The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-01-20
THE INDEPENDENT VOTER.
He Begins to Feel His Power and Act
AcCoFd1nRly.


The Independent voter has the de-
stinies Of the United States in his hands.
He can decide which of the two great
parties best represynt the reforms he
Is after or will most honestly admin
ister the laws. The Independent voter
does not usually become aroused un-
less the political grafters are too rasc-
ally and defy honest public opinion
For the past two or three years the
Independent voter has increased in
numbers and energy and has shown his
sagacity in overcoming such obstacles
as the blanket election tickets offer,
to defeat his purpose. He has so scar
ed the political bosses, that many are
still suffering from their fright and
others have retired to a seclusion where
1t Is best for them to remain
The modern independent voter be-
gan his pranks with tho political par
ties in 1904 he defeated four COVER
nors that did not please him and those
he elected In their places were all re-
formers or their opponents were too
friendly with corporations.
At the election last fall the inde-
pendent voter exhibited his power in
other states where political bosses and
corruption were rampant. He turn ed
the rascals out in tho boss-ridden states
Of Pennsylvania and Ohio, although
they were entrenched with majorities
Of hundreds Of thousands. The inde-
pendent voter exhibited a startling dis
elimination between those candidates
Who were harmful and those who were
harmless, so much 50 that the bosses
are still lame with the pounding they
received and hardly able to sit and take
notice of how 1t all happened.
That makes the Independent voter
more powerful than in former times
is his capacity for organization and his
discovery Of that terrible ordeal, for
known grafters and boss servers, of
publicly questioning them. The inde-
pendent voter cannot as formerly be
put off with fair promises that may
mean much or little, but requires the
candidates to plainly answer in writ
ing the questions he fires at them The
pledge must be yes or no.
The Independent voters have organiz-
ed into associations and leagues and
the questioning of candidates is as
signed to a committee, who il directed
to publish the replies, so that the
voters may know who are their friends
and who are their enemies and can vote
accordingly. Organizations of farmers
and workingmen have discovered the
latent power they have and In Ohio
joined in the questioning and thus Sc
cured three-fifths of the legislature
pledged to vote for an amendment to
the constitution to submit the Refer
endum and the Initiative system to a
referendum vote of the people
Independent voters in other states
who believe in the Referendum SYSTEM
which is sure cure for grating and
corruption, should organize Refer
endum- Leagues as in Ohio, SO that they
totri'- otttrsr non- par tisan
associations In questioning the candi-
dates of all parties and vote only for
those who pledge themselves to carry
out the reform demanded
The Independent voter has discover
ed that with the Initiative and Refer
endum in his hands he has legislators
under his control and the corporations
powerless to corrupt them. God Bless
the Independent voter, he Is our present
hope in time of trouble! He Is our
shield and buckler against the cor
rupttonists. May he live long and in
crease eXCeedinRlv,