Evening journal., 1906-11-05
IT ENABLES THE PEOPLE 10 RULE.


raNHE initiative and referendum would be a bad
4 thing for the lobbyists and crooks who op-
-lte around the General Assembly Of State.
lie initiative and referendum gives the people
-ge say in the conduct Of the affairs OF the
ate. 1t brings to them sense OF responsible
" 1t acts as a check on bad legislation
ITS the people in the way Of securing good leg
lation It is a great foe to corporate and spe-
al interests that seek to control legislation and
Use government for their own selfish purposes.
For instance, there. is a general belief that the
pennsvlvania Railroad Company should pay
more taxes to the State For years the Penn
ivlvania Railroad Company through its lobbyists
las practically controlled the Legislature. Il
las been impossible to get any measure through
hat the railroad company did not like. Undci
he initiative and referendum the voice OF the pco
'c could be heard and legislation could be ini-
lated Under the proposed reform any bills that
would benefit say for instance the railroad com
'any, would have TO be referred by the Legisa-
ure to the people for their approval or rejection
The people would have also much say in leg
station that might affect the gast trust Of this city
or the city railway companies and other public
service corporations These corporations always
try to control legislation so that they can get
special privileges for themselves. But If the
proposed reform were in operation the special
interests could be baked in their attempts to
secure privileged legislation. The people would
be called upon to vote on such measures, and if
the people decided to barter away their rights to
the private interests, why, then, no one but the
people themselves would be concerned There
has been some talk that the adoption of the pro-
posed reform would make turmoil OF special
elections and keep up agitation 1t must be
remembered that the Legislature itself would
have to approve of bill as demanded by the lni-
tiative and Referendum League, and in the bill
the Legislature could insert provisions to guard
against too frequent elections and other matters
against which there might be objection. 1t is
doubtful whether "recall' provisions would be
inserted in the bill for Delaware. All initiatives
and referendums are not alike. Delaware could
have law to suit itself The good parts of the
system would be adopted and the bad ones re-
ected The principle inasmuch as it throws re-
sponsibility more directly upon the people, is
correct and desirable The proposed reform is
urged by many noted persons who have studied
this subject
Only last night eminent professor OF the
Chicago University, who happened to be in the
city, heard that Delaware was going to vote on
the question of the initiative and referendum, and
wrote Mr.. DUPONT president of the league, a let
ter commencing the cause This letter is enter
tanning and tells some good points in the move
ment.
The corporations have recently discovered that
the initiative and referendum would be a bad
thing for them and might check some of their
favors Hence the Every Evening is violently
opposed to the proposed reform, and that is one
fine reason why the masses of the voters should
favor it. 1t is good thing to support Let ev-
cry one vote in favor Of the Initiative and Refer
endum.