The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-05-04
RULE VERSUS
RULE Of THE MACHINE
National Initiative and Refer
endum Organization Up
holds Col. Bryan.
And Asks the Other Presiden.
tial Candidates to State
Their Position.
Special to the Labor World:

Special to the Labor World:
WASHINGTON, D. c., May a.
"Mr. Bryan's recent declaration that
the people are capable Of self-govern-
ment, and that the initiative and re-
ferendum should be established, there
by installing the Peoples Rule, raises
more vital issue than the question
of government ownership of railroads,
for it raises the question, Shall the
people own the government? that is,
shall the people rule or shall they be
ruled?'"
This is the statement of the nation
al initiative and referendum organiza-
tion in this city. known as the Nation
al Federation for Peoples Rule.
Speaking through its president, Mr..
George H. Shilbey, In response to your
correspondents inquiry as to Its opin-
ion Of Mr.. Bryan's declaration, Mr..
Shibley uttered the foregoing and ad-
ded:
Bear in mind that he who Is ruled
by another is a slave, gloss it over as
you will! Under the existing rule Of
the few in this country they possess
innumerable private monopolies
through which they are taxing us.
The concentrated wealth of this coun-
try exceeds anything that the world
has heretofore witnessed and is the
result Of this private-monopoly sys-
tem due to the rule Of the few through
machine politics."
"This system of government" the
speaker added, "is outside the con-
stitutional system and controls it. It
is extra-legal and is known as party
government. Through the party sys-
tenn Congress is controlled by the law,
the president is nominated by the few,
and the members of the Supreme
court are nominated and elected by the
few. Thus the final power as to leg
islation is the few. They control the
machine"
Mr.. Shibley illustrated the results
of machine rule by picking up a VOL
ume Of the American Commonwealth,
by the Hon. James Bryce present am
bassador from England. He turned
to the chapter on How the Machine
Works." and read:
"Observing the form of consulting
the voters, it ubstantially ignores them
and forces on them persons whom they
do not know, and would dislike if
they knew them. It substitutes for
the party voters generally a small
snuR1ber~ professionals and TT their eli
creatures. extracts prearranged nom
nations from: packed meetings, and
calls this consulting the pleasure of
the sovereign people,: Thus the mach
Inc works on, and grinds out places,
power and opportunities for Illicit
gain for those who manage it,
THE remedy for this condition of
things" declared Mr.. Shibley, Is the
restoration of a direct-vote system for
public questions, to be used whenever
vote is demanded by a given per-
centage Of the voters, usually five or
ten per cent. Thus veto power and
power Of direct legislation can be
exercised by the voters. Machine rule
must go!" And the president of the
federation warmly added, "Col. Bryan
has clearly pointed this out and it is
time that the Republican candidates
other than Senator La Toilette should
state their position! If they are not
prepared to do it willingly this Or
ganization will question them and
publish their replies or the statement
that they refuse to reply"
1t is pointed out that Secretary
Taft's eh brother in Cincinnati, who
is president of the Cincinnati gas
monopoly and manager of the Taft
campaign, and who is reported to be
furnishing the campaign funds, has
come out against the initiative and
referendum. In his Cincinnati Times
Star is a rechent editorial entitled
The Failure of the Initiative in
Oregon" which concludes as follows
Public sentiment in Oregon is now
ferendum, the, idea that every man
should be his own law-maker having
nearly run it's course"
What is Senator Forakers attitude ?
This Is the query Of the National
Federation for Peoples Rule, and it
Is pointed out that should both For
aker and Taft be against the initiative
and referendum that Senator La Fol-
lette will figure in the coming prim-
ary election in Ohio, for the voters
OF the state are for the initiative and
referendum. In the last state cam
paign they elected pledged House
| and Senate. The Senate by the re-
quired two-thirds vote has passed q
bill for the submission Of a constitu-
tional amendment and two-thirds OF
the House are pledged. The vote in
the House will be taken at the ad-
journed session which begins next
January. -.
HOTEL SOLD FOR 100000.
'WINONA, MINI, May 1.-The winona