The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-08
The Referendum
lin Ohio.


The howl that went up when Mr.
Bryan announced for the principle OF
the initiative and referendum has
hardly died away before the legisla-
ture of Ohio-Seeretary Taft's state
proposes TO submit TO the voters
of the state the very proposition
which Mr.. Bryan advocated. The
matter is explained by Golfers
iWeed1Iy as follows:
Ohio is the latest state to expert
Inent with the referendum. The leg
tislature has passed a resolution sub
Knitting to the people an amendment
ITO the constitution providing for
popular vote on measures enacted,
vetoed, o. repealed. To secure a
referendum on a new law passed by
the legislature a petition must be
,signed by five per cent of the num-
her of voters taking part in the last
preceding election. Ten per cent or
the voters are required in the case
of measures vetoed or repealed. The
petitions must have signatures in
majority of all the congressional dis
tricts of the state. A clear majority
of all those voting at the election,
and not merely of those voting upon
a particular proposition, is required
for a decision. The amendment had
gone over to the house from the SEN
ate In a much more radical form.
and the friends of popular legislation
were greatly disappointed by the
changes made in it by the lower
branch. but they determined to ac-
cept what they could get.
If this amendment shall be adopt
ed Ohio will be not only the most
populous state, but the most populOus
political division of the world, to
adopt the principle of direct legisla-
ton. II has over third more in
habitants than Switzerland, the orig
inal home Of the system. and nearly
( ten times as many as either Oregon
or South Dakota, the pioneers in it's
American application on a statewide
scale. Its successful operation there
would be a fact of which. che whole
country could not fail to take notice.
There is no state in which the
need for some such form of popular
control is more urgent than in Ohio.
Political bosses there have a way of
forgetting the existence of the people
when they are making laws. Had il
ben possible to demand referendum
they would hardly have ventured even
to attempt such an outrage as the
VI OH Tue CITY
the state in order to cripple Tom L.
johnson in Cleveland and if they
had attempted it they certainly
could not have carried it through.
In Oregon the people voted on eleven
different propositions at the last gen
eral election, accepting eight and re-
Jecting three. There the referendum
IS used together with the initiative for
carrying progressive measures In
Ohio its principal use would probably
be to prevent the success of jobs
This amendment will of course not
be voted upon by the people until
next fall but there is no question but
that the people will adopt it.
Wherever the referendum has been
tried il has proven successful Its
use consists, not so much in the use
which the people make Of it directly
as in the influence which its exist
ence yields over legislative bodies.
There is little danger of corrupt or
unpopular legislation so long as the
legislature knows that its acts may.
il the people desire it, be submitted
TO the people for ratification or re-
lection. Under these circumstances
legislative body will he more care
ful to represent the real wishes of
the people, and consequently the
very fact of the existence of the ref
erndum will in itself render the ne
cessity for its use less frequent.
The action of the Ohio legislature
places Mr.. Taft in a very embarrass-
ing position. 1t will be remembered
that he went clear to Oklahoma in an
unsuccessful attempt to persuade the
people of that new commonwealth to
reject their constitution because it
contained the very provision which
the Ohio Legislature has now en-
dorsed. Mr.. Taft Will therefore have
to admit that he was wrong in the
case of Oklahoma or will be COM
PEELED to oppose the same PROPOSE
ton in his own state