Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-11-06
The Ratified Sentinel.

III" W dtCrNlllt ScD'iiici u ttltd
badI, ratified over the discovery that
H.. Initiative and Referendum affords
~ vote. upon questions of great public
nl,ti,nt without first involving them
il, PARTISAN politics. In fact its con-
.lli.n is fast approaching IL frenzy. 1t
FIRST cnucaNoIrd to 'shoo" the idea OF
the track by asserting that Il great
question Put up under such eminantly
fair conditions couldn't be voted
UPON by the sovereign people. Fail
ing ii, this ii burst forth with one OF
ils numerous slasms. in fdr-fetched
and feverish attempt 10 laugh out ot
court the very idea Of tie voters of
Main exercising such highly desirable
privileges. Failing III th!S II ''id 'avorCd
to befog the issue by quoting from
mat lie advocates nl the Initiative
and E,fer.nduin said when the matter
wa being presented to the Leg islaturc
ignoring the fact that til" popular
privileges carried by that measure
Were q, pendent u!,rn tii" ltn1t tage OF
THE. ACT ITSELF. and not upon the
language that was used by any. of it's
advocates in urging its merits upon the
Legislature. Failing IN this it be-
came angry and resorted to the last
~ ma
losing caCSe-threatS.
Whom the Gods would destroy tnry
first made mad
Fortunately there are not. and have
never been any partisan lines in the
entium. II has been recognized as a
taking back by the sovereign people Of
certain rights formerly delegated t."
others Mhich it is now believed that
they can better exercise themselves.
Most Of the people who supported
this measure did 50 because they hon
t-tly believed III its prime iplr>: hecaus.
they were unable to see any harm to
come. and much good to be derived
from ascertaining the wishes Of th,.
intelligent voters Of Maine regarding
great public questions. 1t is worth
something i'll matters of special public
moment, to ascertain. under perfectly
fan conditions and entirely free from
n ia -,rfrpn,,r,, nd: h.,
tAtt,-t Will II the people. The bill SUBJ
hitting the Initiative and Referendum
was printed and very widely discussed
before its passage by the Legislature
Tie privileges it carried seem to have
been very generally understood outside
the Waterville Sentinel office.
The stat" Grange certainly under
stool the popular privileges Of this
Wis., measure when it gave il its ullani-
NOUS endorsement. So did the labor
unions of Maine that stood solidly be-
him, ii: -, did thousands of the Strulig-
our state. In fact il Was very diff
cult to lind Il man in Maine who did not
heartily endorse the measure and il is
equally difficult to ind such IA man TO-
day. outside Of perhaps the Water
Iilic sentinel office. The same mighty
forces that were behind the Initiative
and Referendum last winter are be-
hind it today. They viii not hr Jas
turErd by the Eyratinns of u very small
cottrie oi politicians pcrturbcd at the.
ninth h"ui discovery that the measure
give; the voters of Maine Il SulncW HI, /:
lroaicr participation in the affairs OF
tin. state. cham they had supposed WAS
tne cas-. Formerly the cry of these
mon. a~ cgardS the prpllibitory princl-
| PIE. mas been. Give the peopl, I.
| chanc" to vote; but now that tn"
| Initiative and Referendum Will afford
! thcm an excellent oppCrtunity
to do 50 these men say NO. no,
We don't want that kind .; . vote We
! wan; i chance to play politics with
! the ~; sti"n. and if YOU don't give il to
US We will defeat the Initiative ana
| Referendum. We viii. by gum
| Let no voter he disturbed by talk
Tx, this. 1t represents merely tho
sentiments of a very few men great il
| IS true IN thcir own cunceit but shock
inGly shy OF votes. II is not in the
| power of these men to invade the uiair
rights IF the people. however much
| they may threaten to do so