The National tribune., 1907-05-02
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM.

Il INITIATIVE AND NEf6nESUtAs
In his eager, almost frantic reaching
iaround for some issue upon which to
unite the Democracy Mr.. Bryan has
seized upon the fad of the Initiative and
referendum. He formally announced al
the banquet in New York, at which many
Of his supporters had gathered. that he
had at last decided upon something
which would be Of the greatest value
to his party, and it was this. In this
he has gone to the other extreme, and
chosen something as inocuous and fu-
tile as his previous announcement of
Government ownership was dangerous
| in itself and highly obnoxious from its
assault upon States Rights to the South
ern Democrats. On the other hand,
| initiative and referendum is a mere
temporary political fad, which really
cures no evils, improves NJ practises,
brings no results that anybody particu-
larly cares for. In its essence it is this:
Any given number of voters may sign
a petition for the Introduction and pas
sage Of bill that they may deem de-
sirable. This is the initiative.
Referendum means that all laws or
certain specified laws must, before 60
ing into effect, be submitted to the peo-
pie for Endorsement.
The initiative and referendum is a
fad conceived by the German Social
lists, and probably there is some
real reason for it, as the people
in Germany nave not progressed
anything like the distance that we
have toward genuine popular govern
ment. Most of the Cantons In Swift
erland have initiative and referendum
in some form or another. In about one
half of the Cantons the referendum is
"opti onar' or "facultative;" that is, laws
when submission by petition of GER
tain percentage of the voting constitu-
ency is demanded. In the other Cantons
it is obligatory that is, the laws must
be submitted without petition. Since
1874 the Swiss Constitution has provid-
upon the demand of eight Cant ons, or
$4,000 citizens, any Federal law of gen.
eral application must be submitted to
the people, and during the first 10 years
after its adoption 20 laws out of a total
IF $50 submitted, IA were ratified and
by the Federal Government in 1891 as
means of introducing a proposal to
revise the Constitution.
The only objection that can be made
in this country to the formal adoption
of the principle that it will inject a.
in the matter of legislation. AS a mat
ter Of fact, we have, and always have
had, the widest possible initiative. Wei
do not have to even get up a petition
signed by any number of people to have
bill introduced into a Legislature or
Congress. Any man, no matter who,
who thinks any law desirable can read
lily secure a member of Congress or of
the Legislature to introduce such a bill
as he may draw up. We have also the
referendum equally widely established.
What Legislature or Congress may do
tHls year Is III cAcCl SuDElittcu " tuc
people at the following election, ard canl
be approved or disapproved by the cleo
ton of the men who support or oppose 1t.
1t does not seem that the new fad can
possibly make the Legislatures and Con-
gress in any degree more responsive to-
the wishes of the people than they now
are. Initiative and referendum may
have some value in Europe, where the
law-making bodies are widely separated
from the common people, but It is i'm
possible to see how in this country it i
can have any other practical effect than
numbering the statute books and the
execution of the laws with needlessl
complications. It does not reflect very
highly upon Mr.. Bryan's knowledge oil
craftsmanship that he should take upl
this rather clumsy device Of the men
who are unfamiliar with the respon-
siveness of the American system of leg
islation and try to impose it upon the
people who have already, and have al
ways had, great deal more direct in
1uence upon the course Of legislation
than will be given them by this new
tangled idea of German Socialists. Wei
have not the slightest objection to itst
being tried. but We have the greatest
certainty that within few years it will
be consigned to the vast political lum-
Der room now filled with the dusty and
forgotten devices of similar half-ideaedI
reformers, who have inflicted badly di-
gested ideas upon the country.
A MEAN FLING.