Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-09-26
4 NATIONAL ISSUE
INITIATIVE and Referendum A
live NATIONAL issue.
George n. ShibIey, President of the
National Federation for Peoples S
Rule, Says the Movement is CATH
ering Such Force as to Compel
Discussion.

The Peoples Rule in place of machine
rule, has become live national Issue.
Mr.. Taft has publicly taken it up by at
tacking the initiative and referendum, as
| also have the Oklahoma republican lead
ers, and within the democratic party
: there is widespread open opposition.
Heretofore the opposition has kept
itself from public view, fearing discus
sion. But the movement has reached a
point where it is carrying everything be.
it, which has compelled the monopolists
and their attorneys to publicly combat
the extension OF the peoples power or
lose their monopoly privileges. Follow
ing are illustrations of the voters prac-
tically unanimous sentiment for power
in themselves:
In Oregon in 1902 the people installed
the initiative and referendum by vote
of II to l. There had been four years.
campaign.
The same year in Illinois, with only a
small amount Of preliminary discussion,
an advisory vote by the people was to
l. In republican counties the majority
was largest, being as high as IL to l..
Last year in Montana the people adopt.
ed constitutional amendment for the
initiative and referendum by a to l
vote.
Two years before in Delaware, an ad-
visory vote was taken, in which the peo-
pie instructed the legislature to install a
drect-vote system for public questions.
The majority was to l.
Last spring in Maine, the legislature
submitted constitutional amendment
for the initiative and referendum, and
the vote was unanimous.
The last House in Pennsylvania passed
a bill to establish the initiative and refer
endum in cities and boroughs. Here,
too, the vote was unanimous.
There are but two examples Of where
the initiative and referendum has be.
come party ssue-Ohio and Oklahoma.
In both cases it was the republican par.
ty which asked the voters to refrain from
taking more power to themselves and it
was defeated. In Ohio it was two years
ago and the party lost control in the
state senate. and7almost lost the house.
The democratic increase in representa-.
ton in the senate was AIS per cent-an
unprecedented gain. This year in Okla
homa, 1907, the republicans opposed the
initiative and referendum, and OF the 112
delegates to the constitutional conven-
ton it elected only IA, half OF whom
saved Themselves by pledging for the
initiative and referendum.
In the coming national campaign the
people will understand more fully than
ever before the advantages to be gained
by restoring system whereby they
shall possess an option to vote direct on
public questions. and after the national
conventions shall have selected the
nominees it seems improbable that either
OF them will argue to the voters that
they should not increase their power.
Within the republican party there are
plenty OF presidential candidates whu
champion the restoration of Peoples
Rule. Senator LaFollette is advocating
it, and doubtless Governor Hughes is the
same type OF statesman. 1t would seem
that unless candidates of this type are
nominated the republican party will
meet its Waterloo, just as the Federalist
and Whig party went to destruction. In
both cases the few in control Of the party
failed to voice the popular sentiment and
wrecked the organization. What will be
the attitude OF next years Republican
! National Convention?
GEORGE II. SHIBLEY.