Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-05
Senator NIcNeil's Bill.

Hartford, Feb 5.-In behalf of
 Senator McNeil of Bridgeport, who is ill, Senator Donnelly to-day intro
 duced the following public opinion
 bill in the senate, this being an act
 providing for an expression of opin-
 ion by electors on questions of pub
 lie policy at any general or special election, whereby the electors may
 instruct their representatives:
 Section That on a written peti-
 tion signed by 10 per cent of the vot- CTS, calculated on the basis of the
 last vote for governor, of any town.
 city or borough. or 5 per cent of the
 voters of the state, calculated on the
 basis of the last vote for governor, 1t lit shall be the duty of the proper election officers in each case to sub init any question of public policy so petitioned for to the electors of the state, as the case may be, at any general or special election named in the petition: Provided such petition Is filed with the proper election off, cers, in each case, not less than sixty days before the date of the election at which such question, or questions, petitioned for are to be submitted; and the legislative or executive off, cers elected in any such election shall be considered instructed for any proposition for which a majority of the votes in any such election are cast.
 Section 2-This act shall take ef- feet from its passage.
 In commenting on the above act Senator McNeil issued a statement to-day in which he says: "The bill which has been introduced to-day by Senator Donnelly at my request pro- vides means by which the voters may express themselves upon public meas ures and instruct their representa- tives. If my health permits I shall make this measure my chief care at this session of the general assembly, because consider 1t the most profit able legislation for the benefit of the people and the commonwealth that can at this time be adopted.
 "The bill is almost a duplicate of the Public Opinion Bill' passed by the legislature of Illinois in 1901, which has given general satisfaction to the voters of that state. In the United States the right of voters to instruct at will was succeeded by the convention system. which has largely been debauched by machine rule. Most of the citizens of Connecticut cannot at this moment legally submit a public question to the freemen even if the council and executive are will ing to do so. But in twelve states the system of direct vote upon public questions exists or is assured.
 Tn Oregon and South Dakota the initiative and referendum Is in use. Nevada has referendum law. Utah has the initiative and referendu Two-thirds of the members of the Ohio legislature are pledged to a con- amendment. mixing the initiative and referendum a part of the constitutional. In Maine the con- vention of both parties has promised to submit such an amendment to the of Maine.
 "The right of the people to in- struct cannot become a party issue, for if any party should openly claim that the people ought not to rule, it would kill that party as the federal ists were killed when they cham pioned autocracy.
 My Bryan and Mir Roosevelt are In accord on this question: In 1906 MT Bryan said. The initiative and do not displace represen- live government; they simply bring the government nearer to the people and strengthen it.
 ''In the last portion of his inaug- nral address Mir Roosevelt said. We know that no people reed such high traits Of character a that people which seeks to govern It's affairs fright through the freely expressed will of the freemen who compose it.
 Prior to the convention system. he voters were the sovereign power.