The Mena weekly star., 1907-11-14
people are ask
 ing, What is the, Initiative 1 and Referendum ?"

A and Referendum
 If is system whereby the voters nossess an option to ballot direct on nublic questions. The result is ma ;ority rule, in place of machine rule. It is the peoples rule in place of the rule of the few. rg
 The system is in two parts, the initiative and referendum: The referendum is a means whereby the voters can ballot direct on acts of ,eoislative bodies and constitutional conventions, the will of the majority deciding each issue. Thus. through tbe referendum, the people possess veto power. The referendum is, then. the peoples veto.
 There are two forms of the refer endum-the compulsory and option al The acts of most of the constitu- t;onal conventions are referred to the people without the formality of a petition. This is the compulsory referendum. Where the act of a legislative body can be balloted upon by the voters if a petition for ;ts submission is filed by a certain number of petitioners, usually 5 or 10 per cent, the system is the option al referendum. It is the optional referendum that is being established throughout the country.
 The initiative is a system whereby 10 or 15 per cent of the voters can propose measures and the questions are submitted to a direct ballot of all the voters, the will of the major ity becoming the law of the land. It is direct legislation.
 These direct-vote-systems-the h e initiative and referendum-are used in combination with representative government. The referendum is the peoples veto, as has been point ed out, and the initiative is the voters power of direct legislation. Through this mechanism the voters are the ruling power. The repre- sentatives are their agents. With out a final power in the voters the few in office are rulers. It is ma chine rule.
 Initiative and Referendum In Action.
 The mere existence of the peoples veto power (the optional referen- dunn is effective except for close questions. In Oregon, where this optional system has existed for five years, the voters have balloted on but one act of the legislature, which they approved. In South Dakota, where the initiative and referendum have existed for nine years, not one act of the legislature has been bal loted upon.
 The initiative, though, is actually operated, but it's mere existence has considerable effect. In South Da- kota four years ago the party in office refused to enact direct nomi- nations system. and a bill for it was initiated by the people. The legis- lature, however, refused to submit it to the voters, putin the next state convention of the party in office the autocrats were busted and the ren who were put in their places have enacted the desired legislation.
 In Oregon three years ago initia- tive bills were used to install direct nominations and local options. The legislature had refused these needed reforms.
 Last year in Oregon ten initiative bills were proposed. seven of which were adopted. The two bills pro- posed by the organized farmers were carried by an ll-to-1 vote. In this way tax was levied on the gross receipts of express companies, telegraph companies, sleeping-car companies, refrigerator companies and oil companies. The lobbyists for these companies had kept the legislature from passing the bills. A stringent bill was adopted pro- hlbiting free railroad passes and other forms of discrimination. The favorable vote was 3 to |. The graft instate printing was gotten at by 6-to-l vote. The peoples veto power and the power of direct legislation were applied to municipal affairs, and the people authorized themselves to vote single items in the legisla- lures appropriation bills. The vote 5to l. Exclusive rights to cities and towns to amend their charters was granted, 2 1-2 to l. Thus the leglslature's power to violate the nome-rule principle was terminated. one legislature in place of two was