The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-23
Direct Legislation; What Is It?
The Most important Simple and Far-Reachng Reform Ever
Presented to the People of Utah.
CHARLES CRANE.
BY CHARLES CRANE.

council for their decision All obnoxious
laws, or laws inimical to the peoples in
terest, all species CT public graft all fran
ehlses. street improvements and large con-
tracts, II demanded, would be presented
to the people for affirmation or rejection.
in short, IL means "a government of the
people, for the people. and by the people
The referendum takes from the people S
representatives no power which justly be
longs to them. City councilmen are the
servants of the people. not their masters.
ana no honest. intelligent councilman will
desire TO pass any measure which he be-
iieves would not be Endorsed by his con-
stituents- The referendum prevents rep
resentatives from becoming mis-represen-
tattves. by doing, through ignorance or
dishonesty. what the people do not want
or falling to do what the people do want
What Is the Recall?
The recall is simple piece of govern
mental machinery by which. when the
constituents of a public officer do not like
his action. or he fails to keep his pre-elec-
ton pledges they can by signing and fill
ing a petition for his recall. suspend him
from office II he is an elective officer.
new election is held. for the balance of
his term. and at this election the old Of
ficer is a candidate for reelection unless
he positively declines. The percentage
for the petition is usually 30 per cent in
both appointive and elective officers Los
Angeles has used the recall once. turning
out an unsatisfactory councilman, who
was Overwhelmingly defeated when he
stood for reelection. It is again being
invoked against another with whose acts
the citizens are dissatisfied The people
of Los Angeles will never surrender the
right of recall
This splendid measure gives the people
absolute and supreme power to discharge
their public servants, as is exercised by
every private employer. This right should
be. and is in a real republic an inherent
right. for IT distinctly recognizes the rule
Of the people not for one day, but for
every day. and is in complete harmony
with the fundamental aims of our govern
ment. The need of this splendid measure
must be apparent to every honest citizen,
who does not desire to fitch from or per-
init others to fitch from the public treas
ury, Incorporate direct legislation into
law with the Galveston idea or without it.
and our city council viii at once become
responsive TO the wishes of the taxpay
ers. 1t looks as though the people of Salt
Lake believed that any man who has
failed in his own private business wherein
a paitry few thousand dollars are con-
cerned. is thoroughly competent TO handle
the money of the taxpayers wherein hun
dreds Of thousands of dollars are at issue
To continue longer on the course we are
pursuing in our municipal afafiTs. by an
irresponsible. incompetent city council
means bankruptcy, defeat. dishonor ana
physical death.
Cnthinking citizens who are satisfied
with existing conditions. will say. "AH
this is too much trouble" 1t is never too
much trouble to conduct the business of
this city honestly, and I will further say
every new charter has direct legislation
incorporated into IT, and having it. it will
be seldom invoked In Switzerland ii has
been law for twenty-five years and dur
ing all this time but twentv-seven federal
laws have been challenged.
In my next I shall discuss the origin
of representative government and its fail
ture to represent.