Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-06
Firstfruits of the Referendum.


legislature previous to its adjournment
on the Sd of April have now become
laws. The three exceptions are held up
under the referendum amendment to the
constitution, and will not become laws
unless accepted by the people either at
special election called by the governor,
or at the regular state election in 1910.
The three measures which are thus re-
ferred by means of petitions of ten
thousand voters in each case are the
Portland bridge matter, the division of
the town of York, creating the town OF
Gorges, and the act known for con-
venience as the lone per cent beer act, ~
though neither beer nor percentage is
mentioned in its phraseology.
OF these three measures only the last
named can possibly be considered as of
direct interest to the people of the whole
state The delectable privilege of buy
ing and selling low grade beers without
violation of law is doubtless dear to
more or less people in all communities,
though it must be confessed that on its
face it seems rather puerile proceeding
to call the people of the whole state To
vote upon the matter.
Il
because. while its intent was to do away
with a very dangerous crossing of street,
street railway track and steam railroad
track, ''little joker" was discovered in
it after the adjournment of the legisla
ture, which would legalize the location
of certain tracks not now having any
legal ground for existence. To prevent
carrying that out, the whole bill was
stopped by the referendum, through the
action of the Portland city government
As TO the division of the town of York
while the internal troubles of that town
are serious, they are rather obscure tC
outsiders, even with the best light that
the newspapers can turn upon them
The whole matter is strictly local one
and the question should have been re
ferred by the legislature to the people tt
be affected by it, not to the whole of the
state.
A referendum has been accomplished
in these matters because there was in
each case some body of men with sufh
cient direct interest in defeating th'
measure or postponiDg the operation o.
it so that they were willing to go to the
expense and trouble of securing TIT
necessary ten thousand signatures.
Another measure on which the refereu
dunn was to have been invoked was th'
act excluding automobiles from Noun
Desert Island. Although there may b,
said TO be in this act principle of inter
est to every citizen, and the owners Of
automobiles, as we'll as the manufacture
ers and dealers, had an interest in de
feating it, the canvass on it seems t
have been faint hearted, and the petit
lions did not count up to the neceSsaa,
number.
The only important matter of univer
sal interest on which a referendum wal
agitated was the resolve appropriatins
$3.50, 900 for an addition to the stat,
house. Considerable interest was takeI
in this By few members of the legisla
ture who were opposed to the appropria
ton, but only a small part of the stat
was canvassed for signatures, and tn
number secured was only fraction o
that required.
Threats of a referendum were made il
some other cases, mostly with regard L
matters of really local interest. but th
agitation got little if any beyond talk il
any instance.
One thing is evident. Though tn
referendum has been invoked on som
matters which are strictly net legitimat
subjects for state referendum, tn
limited application of the new force t
the acts of this legislature does not full
fill the prophecies of those who in fame,
saw needful appropriations held up an
salutary laws delayed or defeated by tn
''new-fangled idea" What may com
in future, now that the way has bee
found, of course we can not tell. As ia
as the laws of this legislature are cor
cerned, no disaster is to result from tn
invoking of the vote of the people.