The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-05-15
DIRECT VOTE SYSTEM.
Initiative and Referendum Movement
Grows Apace.


Initiative and Referendum Movement
Grows Apace.
Organized labor has led in the move
ment for the termination Of machine
rule the establishment Of the initia.
tive and referendum
The programme has been to question
candidates and publish their replies,
thus preventing an evasion OF the Isl
sue. This programme was successful
from the start and has spread from
state to state until the movement is
sweeping the entire country like a
prairie tire. The movement has sue
ceeded or is far along in twenty one OF
the forty-six states, being double the
number Of two years ago, while the
number Of pledged members in con
gress is four times greater. One hun
dred and seven members Of the pres.
ent national house are pledged, their
obligation being TO vote for the inn
mediate establishment Of the advisory
initiative for eight topics and the ad-
yisory referendum for acts OF congress
and for measures passed BY either
house. It 10 hoped that as the result
of next years campaign there will be
a pledged majority IN the national
house, a pledged president, with ma
iority vote in the SENATE secured
through pledging the candidates for tho
legislature 70 vote to instruct the hold
over senators and TO vote only for such
candidates for the United States SEN
ate as are pledged to the advisory vote
system.
The conditions ia the twenty-one
states are as follows. This years Iegis-
lature in Maine, Missouri and North
Dakota has submitted a constitutional
amendment for the Initiative and ref
erendum. In Oklahoma the constltu-
tional convention has Incorporated the
system In the proposed constitution.
III eight other states the people pos
sess the direct vote system for public
questions or have adopted It, or the
legislature Is pledged. The states are
Oregon, South Dakota, Montana, Utah,
Nevada, Illinois, Texas ana Ohio.
In nine more states, making a total
OF twenty-one, the initiative ana ref
erendum movement Is FAR along. The
states are Massachusetts,, pennsylya.
mia, New Jersey, Delaware, Wisconsin,
Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa ana Wash.
Ington
Not only is there this rapid spread Of
the movement, but IN nearly every case
the vote In The legislature has been
practically unanimous In Maine the
vote was unanimous In Oklahoma
only FIVE Of the liz delegates voted
against the system. In Delaware the
vote establishing the initiative and ref.
erendum IN the city Of Wilmington
WINS unanimous The Pennsylvania
house without debate, without amend
ment and by 4 unanimous vote has
passed bill for the initiative and ref.
ercndum IN cities and boroughs The
same housc also by unanimous vote,
has passed bill fov the direct election
OF United States senators. Last year
ut special session of the Pennsylya-
mia Legislature splendid ballot law
was enacted, and a direct nominations
system was installed Thus machine
rule in Pennsylvania almost a thing
on the past aud 1t Is completely abol.
lshed in the city Of wilmington
So wonderful Il political change In so
short a time has never been equaled In
this OF any other age by another year
complete success ID every northern
state SHOULD be assured; also national
success.