The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-12-24

The Initiative and Referendum.

The Initiative and Referendum.
When the state constitution resery-
ed to these cities. as It did to all mn-
nicipal corporations existing in okla
homa at the time OF the adoption Of
the constitution. the power OF the ini-
tiative and the referendum. it armed
them with a sword Of surprising keen
ness. The enactment OF gn ordinance
or other legal act, other than the grant
extension or renewal Of a franchise,
may be demanded under an initiative
submitting the question to the quail
fed voters, and no municipal officers
may evade this demand. And the com
mand for the referendum is no less i'm
perative. All questions are affirmed If
they receive a majority Of the lawful
votes cast on the subject N
The trainers Of the state constitu-
tion appeared to be acutely conscious
of the evils surrounding municipal
franchises when they conferred upon
the people the right to create free
cities, declaring; mo municipal cor
poration shall ever grant. extend or
renew a franchise without the ap-
proval Of majority OF the qualified
voters residing within its corporate
limits And the voters. by 25 per
cent petition. may demand. the right
to vote upon the granting. extension
or renewal uf a franchise. thereby fore
ing to an issue franchise service OF
which the people may be in need. and
which municipal officers. for improper
reasons. may be trying to withhold.
The state constitution says farther in
this particular:
Every municipal corporation within
this state shall have the right to en-
gage in any business or enterprise.
which may be engaged in by a person
firm or corporation by virtue of fran
chise from said municipal corporation.
\" Nor shall the power to reg
ulate the charges for public services
be surrendered by the state; and no
exclusive franchise shall ever be grant
ed by the municipal corporation"
Four Now Have Commissions.
In the last eighteen months four Of
the largest cities in the state-Ard-
more, Tulsa. Shawnee and Enid-have
declared themselves to be free cities"
They adopted the commission form
Of government The change in Shaw
nee was delayed by the necessity of
having the courts pass upon certain
questions that have arisen in connec-
ton with the charter, Oklahoma City
has elected a board Of freeholders, all
favorable to the commission govern
ment. to draft a charter Muskogee
and Guthrie contemplate doing like
wise.
A spirit of independence and non
partisanship has prevailed to re-
markable degree among voters in the
election OF their commission officers.
The administration in power under the
old form of government has been re-
luctant in several instances to sur
render its perquisites, but the people
swept them out, even though the
terms for which they were elected
lacked more than year Of expiring,
Another year will witness a further
increase in the number Of free cities"
in Oklahoma. IN time students OF the
innumerable problems that perplex
urban communities will find in the
free cities OF Oklahoma attractive
for study, not only be-
cause Of tneir unusual number, but
because of the vigorous citizenship en-
gagged in this experimental work Of
cutting down dead. iire-swept trees
and uprooting stumps in fields that are
to be turned over to a new kind Of for
estry, and a new kind of conservation
OF natural resources.
The charters of Oklahoma cities pro
viding for the commission form of gov
ernment contain in every instance the
recall. whereby the people may oust