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

government, is a fundamental princl-
pie on which a democracy must rest.
This is the one distinguishing feature
which differentiates democracy from
a class-ruled people. The principle or
the old shioned town meeting Is run
damental and safe, and the referendum
is but an adoption of the same princi-
pie to making city and state laws unoer
modern conditions.
Improvement in methods OF govern
ment has not kept pace with improve
ment in processes Of producing tnings'
nor with modern business methods. our
present system utterly fails 10 Iuiilll
its requirements whenever an attempt
is made to cope with such problems as
fair taxes and impartial freight rates,
or the proper regulation of those VINO
exploit franchises against the interests
of general business. The people are
RAPIDLY losing faith in the ethcacy OF
governernment by few Selecteu' even
though superior persons, to cope WITH
such propositions.
The common people are fast loos!hg
control of the machinery Oh govern
ment, and the present agitation lor the
is but an effort on their
part to regain their control. Abraham
lincoln. in his first inaugural address,
said: why should there not be pa
tient confidence the ultimate justice
of the people? Is there any better or
equal hope in the world? The very
idea of monopoly is rcpugnant to pop
ular sentiment; and it's practice must
always be a menace to popular rlshts
business
An essential function of government
the making of laWS-lS no" d cioSe
in the hands of a selected few.
Under the present arrangement OIL our
law making machinery, 1t Is possible
for a few senators to defeat any meas
ure, no matter who nor how many
want it. The opinion of a few may De
weighed against that of an unlimited
number of the very people they were
elected to represent, and II the lie" SO
decide, any number Of petitioners may
he utterly ignored; and the people 5
redress lies at the end ia long ROAD
through q maze of political guide
boards, among which the average Vot-
err is prone to loose his way.
If there is better way let us make
it our way. Break up this monopoly
of the law-making business, and the
other monopolies will fast disappear
When a proper number of citizens Pc
tition to have a measure submitted, let
it he submitted and let the people vote
on it. The rights and welfare of the
people can be guarded and promoted,
only by the people themselves; never
by a selected few.
T believe that it would be real i'm
provement to prov ide through the refer
erendum. that the voice of a majority
of all the voters should be regarded,
not merely as optional but as manda-
tory. The referendum requires the peo-
ple TO understand their own interests;
with it they can easily manage their
own affairs; or if they are not yet tit
to manage them, then they must mis-
manage them until they become MT.
The only way the people will ever learn
to manage public affairs will be by as
Stunning their management and learn
ing by experience: no people or class
of people have ever yet qualified for
the management Of their own, or public
affairs, if any other way, because there
is no other way.
The optional referendum teaches
voters the true art of citizenship by
setting them to work at it; just as one
learns to blow a cOrnet by blowing a
cornet, not by watching others do it.
The voters will soon learn to consider
public questions in the light of their
own interests, after they are called
upon to decide them, separate and dis
entangled from all other issues; but
they will never learn to govern them
selves watching the politicians do it.
If the people are ever 50 dissatisfied
with any law passed by their represent
tativeS, as to assume the necessary
trouble and expense Of petitioning for
the submission of the measure to
referendum vote, in such case l SUBJ
nit that a majority of all the voters
are as competent to veto such measure,
if they wish, as would be a few sen-
ators.
No argument can possibly be made
against the referendum that does not
apply with equal force against the
general proposition of self-govern-
mcnt. For hundreds of years we have
been taking step after step along this
same road; fer this is but one more
step in the direction of d more ana
more perfect self-govcrnment.
There is not one reason why the peo-
pie should vote for public officers, that
is not just as good a reason why they
should vote directly upon such laws as
they really wish to vote upon. Cannot
the same people %ho are so laudcd for
their wisdom in the selection of their
representatives be trusted with Sc
lection of laws? Are they wise only
when voting for candidates for office?
Have they no idea what they want of
their representatives after they have
elected them? DO those voters whose
wisdom is SO eXtolled just before cleo
ton, Immediately forget It until the
next election day and then as sudden
~ recall it..
Mr.. WALDRON of Dexter: MI.
Speaker. 1 had not intended to make
any remarks upon this matter before
the House at all, but it seems to ME
1t is necessary just to state one thing
that occurs to me which has not been
referred to by either of the speakers
thus far. Yesterday in this House the
parties We're lined up upon a principle
which has been discussed over and
over again. and which was settled and