Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-03-15

tages and all the publicity of the usual
| legislative procedures and much more
| Waves of popular opinion that are to
endure for eighteen months to two
years and at the end of that time, to
secure the approval of a majority of
! the voters of this state. must ne based
upon something more than illusion and
Prejudice. The result under such cir
cumstances, however, could not fail to
| register the deliberate and final will of
| the people.
| To take up again the original inten-
ton OF the constitution it may be said
| that but one thing could have been in
| tended, that is that the majority should
| rule. This idea is universal it is
| taught us at our mothers knee: it per-
vades all the school books; we give
| thanks for ii on all occasions; il is a
classic thought in all our literature !;
| subjects Of European states crowd here
to secure its benefits; it is the theme of
! many story and the inspira ton of
| many 2 song; if anyone now thinks the
| constitution had any other intention or
Ii we now fiIdsany of it's provisions
| fail TO provide the most simple and di-
rect means for aScertainng the desire
of the majority, it is a good place to
say that whatever the original inten-
ton. the right Of the majority to gov
! ern is now generally accepted and any
part Of the fundamental law that is in
consistent with that idea has outgrown
| its usefulness.
| | do not feel the question as to
whether majority of the people de-
sire the InitiltiVe and Referendum
or not may BE debated with m,:c! profit
| There is on" sure way to find out. let
them vote on ii. 1t is always claimed
! tia; the change is not desired but
whenever the toplc have been allowed
Il CHARGE 10 vote upon its adoption
| tEeJ have spoken in ms jOrities of from
| three to ten to one in its favor. 4 ma
Jcrity was never cast against it; it has
| never been repeated where once adopt
Ell. Few can doubt the result if the
! l.eople Of Maine have the opportunity
| to vote upcn this question 1T the Sep
| tcrlbeI election OF 1905.
You say in your letter that the lob
by might have something to do with
| the defeat Of the Referendum. T can
, cHsily conc' i've why they should. Many
a scheme is lobbied thu ough the Legis-
lature which you know would be abso-
! lutely useless with the Initiative and
referendum in force. In these days
| of public clamor. and righteous indig-
patton against the greed Of public cor
lorationS. the public arrayed on one
side cllmoring for their rights. against
| them certain corporations wholly OBJ
| liNious to individual rights, what could
| possibly be a better remedy for the peo-
| Ilc than their right to pass upon all
laws by ballot. l can mention innum-
cradle laws. and 50 can YOU. MIR Pot
| ter. that the Legislature never would
| have pass d had the people tie right
| OF Referendum. Do YOU suppose the
Legislature of 1895 would have ever
given aWaJ- the right Of trial by jury
on the fire insurance policy 4 right
that we derived frcm England where
| it had existed since tie 11th Century.
| having prey iously existed and originat-
Cd in Normandy, having come down
! to us through primeval and mcdiae-
va! ages having been practiced unde:
| by the greatest iurists that the world
las cvel llnow1. and met with their
a2probatior, being abrogated only for
fire insurance companies. had the peO-
| pie had the right Of Initiative and
| Referendum? Do you suppose that af-
ter these corporations lad the right to
! fix their own rates. which in some cases
| IN Maine is so high as to prohibit in
surance. that they would have asked
the public to play with loaded dice when
| they had a loss by fire? They not
only have claimed the right to stack
the cards and deal them but insist on
kce ping count. You would almost
think that these soulless corporations
| would blush with shame. Certainly
the Referendum would have acted as
a safety valve in this case, as 1t will
act upon all future legislation, for I
assure you of my entire confidence
ti.at the 73i Legislature cannot fail to
PASS the Referendum resolve.
Very respectfully,
E. S. CLARK.
| Brunswick. Nc, Feb. 20, 1906.
Roland T. Patten, Esq,
State Referendum League.
Skownegan, Maine.
Dear sir:
| have your favor Of yesterday. con-
itaining the first intimation I have re-
loeiyed that my letter to you Of Nov.
| q, 1905, was wanted for publication.
or was to be replied to by anyone. I
am inclined to think that you are max
ing too much importance of 1t; and