Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-06-22
REFERENDUM
HOW INITIATIVE AND REFEREN-
DUN WORKS WHERE 1T HAS =
BEEN ADOPTED.

& . 81
(From the Press Agent of the
North Dakota Direct Legislation
League.)
One of the most encouraging fea-
lures of Direct Legislation is the
unanimity of its approval by those
who have tried it and become tamil
lar with it's workings in practice.
Here is what Numa Droz. ex-Presi-
dent of the Swiss Republic has to
say about it: , ,Ey
Under the influence of the refer
endum profound change has come
over the spirit both of parliament
and people. The idea of employer
and employed, of sender and sent
which lies at the root of the repre-.
sentative system, becomes an abso-
lutte reality. The people have gen.
orally shown themselves wiser than
the meddling politicians, who have
tried to draw them into systematic
opposition. They have. more than
once given the agitator to under.
stand that he had no chance with
them. The net result has been a
great tranquilizing of public life
When the ballot has pronounced ev.
erybody accepts the result. :"
In the Pacific Monthly for May
Lutte Pease expresses himself as fol.
lows
Oregon complacently confronts
the pessimists of the republic with
startling statements somewhat as
follows:
IF our representatives do not re-
present us, we have power to force
them to do SO. !. .s
eve can repect any law that we
don't want, or ourselves enact. any
law that we do want.
: We have knocked out boss and
machine.
I'VE have just elected two United
States senator's in twenty minutes
without Doodle or booze or even a
cigar and our legislature has Just
completed a session of extraordinary
activity, untainted by any charge of
corruption. Z
""All Of which, it may be acknow-
lodged, indicates a condition Of po
litical well-being that justifies felici
tation."
Hon. w. S. U'Ren, of Oregon,
writes In part as. follows:
tsThe individual voter realizes his
power and feels his responsibility as
a citizen in all matters of state and
local government into far greater
degree than was possible under the
purely representative system. This
is shown by the very large vote on
measures, from sixty-nine to eighty.
seven per cent of the whole number
voting for officers. Each measure
has been discussed and decided on
its merits without any sign of party
prejudice. This is equally true OF
charter amendments and city erdin,
ances.
THE people have shown excellent
judgement in the approval and re
lection of the measures submitted
Of the thirteen laws and amendments
to the constitution submitted since
1902, they have approved nine and
rejected four. The secretary of state
mails to every voter a pamphlet con
tanning a copy of all measures, or
which he is to vote, and of the argu
ments and the reasons for and agains
the same as presented by the advo
Gates and opponents of each measure
The printing and paper for the argu
| ments must be paid for by the part!
presenting the same.
| "All measures that have been pro
posed by initiative petitions have
had very careful preparation, AM
none of them have been declares
unconstitutional by the courts on an.
point. There have been no freal
proposals, nor anything to reflect o,
the dignity and common sense of tn
voters. The limitation on the Law
making power of the legislature ha
SO completely removed temptatio
from the legislators that there wer
4 very few charges Of corruptio
against the members in 1903 an
/ 1905, and none at all in 1907" N N