The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-24
Our National Contention
 And the Referendum

By James Galloway in Macon Telegraph
 The South Is much interested in some blanks proposed by MT. Bryan for the Democratic National platform of 1903 There may be some surprises in store for Southern delegates.
 It is worth while to recall that last summer Mir. Bryan wrote a long arti- cle in The New York World advocating the Referendum" as a national policy: and. besides. wrote editorials in his paper. The commoner. calling upon all labor unions and the farmers union of the West to have 1t embodied in the national platform of 1908.
 Hence, the soclalistie West may sur prise the South with that proposition; and the Initiative and Referendum" become worthy of investigation and consideration. It Is well for all Sou thern delegates to be on guard, and to know what Is meant by these two principles of government when applied nationally. With their national in- port this article deals.
 What is the Referendums
 Mir. Thos. P. Watson is authority on this. and in his magazine, August. 1907, he says:
 By 'Rsferenduna' is meant the right of the people to have submitted to them. for their approval. any proposed law before the legislature shall adopt 1t. Refer 1t to us say the people to their representatives. That is the Referendum.
 Yes. that is 1t.
 By the Inittative,s' Mr. Watson says. "is simply meant the beginning by the people themselves of such laws as they suppose themselves to need"
 Yes. that Is 1t. So we have 1t from the national leader of the Populist party what the Initiative and Refer andum'' signify.
 In an editorial in The Commoner, Mir Bryan says.
 These two principles. the initiative and referendum, combined in our na- tional Constitution would constitute the system known as direct legislatton,'
 In another editorial Mir. Bryan says: Direct legislation means lawmaking directly by the people. It Is composed of two parts, the initiative and the ref- erendum."
 Direct legislation in It's national sense transforms the people of all the States into committee of the whole" and the people in mass determine na- tional questions.
 What Is the modus operandi?
 How do you apply the ''initiatiUe2" What is the beginning process? How do you begin?
 Mir. Bryan in his New York World article. says you begin by petition" to Congress. Petition by any respee- table number of citizens, color not mentioned. These citizens embody land in petition" It becomes the imperative duty of Congress to then refer" to the people of the nation for their approval the said petition.
 When so referred 1t becomes then the referendum" The legislative rep resentatives in Congress become the medium. They receive the petition" the application for the new law. Con- gress can enact 1t into a law of them selves. but if not. the petition" must be referred to the people en nnasse to be determined by the popular vote of all the people of the nation. A major ity of the votes cast, by white and black, determines the fate of the mat. ter referred. 4 majority approving, 1t becomes the duty of Congress to enact 1t Into a national law. The people at large in a body become the law-rnak- ing power, and the representatives in Congress- act as convenient agencies for putting the proposed law into shape and legal form. The Congressmen be- come a sort of Government seal and stamp to legalize the performance.
 It ia seen at once that these two principles of government are st war with our representative system of gov ernment, and are revolutionary.
 Is the South prepared for the ehange7
 Senator Ben HilE.
 One of the fannous legends of Rowe said: Let what each man thinks of the republic be written on his brow"
 Tn the United States Senate. May 10, 1879, the late Senator Ben Hill delivered q great speech on our system of gov ernment, showing wherein 1t Is na- A.Assa al wwwkA ga S.A wherein it is executive.
 Among other things Mir. Hill said Tn it's structure our Government Is federal. because made of the States, each State acting through its own people as separate community. In it's powers by which 1t enacts laws It Is both national and federal. The House of Representatives is a national body. because the House is composed of members chosen according to popuia- ton. The Senate is a Federal body. Here in the Senate our Government Is confederate. In the House New York Is equal to 3s Delawares. and there we have a national Government Tn the Senate New York Is equal to only one Delaware, because New York and Della ware confederate in the Senate as equals.
 Has Nc Model.
 Al. which we live has no model It Is part ly national. party federal; an Idea which was to the Greeks a stumbling block. and to the Romans a foolish- ness, and to the Republican party an tnsurmountable paradox--but to the pa- triots of this country it is the power of liberty into the salvation of the people"
 This constitution of our government. framed In l7S7. is the re- suit of wisdom, the result of exper. fence, the result of conditions. and the result of necessity. and the result of all the feelings and clements that can stimulate the intellect and prompt the desires of men; and the result Is that the framers, trusting to their own good sense applied to facts of their condi' ton, and aided by the experience of three hundred years of history. gave to the world a constitution which was as new to the science of Government as the American continent was new to the geography of the world when Columbus discovered it. ." When you hear about a man going to Rome or Greece or to Switzerland, or anywhere else to find model by which to understand the constitution of the United States, he is going to dark places for light It Is the noblest government. the great est government that human wisdom ever devised. and could not have been framed by human wisdom alone. [" It Is such as the Roman never dream ed of. such as the Grecian never com ceived. and such as European intel- lect never had power to evolve.
 In view of the disposition to heark- en to the socialists and endorse their ideas of seovernment it Is well for