The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-06-27
IClUsEs IhA | lITEl|1
N. PEOPLES WILL

I. t0HI llll1
Laws made quate Ia Meet the In
n creased Necessities 81 the.
81. Country.
Initiative and Referendum tho
Great Reserve Power Of the u
.5 !. s>- .5 81 People. NJ
Syess.A At Boston's cradle OF liberty, Faneuil
Hall, President Eliot. Of Harvard Uni
versity, in an address advocating tho
enactment OF statute by the Massa-
Lchusetts legislature for the advisory
/ initiative, SO that the people can IN.
struct their representatives, said:
Now. what has been the crying
evil in American politics in the past
/ forty years? It has been secret In
fluerce. That Is the great crying evh
concerning legislative and admtnistra-
tive bodies. 1&' .fs{ 4. ~ bid VI i.
Is .sThese things are l. perfectly we'll
known. Every intelligent !. American
citizen knows how these private secret
are brought to bear on
I American Legislators They tell US
that the present bill |degrades senators
| and representatives, because It. looks
{ forward to 4 the expression Of thous,
ands and perhaps millions Of voters
giving voice at the general election
t TO their views on public matters;
Maohins Rule y Deqradina.
| us that the way in which American
/ legislators are degraded these days?
| No. They never are. and never have
been. Where American legislators are
degraded ia these days Is by submits
sion to machines. - :
| 'eThere Is an excellent definition Of
true conservatism. the best I have
ever. been able to find, in the epistles
/ of st. Paul. This definition is: Prove
! all things; hold fast to that which ID
good That is just it--hold fast to
things that are good" but to hold fast
to the machines, as to old: junk, to hold
| fast to the obsolete methods Of gov
eminent, is not true conservatism.
4 "And now, fellow citizens, we hear
! great and familiar cry. This is q
revolutionary measure, this is q rad
ical measure, this Is a socialistic, an
anarchistic measure.4 Let the conser-
vative people of the Commonwealth
beware!' e, =. 4e.>@z,>9 3 <
HAS America been revolutionary in
times past 2 Is not q democracy the
most conservative government in. the
world? ..-..
(Which is the most conservative.
Russia or the United States? Which: is
the most socialistic, anarchistic, Rus
STA or the United States?" ....,
Prof. Charles Zueblin, late Of the
University Of Chicago, in an address
at Boston, during May. 1907, advocat-
ed the initiative and referendum for
national affairs. At Chicago, May as.
he amplified his statement, BY: saying
that his views were shared by Presi-
dent Eliot, of Harvard; and, President
James, of Illinois State University
What we >need,'' said Professor Zueb-
lin,, lis a: new: constitution that will
give us a national initiative and ref
erendum ,ando=place the government
:: Of the countrytonce more.in the hands
Of the people, where the fathers meant
1t to be. The present constitution was
framed for several centuries ago. and
, it filled exactly the needs Of that day
IL. Constitution Inadequate!
1T is totally inadequate to meet the
Increased necessities of q country that
has grown to many hundred times THE
size Of the colonies Of those days."
Professor Zueblin pointed out tina,
under the present system It is possible
4 for the will of the people to be de.
feated through. the: following agencie.
and causes: et4s-s, -. ~
Lack Of sympathy Of United State.
} senators with the common people
Election Of Representatives to please
parties rather than to represent the
people. .-.. go =
Czarlike power of the speaker to pre-
vent the house from taking popular &C.
ton should it SO desire. !. ;: n.
) Power of the executive through the
veto to defeat both house and senate
, Power of supreme court to set aside
! any law 1t chooses as not being in &C.
, cord with the old time constitution.
! THE cities Of; Galveston and De.
Moines have ideal city governments, :
f said the professor "and it is high tins
5 that the government Of the nation
4 which is of infinitely larger import.
3 ance, should be brought up to date il
a similar manner: ..2~....s, -.
3 Chicago Examiner. May rs, 1908.
) Miss: Frances E.. Willard, president,
founder Of the. Woman's >. Christian
: Temperance Unions wrote the follow.
ing to Prof. Frank Parsons, July, 1897
J, II believe. In direct legislation, ant
think it is SO greatly needed that Ian.
+ guage can not express the dire neces,
l sity under which we find ourselves
) The reign of the people is the one
thing my soul desires to see; the reigr
. ] Of the politician Il Isl public. ignminy
Ii I also believe that direct Legislation
, is certain to become the great politi-
, cal issue In the Immediate future. The
/ people are being educated by events
8 They are som Ing Is see Ithat there ii
IF no. hope fors forn1 under the existina
II system OF voting ~. ~ g. { ,,
Il Coy, John Burke, Of North Dakotar
am satisfied that the initiati,ye
land referendum is a IRA cticaI systairr1