The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-04-18
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM.

cation from l.. A. Neland or Egeley
North Dakota, transmitting copy
of an amendment passed by the
legislature of that state, but which
must be passed by the next before
it can be voted on by the people.
Mr.. Neland says, that the oppo-
sition which is made up of machine
politicians and extreme prohibition
lists is going to make fight to pre-
vent the coming legislature from
submitting the amendment to the
people; but he expresses the hope
that organized labor is sufficiently
strong in Fargo. Grand Forks,
Devils Lake, Minot and jamestown
to decide this referendum issue.
We hope that organized labor in
the cities named will put itself on
record strong for the measure.
Appended to the bill is the fol-
lowing very interesting account of
referendum legislation:
"The development of the Initiative
and referendum has come through
Switzerlan,l beginning way back at
the time the people met in p:e!tc
places to discuss and a!0nv public
measures, and growing gradually to
it's present form. While the diff
ferent cantons and the whole state
at large have different provisions
for the initiative and referendum,
yet the principles are retained in
somewhat similar form. The refer
endum principle is recognized in
England, as the house of commons
can appeal to the country on i'm
portant questions and have a new
election. In the United States the
town meetings of Massachusetts and
he New England states made use OF
the principle of initiative and refer
endum, and the principle of the ref
erendum is recognized throughout
the United States by requiring the
submission of all state constitutions
to the vote of he people.
The principle involved in direct
legislation is that the people shall
have some means by which they can
express their preferences for consti-
tutional amendments or laws by a
majority vote regardless Of the con-
sent or opposition of legislative bod
les. The use of the referendum is
principally to prevent the legislative
assembly from adopting vicious or
obnoxious laws that the majority
would disapprove of, and it is COM
monty believed that where the refer
endum is in force it need not be
used very frequently as the legisla~
tive body will be more careful in
keeping in line with the wishes of a
majority of the people. The initia-
tive is the progressive part and is
used for the purpose of constructing
legislation that the legislative body
might be unwilling, too slow or too
conservative to enact.
=, "The constitutional amendment
for the initiative and referendum
was adopted in Oregon in 1902. The
first measure adopted under it was
primary election law, and follow.
ing it local option law. In 1904
among the measures proposed was
woman's suffrage amendment de-
feated by 10000 majority, a modi.
fication of the local option law de.
feateQ by like majority, the con
stitutional amendment providing fol
the initiative and referendum in city
government, which was adopted by
$1,000 majority, the anti-pass Law
adopted by 100000 majority and {
law regulating the taxation of ex
press, telegraph and telephone com
panies adopted by $4,000 majority
Besides Oregon the initiative
and referendum has been in force
in South Dakota for number o
years. Utah adopted an amend
ment for the, initiative and refer
endum four years ago, but so far
the legislative assembly has neg
lected to adopt measures for it
enforcement. Montana adopted
modified form of the initiative an
! referendum in 1906 In differen
:. cities, Omaha, San FRANCISCO, Chi
/. cago and others, the principles o
! initiative and referendum have bee
I made use of to a greater or les
Z extent usually taking the form tina
questions of great Importance, sucl
/. as granting of franchises, must b
submitted to the people before the
become effective.''