The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-14
PAGE SEVEN

vote of the council. shall go into effect
before ten days from the time Of its
final passage: and il during said ten
days a petition signed by electors OF
the city equal in number 10 al least
twenty-five percenrum OF the entire
vote cast for all candidates for mayor
at the past preceding general munich
pal election at which mayor WAS
elected. protesting against the passage
OF such ordinance. he presented 10 the
council. the same shall thereupon be
suspended from going into operation.
and il shall be the duty OF the council
TO reconsider such ordinance: and IL
the same is not entirely repealed. the
council shall submit, the ordinance, as
is provided by subsection b of section
- OF this act. 10 the vote Of the cleo
| tors OF the city. either AT the general
election or AT a special municipal cleo
ton 10 be called for that purpose: and
such ordinance shall not so into effec:
or become operative unless a majority
OF the qualified electors voting on the
same. shall vote in favor thereof Said
petition shall be in all respects in &C
cordance with the provisions Of said
section 10. except as TO the percent
age of signers. and be examined ami
certified 10 by the clerk in all respects
as therein provided"
| Under this section ten days are Civ
en- 10 the citizens within which to d.
termine whether or not il is advisabls
TO demand a referendum vote upon the
| ordinance in question. Thus obnoN-
ious measures may be defeated by the
| people themselves. This We consider
an extremely important condition. cal
culated To prevent bad government.
The conditions imposed are SO con
sentative as To prevent recourse there
to except in fragrant cases. The peti-
ton for the referendum must be sign
ed by - per cent of the voters AZ
shown by the last preceding election
for mayor.
Safeguards Of the People.
Another important innovation. al
ready referred to- is that provided in
Section IL OF the Act for the initiative.
whereby important legislation sustain
ed by public opinion. evidenced by a
petition of - per cent of the voters.
must be taken up and considered by
the council. In the event of favorable
action by the council the measure so
adopted shall become valid ordinances.
In the event of their rejection they
must be submitted to popular vote 1t
either special or general elections. The
initiative may also be exercised al a
general election upon the application
1 of go, Nft hn
tinction being made for the manifest
reason that special election would
prove expensive and the general cleo
ton would not involve any great adds-
tional expense.
} Majority Government.
1t will be observed by students OF
municipal government that by the law
in question. the state OF Iowa has prac-
tically restored the old New England
town meeting system. adapted to new
conditions that have developed since
the town meeting system was inaus-
urated. The five councilmen are In
effect. selectmen, elected by the en-
tire electorate of the city at an election
instead of at a public meeting. al
which it would be manifestly impossi.
. BILE to secure deliberative action from Z
: large constituency The referendum
and initiative practically cover the en-.
tire field of municipal action and in
volve the exercise of municipal power
by the people, who are Immediately
concerned thereby by instructing the
councilmen or selectment regarding
their will II the measure fails IL will
involve a failure Of democratic gov
eminent"