The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-03-06
that the people of the state desire
it.-Lemlin Herald.
The Sacred Initiative" Again Ex-
planned.

planned.
To the Editor: Will the Free Pres
kindly say something about the in
itiative and referendum as applied tt
revision of the constitution ant
oblige the writer and perhaps other,
who have failed to grasp its applica
ton.
Detroit, Jan. 80. w. w. C
We cheerfully undertake again ar
explanation of the initiative and ref
erendum as advocated in the consti
tutional convention.
We assume that our correspond.
ent is familiar with the leading fea-
lures of the existing system of civil
government. Every constitution pro-
yides method by which it may be
amended. In practically all the states
| both the original constitution and
any amendments subsequently made
to 1t must be approved by direct
vote of majority of the people. So
no distrust of the people is implied
in the present plan of ordaining con-
stitutional law. On the contrary, it
implies the greatest and most i'm
plicit trust in their judgment and in
stinct for the right.
To prevent frivolous action and in
sure considerable body of senti-
ment in favor of changes before ask
ing the people to vote on them, the
common method of amendment, the
one in force in this state, provides
that when proposition receives the
support of two-thirds of the mem
bers of the legislature, it shall have
the status of tentative amendment
to the constitution and it's submits
sion to the voters is then manda-
tory.
In addition to retaining this meth
cd, the revision convention was urg-
ed to legalize another idea or method
in amendment, that of the so-called
initiative" more properly popular
initiative" borrowed from foreign
countries whose system of govern
ment is quite different from our own.
What is popular initiative used
in this sense? 1t is way of inaugu-
rating preliminaries to the new laws,
whether constitutional or statutory.
Legislative Powers for the Masses
or Every Man His Own Law Maker"
would describe accurately the propa-
ganda devoted to the spread of the
idea
If the idea were in force, any
citizen, no matter how inexperienced
in such things, could write a law
whereupon if he commanded influ-
ence enough to obtain the signatures
of specified percentage of all the
citizens in the state to a petition set
ting forth his desires, a referendum
would then be taken on his bill or
law If majority of the |
people voted in it's favor, it would |
without further procedure immedi-
ately become a law.
In spite of the fact that the great
evil in this and in other states is too
much legislation, it was proposed
hat this method in constitutional
should be adopted in this
state. Legislation making constant
Ind bewildering and wholly unneces-
'ary change has heretofore been
confined principally &c statutory law.
rhe adoption of this idea 'v7ould tend
o the same great evil of freauo ont
md, perhaps, whimsical change in
law
That, however, is not the greatest
objection to it. 1t would facilitate
he Disagreement of the statute
looks with crude, badly written
avs. Admitting that only popular
principles would be likely to be
dopted by the people, still a popular
rinciple would have just as good a
nance of endorsement by the legis-
ature, while the chances of accurate
hraseology would be immeasurably
uperior to those under the every
Observation-Disclosures plan.
The convention most wisely re-
,ctod tho plop natroit U,roo p.o,, |