Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-06-24
THE Living ISSUE
INITIATIVE and REFERENDUM NO
Longer PARTY issue.
An Issue so Lopg Derided by Machine
Forces is casting Aside Partisan
ship, and is an Accepted Doctrine
OF Republicans in Oregon. It's
Coming Force is Recognized.

In the magazines for May, two of
them, the North American Review, pub
lished in New York city, and the Pacific
Monthly, published in Portland. Oregon.
describe the workings OF the initiative
and referendum in Oregon. Hon. c. w.
Fulton, United States senator from Ore
gon, and republican, contributes an
article to the North-American Review
entitled "The People as Legislators" 4"
and Luther Pease, of Oregon, writes for
the Pacific Monthly the history of the
establishment OF the initiative and refer
endum.
Senator Fulton's description of the
Oregon system Of the initiative and refer
endum, adopted by voters OF the state in
1902, is as follows:
"Under this provision, the power to
propose laws and amendments to the
Constitution and to enact or reject the
same at the polls, independent OF the
legislative assembly, is reserved to the
people. 1t is provided that eight per
cent. of the legal voters may, by petition
filed with the secretary of state, propose
anv measure desired. 1t is required that
the petition shall include the tull text OF
the law, and be filed not less than four
months prior to the election at which the
proposed law is to be voted upon. If APP
proved by majority OF the votes Cast,
the measure Immediately becomes law
and is not subject to the governors veto.
Such is the initiative.
"The referendum may be applied to
any law enacted by the Legislature, ex-
cept such as are necessary for the inn
mediate preservation of the public peace,
health or safety 1t may be ordered by
petition signed by five per cent. OF the
voters, or by the legislature itself When
ordered, the measure to which it is dl-
rected does not become law until 1t his
been approved by a majority OF the votes
cast thereon.
"Thus it will be seen that, excepting
such constitutional limitations as are Inn
posed on the legislative power and apply
to the legislature as we'll, there is 10
limit whatever to the right or power OF
the people to legislate by direct enact
ment independently Of the legislature,
and but slight limit to their power 10
veto laws enacted by the legislative as
sembly."
The senator describes how the intia-
tive was used by the people at the June
election in 1904 to establish a system OF
direct nominations, which includes all
candidates for public office except school
district offices, and municipal offices in
towns of less than 1000 Inhabitants.
The primary election is conducted with
as great care as is the general election.
In this manner nominations for United
States senator are made and there is a
provision whereby the candidates who
seek nomination for the legislature may
file in a designated office statement
that ii elected they will "always vote for
that candidate for United States senator
in congress who has received the highest
number OF the peoples votes for that po-
sition at the general election next pre-
cedng the election of senator in con-
gress, without regard to my individual
Preference" This is known as estate
ment No. l." Statement No. is: "Dur-
ing my term of office, | shall consider
the vote of the people for United states
senator in congress as nothing more than
a recommendation, which | shall be at
liberty to wholly disregard il the reason
for so doing seems to me to be sufficient"
If a candidate shall decline to sign either
statement, his name must, nevertheless,
il petioned for, be placed on the nomna.
ton ballot.
This system has worked admirably,
the peoples choice becoming their repre-
sentative in the United States senate.
In conclusion Senator Fulton says:
During the short period of time in
which the initiative and referendum