The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-05-07
ATE NTA~i ri Oh rtBII1
OPINION.

Stacking IN Faneusi Halt IN BoS-
t., IN the question OF the pending
-,.blEp opinion bill. under the provi-
sIors 81 which voters in an election
mv express their opinion on subjects
IT popular for the advise
meut 81 their representative FF
dent Eliot. u Harvard university
made i notable plea Tor the principle
involved
Referring ia the purpose n the
faeasur. proposed and the abuses +
seek IL correct. President Eliot said
"Now. what has been the great
crying evil In American political lie
ia the past forty years II has o*v"
secret sunuence-that influence
which has been used darkly concern
ing important legislation aud great
problems Ne ali know that tn
public press g. subject Il secret. EVIL
influences Do we not ali know hoN
the money power is exercise! IN ire
legislature by men determined -
foster their own interests by the Use
II this money or - retard and pr.
vent legislation ininiCal 10 those Sc.
fish interests The development II
IN. money power IN our ountrH has
been most formidable. Net only IN
1.-THE Legislature itself but IN the
ommittee rooms. where important
measures are first considered A. TINS
money power secretly At Worh IhcSF
things are perfectly Well known by
every intelligent American citizen
Speaking as ne himself said a. an
academician upon long and impair
tial observation ana reflection the de-
Hberate Judgment IF - able 4 man
as President Eliot is worth deep At
tention The condition hat -
tracts the attention Of the tudent i
one that is well established. And
the recognition II an evil from such
i source shows the truth Or the su~-
picion as 10 the exercise of represen-
tatiye legislation which has called in
Massachusetts for thu passage Of the
bin designed to give the people =
voice ana put the representatives on
notice. Proceeding further. in re-
ply To- objections urged against the
bill on the ground hat il implied .
mistrust Of the men elected a. rep
resentatives. President Eliot said
forcibly:
'Tey tell Us hat the present bin
degradeS our senators and represen-
~tatives, because il gives their consti-
q right and an opportunity 10
Civ, voice to their opinions on cleo
ton day. Gentlemen, they are de-
graded already-by their submission
to d machine. A political machine
is = private organization for the
benefit Of a body Of men or Of an in
dividual. II gets money, a deal Of
money. for secret uses, and II dis
penses it secretly
The bill proposed provides, in out
line, that, upon a petition Of a con
siderable number Of electors, there
shall be submitted for popular vote
Of opinion amy question of public
character which it may be desired
to test. Under such a law a repre-
sentative of the people would be liked
with the definite verdict Of the desire
Of his constituents by which ne
would necessarily stand or fall on the
record of his vote. That such an
expression would be a powerful aid To
Legislation and would exert an i'm
mense power as against specious Do
of laws designed to meet
popular demands cannot be question
ed. And, While there is about the
bill a suggestion of the Initiative and
referendum" surely no voice viii be
heard to onnec Massachusetts or
President Eliot with ''popuiistic'
leanings. Had North Carolina had
such a law upon its books last fall. I
there might well have been spared
the State a long and sometimes bit
ter struggle to ecu the passage Of
legislation which the people as 4
.vhn1a K.-ara m 1arctn1.J ., 90, 11ipr |
which demand was variously-I
and, often ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
AS far as it goes to make for Ger
tainty in Interpretation of the popular
Will and ~thoroughness in its execu-
ton, the pubic opinion bill' would
seem to be a long step in the direc-
ton of a truly popular government
divorced from the dangers Of special
interests and secret Influences.