment giving
one legislative assembly power to pro-
pose constitutional amendments, and
requiring the peoples approval before
a constitutional convention can be call
ed and
A law prohibiting free passes and
determinations by public service cor
porations.
All Of these proposals were adopted
by the people by large majorities. Thus
the last vestige of machine rule in the
government ed out Of sCregon.
Each community can do as it likes
and the will of the majority will pre-
vail: instead of being prohibited from
entering upon ,- municipal .enterprizes
and dominated by corrupt machines.
In short time the cities and towns
can own and operate the municipal
monopolies and in the meantime all
the monopolies, except the Interstate
ones, must cease their Determinations.
The graft in the state printing can be
gotten at by statute law and the en-
tire system of government Is under the
voters control.
This was the work of the Peoples
Power League, assisted by the Oranges
Labor Unions and other reform organ
izations.
Another powerful organization that
took the lead was the State Grange. It
circulated petitions for two bills for
the taxation Of monopoly corporations.
One bill was for an annual license tax
Of three per cent on the gross earn
ings of sleeping car companies, refrig-
orator car lines, oil companies and ex-
press companies: and the other called
for an annual tax of two per cent on
the gross earnings of telegraph and
telephone lines. Both Of these bills
were accepted by the voters by over
whelming majorities, as were the.meas-
ures proposed by the Peoples Power
League.
The woman's suffrage cause was pre-
sented. The state organization, backed
by the national association, proposed
a constitutional amendment for the en-
franchisement of women. A vigorous
amount Of educational work was ac-
complished, but the measure did not
succeed. Another campaign can be
conducted at any time and one is al
ready being planned.
The opponents of the stringent local
option law adopted two years ago
through the initiative system, propos-
ed radical amendments, but only to be
defeated.
A toll road company endeavored to
sell Its property to the state and fall
ed. 1t secured the sufficient c1rcula-
tion of an initiative bill which the vot-
ers rejected.
The foregoing measures were initiat-
ed by petition. One measure which
= the last legislature passed was ordered
w - ASASA SAAuuAl VOlo Dy petition, 1t
was an appropriation bill containing
an unusually large sum for the normal
schools. The filing Of the referendum
petition held up the entire bill. In the
referendum vote, the people accented
the Dill, but at the same time adopted
! a constitutional amendment authorize
ing themselves to file petition against
! any part Of an appropriation bill.
Reviewing the entire eleven meas.
ures, the conclusion which anv close
observer must reach is that the voters
! disseminated carefully for thew ac-
! cepted some Of the proposals and ra-
/ jected others.
Another important fact is that tbere
was no corruption in the election. ha:
cause the monopoly corporations knew
that the popular will was against them
and 1t was too strong to be overthrown
whats the use," said leading cor.
poration attorney In Portland whom
asked why the monopolies did not f,ph+
at the election.
third item is that the ignorant and