The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-04-14
Chicago, Minneapolis. st. Paul, Denver,
st. Louis and San Francisco are re-
ferred to as great labor capitals of the
country.
THE INITIATIVE
AND REFERENDUM

The object Of government is to build
men. Men are built by responsibility.
Rob a man Of the right to do wrong
and you take away his chance to grow.
Communities, no more than men. can
be kept In leading strings without a
loss OF strength. Put the referendum
IN the city charter and let the citizens
vote down good measures if they do
not know any better. Let them swim.
Let them work blunders. Let them
learn by experience. Let them have
a direct voice in their government.
That will increase responsibility. That
Will stimulate the discussion of ques-
tions referred to the people. That will
IN time raise the level of intelligence,
awaken public spirit, develop civic
virtue and make better men.
In Los Angeles, when a city ordi-
nance Is passed, or a franchise granted
or bridge voted for, in short, when
any unpopular measure is passed, the
citizens can, by a petition Of five per
cent Of the voters, compel the author
tiles to refer the measure to them at
the next regular election. This is self
government. This is the veto power in
the hands of the voters. It is the prin-
ofple Of the old New England town
meeting applied to our more complex
conditions
The initiative and referendum would
prevent changes to which the people
have not been educated. The Social
lists In Oregon failed to- get the neces-
sary per cent Of the voters to sign
petitions to submit their proposals to
referendum. Professor John r.
Commons. Of the University of Wis
consin, while favoring the initiative
and referendum, insists that it will be
disappointment to reformers. Under
this provision, changes must wait for
change in public opinion. But. by
1nsurdng this. the interests not only
of the conservatives are served, but
also Of the reformers, for, if a reform
cannot come until the people are
ready for it, when it does come, It will
stay.
1t Is sometimes urged against the
Initiative and referendum that the
people wall take little iterest in the
referendum vote and that questions
would therefore be determined by a
comparative few. This has not been
the case where the referendum has
been tried. But even il it were 50,
1t is an argument for this proposal
and not against it. We frequently
hear the complaint that our suffrage
Is debased by OUT ignorant vote. This
is a plan of eliminating the ignorant
vote, not b5s camp
arbitrary regulat lions, but 11aturaIly
and automatically. This plan puts a
premium upon intelligence. In the
Chicago referendu1ns the vote was
lightest in the sfum and river wards.
Government OF the people, by the
rascals, for the rich-that is Lincoln
Steffen's statement of the case In
the large cities this is the exact situ-
alton. The rascally politicians make
the laws, and they make them in the
interests, not Of the people whom they
are supposed to represent, but in the
interests of the corporations.
With the initiative and referendum
we may realize the hope Of a govern
ment Of the people, by the people, for
the people.
HERBERT S. BIGELOw,
Vine Street Congregational Church,
Cincinnati, Ohio.