Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-15

them. There is the ballot (showing)
that they threw in Oregon. Down at
the bottom is one question referred to
| the people for a referendum vote, a
question of a large appropriation which
the Legislature had made, and it was
held up and went to a vote of
the people. The whole vote for
Governor in Oregan last June
was 96,711. One question went by d
referendum to the people appropriate
| ing a large sum of money, and OIL
that there We're 10,676 votes cast, a.
600, nearly $4,000, voting yes and 20
| 600 voting no-thc people thus suS-
| tanning the Legislature and Silencing
any criticism that might have been
| made in regard to the waStefulnesS of
! the Legislature and its appropriation.
| There We're ten questions submitted to
the people by the initiative. In Oregon
| the number of signe~s is much smaller
| than is provided in these resolves, only
| five per cent. of the voters are neceS-
! sary to refer a measure to the people
| which has been enacted by the LegiS-
| lature, and eight per cent. to initiate
measure, and only eight per cent.
| to propose an amendment to the con-
| stitution of the state of OregOn-the
same number required there to initiate
| proposed amendment to the consti-
| tuition as to propose any measure
which is to be enacted into law. Here
| were ten measures submitted to the
people of the state of Oregon. Five
of those questions We're constitutional
| amendments, five relating to statutes,
and l want to read the result in answer
to the criticism of the opposition that
has developed to the initiative and
referendum that the people cannot be
| trusted. Here are some of the things
| which the people in Oregon voted up
| on i'll June. measures initiated by
them and which they proposed to have
| submitted to them. The first uues-
| ton was a constitutional amendment
for equal suffrage for women. and the
people voted upon that. $4,000 no, So
600 yes, a total vote of S3.S99. BY
| provision which they have in Oregon,
when that question was submitted the
proponents of the measure had right
| to file with the secretary of state
| their arguments in favor of the
| measure. Those opposed could file
| theirs. And the State circulated them
put into the hands of the voters the ar
| gumentS both pr) and con. So there
| went out to the voters of the State of
| Oregon on the question of woman stuff
rage a pamphlet like that (showing)
! containing articles furnished by the
w oman, Suffrage Association support
| ing the measure. and in the latter part
| of it some more articles furnished by
| those opposed to the extension of the
| suffrage to women. SO it was with 9TH
| cr measures. Another law proposed was
| for an amendment of the local option
| law. and upon that 81 900 people voted
| in Ore gOn. A. 900 voting no ard $1,000
| voting yes Then here was a measure
| TO buy q coal road out there owned by
a private corporation and submitted to
the people of Oregon. They voted. $4,000
| no and 81 600 yes, Il total vote of 5000.
| There was another constitutional
amendment voted upon by the people
which applied the referendum to all
| laws affecting constitutional cOnvcn-
| tionS and amendments. They voted A.
| 600 yes and 1900 no. Another constitu-
| tional amendment voted upon was an
| amendment giving to cities and towns
! exclusive power to amend their own
charters; and upon that $1,000 voted yes
and 20,0CO voted no. Here was another
constitutional amendment proposed. to
allow the state printing and binding
and printers compensation to be rcgu
lated by law at any time. Upon that
| the people of Oregon voted $4,000 yes.
5000 no. Il vote Of $4,000. Another con-
Stitutional amendment for An Act pro-
hibiting free passes and dlscrimlha-
ton by railroad companies and other
! public service corporations. Upon that
there was a vote Of 1000 yes and TO-
| 600 no. Fer an act requiring sleeping car
companies. refrigerator car companies
| and oil companies to pay an an
uual license upon gross earnings,
| 60. 900 voted yes and 5000 voted no. An
other act requiring express and tclc-
graph companies TO pay an annual IL
| ccnse upon their gross earrings. an eX-
| else tax was voted upo, and the peO-
pie voted 1000 yes and 5000 nO-large
questions, one of them at least you
have today felt was important enough
| for the Legislature" to refer to the SUI
prCmc court of Maine. The people Of
Oregon had those questions submitted
to them upon a popular vote; and
this is the result. Now, | fail to OBJ
serve in the decision of the people I
Oregon anything revolutionary in the
votes which were cast at those cleo
tons. but that the great number of
voters in Oregon took an interest i'll
those public measures; and it must
have been great education to them to
inform themselves in regard to these
questions: and so l believe it will be il.
Maine The people in Maine will have
an opportunity to interest themselves
in measures which are to be voted up
on as we'll as in party candidates. Cap
plause)
Mr.. SMITH of Patten-Mr. Speaker.
shall take only moment or two of the
attention of the House and in that mo-
ment or two 1 shall not undertake t.
discuss the referendum. Members of thig
House have been for weeks, have NJ
doubt, very many of them. making &
study of the general proposition. The
people of Maine have been thinking of c
general proposition for a long time. Tx
matter has been before the Legislature
| and has been passed upon to a certain
. | axtept In the last conventions. as has