The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1907-11-29
c D N N j MICA TED.
Some Pointed Thoughts on the In
itiative Referendum and Re-
call by George L. Rich

! Some POINTED thoughts on Cne III
itiative Referendum and Re-
call by George L. Rich.
What is initiativeS What is referen'
dunn What is recall?
Direct legislation is legislation by the
people themselves as whole. Its in
struments are the initiative and referen
dun.
The initiative is the initiation OF laws
by the people. A fixed percentage oil
the voters by petition present any pro-
posed law or constitutional amendment
and compel it's submission to the vote
OF the people for adoption or rejection
That is initiative. A like percentage OF
the voters by petition stay the effect OF
any act of the legislature until 1t Is sub
mitted and ratified by the people. That
Is the referendum. II an officer elected
by the people fails to do his duty as an
officer and in any way becomes obnoxious
to the people, the question OF his re-
moyal from Office and the election OF his
successor may, by petition, be brought
before the people at an election and de-
cided at the ballot box. That is recall. =
In considering these questions we
must not lose sight OF the fact that our
government is moving back to primitive
ideas of democracy or OF government
OF the people by the people and for the
people" and not OF the politician by the
politician and for the politician. The
people are more and more taking the
reins of government into their hands.
The initiative and referendum are not
80 new as some might think. 10 the
state of Michigan, and in every state In
which there is a Grange or farmers
club, they have been discussed pro aud
con over and over for the last five or six
years. Resolutions favoring them have
been adopted by the farmers assocla
tons and municipal leagues all over this
great country. They have been adopted
and become part of the constitutions
of South Dakota in 1898; Utah in 1900;
Nevada but recently; Oregon in 1902 by
a vote of $1,000 to $500 or over ii to /; in
Montana in 1906 and North Dakota 10
1907. Resolutions to so amend the con-
sttution were adopted by the legislature
and will be voted on in Maine, having
passed both houses. Missouri legislature
adopted joint resolutions in 1907 and
will be voted on in 1908 Oklahoma
adopted them last September and in
1907 about 20 other states voted favor
ably in one house upon submitting such
an amendment, while the charters of
scores OF cities provide for the initiative
and referendum In some form on local
affairs. Even in the city of Paw Paw
the question of bonding the village to
build dam across Paw Paw river, as
many of the readers of the Northerner
know, was referred to the people. That
is referendum In this county and in
many other counties the question of To-
cal option will be referred to the voters
at the spring election, and that is surely
referendum. The primary law gives the
voters of any county or district the priv
ilege, on proper petition, to have the
proper authorities refer the matter to
vote of the members of the party petit
tioning, and that is referendum. No
matter whether we believe in it or not,
we have got it and it has come to stay.
The editor in his article of last week
says: First, it is contrary to true rep
resentative form of government" We
know OF no part of our constitution
which says that state must have rep
resentative form Of government, but it
does say that congress shall insure to
on or ta hi Nfc
ment. But it is we'll known that a re.
public may be either democratic or rep
resentative or union of both. l be
lieve that it is historical fact that the
trainers Of the constitution intended to
bring the government close to the peo-
pie, much closer than it now is.
Second, he says it is too expensive
when carrying such plan into practice.
This point is not well taken, for the ques-
ton of expense can bear no relation to
the good thing will Go. business
man cares nothing about the cost of an
enterprise if he is sure there is safe
money in the investment. Who cares
about the cost of the ICON con" If it
will only give US a good constitution
But will the expense be great? The pc
titions will be circulated by individuals
without pay, as it will be an easy matter
to get the small percentage of sgners,
usually about per cent IN this way
But how will this law and amend
ment be brought before the people? BY
some organized body like the Grange or
some league like the anti saloon league.
1t is not to be supposed that all our laws
or hundreth part OF them will be so
passed, but some law which large ma
jorty of the people wish passed and
which the legislature refuses to pass
through the opposition of such legisla
tors as the Immortal 49, or of the "l6
BOXERS can be brought before the peo-
pie and passed 10 spite of all opposition.
1t will not be necessary, nor will there
be called a special election, but the
questions refefended will be voted on at
spring or fall election the same as con-
stItutional amendments, which must be
referred to the people, are now passed
upon, and the only expense will be print