Evening journal., 1906-10-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE

chises to railway companies TO use the
streets for a term of years. The vote in
the negative was 50 decided that as re-
suit no franchises have since been given
In that city.
Dut the franchises given years ago are
still operative and these franchises a-d
like a wall in the way Of municipal own
ership.
THE results from the use Of the Initia-
tive. and Referendum have all been good,
oven when the people have not been edu-
Gated up to see their own bst interest. 1t
is right and proper that the changes made
shall only come as fast as the people are
ready for those changes. When the peo-
pie Of Switzerland voted against spend
ns a sum Of money in sustaining colleges
IN order that the funds should go toward
improving their breed Of cattle they were
not necessarily wrong, for financial inde-
pendence is quite as important as college
education. to the citizens of a State, and
character and mental training Of the
higher sort are not always united.
What the people will do with supreme
power when II shall have been placed in
their hands by tho universal adoption Of
the Referendum can be foreshadowed by
the course taken by the workingmen OF
England who have been elected TO parlia-
ment. No sudden or revolutionary changes
~ come from giving power to the people,
bat halt will be ordered in the way in
which taxes have been spent on military
equipments. and fleets, and standing
armies. a demand will be made that no
wars shall occur In future without refer
ring the questions in dispute TO the Inter
Parliamentary Union.
This is the course taken by the working
men Of Great Britain. who with John
Burns as their leader are now a power
ful body Of men IN the English Parlla-
ment Andrew Carnegie has given Sl5,00,-
90 to erect a building at the Hague which
shall be in effect a great court house
where representatives OF all the nations
OF the world will meet to settle all ques-
tions which might lead to war, and the
workers will demand that the decisions
OF this tribunal shall be enforced. It would
be a rash and foolhardy nation that would
persist IN violent measures in the face Of
concentration Of all the powers against
her.
But the best results from the Initia-
tive and Referendum may be looked
for in establishing industrial peace. In
making strikes needless, in making the
working people contented and happy
and IL is safe to say that when every
man who wants 10 work can get work
to do and get all that he earns; then
] Al .f..r4f falfl
with their lot 1t may require years
TO bring about this resulk but when the
power lies in the hands Of the voters
themselves, il only needs clear-headed
thinking to devise measures that will
accomplish the result desired
The deadliest conflicts waged in civ
! il,zed countries are those waged by
craft and cunning to get possession Of
what others earn. 1t is just as fatal
to n mans life to deprive him of food
land shelter. as it is to hit him with a
bullet or a cannon ball. The soldier
dies quickly. but the willing worker di-
lvorced from the soil and denied tho
fright to use the tools for producing
wealth. dies a lingering death and suf-
fers untold tortures in seeing those h'
loves uncared for.
In the United states such a thing as
a man out Of work need never be heard
lof, were wise laws made and enforced
by means OF the Referendum. for Ma.
ture has made our country one of tho
richest In the world. Rich in a vas
area of fertile soil rich in mines o.
coal. and iron, and copper and tin, and
lead. and zinc. What we have lacked
has been a wise and unselhsh states.
manship that would devise means by
which the riches bestowed upon us by
/ Nature night make all our people
happy. In this we have failed. and Il
is to the people alone that we can lool
, fer better conditions. When the law.
making power shall have been place,
In their hands, a slow but steady ad
, vance i'm the right direction Is sure t,
come, The laws necessary 10 a bette
cond tion of things will be made an,
put in opera tion one by one as the pub
lie opinion demanding them is,formed
But every effort of the men who reall,
care for something higher than linlnl
their own pockets, win be necessary L
save the ship of state fro mthe rock
! before her.
William Candy Ferris
October 90, 1906.
Z III o.