Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1909-06-04

W W hhOW W tNI WCAl lhOAl
part in this great drama of life since
there all honor lies.
The disputants of the question
about the Initiative and Referendum
were Cora Weidner, Affirmative; and
John Buddt negative. A few OF their
arguments follow:
Discussion.
Should the principles of the Initia-
tive and Referendum be enacted as
law for Ohio? BY the Initiative is
meant the right of the people to pro-
pose laws. BY the Referendum the
right of the people to demand that
law passed by the legislature should
be submitted to the people for final
adoption or rejected at the polls.
1t should be enacted first, because
1t is safe. When the constitution was
formed, it had to be submitted to the
people, and ratified by them.
1t should be enacted second, be-
cause it is needed. When the exer-
else of political power is applied di-
rectly to separate and distinct ques-
tions of public policy it can not fail
to educate the voters.
1t should be enacted third, because
1t will perfect our present represen-
tative system. 1t will set aside seri-
our Misrepresentation by parties di-
rectly interested which often has af-
fected the final vote of the represen-
tatives.
It should be enacted fourth. because
1t is practical 1t has been practiced
in Switzerland since the seventeenth
century.
Having proved first that the Initia-
ti,n Dnfa ic cnannd
that it is needed; third, that it will
perfect our present form Of govern
ment, and fourth, that it is practical,
you must agree with me that it
should be enacted as law in Ohio.
The principle of the Initiative and
Referendum should not be enacted as
law for Ohio. A man who has a
special training in his line of busi-
ness, can perform it better than 9TH
ers who have an entirely different
one. 1t is the same in lawmaking
The Initiative and Referendum
should not be adopted for the reason
that the people have not sufficient
time to attend rightly to their own
affairs and to lawmaking. The new
system may work in Switzerland,
where few laws are needed, but it
would not work we'll in Ohio. where
hundreds of laws are needed.
The new system has not been
decided success where adopted. The
power of the Initiative and Referen-
dunn in Switzerland has begun to de-
cline while during the same time the
state of Ohio has made wonderful
progress under our republican form
of government. The Initiative and
Referendum would not remedy our
existing evils, but more would arise
from its adoption. If the people can
not remedy their local evils, they
cannot make good state govern
ment. There are also many evils In
our executive department Of our gov
ernment. The Initiative and Refer
endum does not apply to these. If
we had a good executive system,
matter how many good laws the peo-
pie may pass, all would be worthless
without enforcement.
The new system would be revolu-
tionary to our republican form of
government. If all responsibility is
taken from our legislature it would
grow weak and useless, for intelligent
and trained men will not fill positions
of no responsibility and where they
cannot advance in life.
have proved to you, first, that the
Initiative and Referendum would re-
quire too much of the valuable time
OF the people; second, that 1t has not |
been a decided success; third, that 1t |
would not remedy existing evils, but |
bring On greater, and last, that the |
new system would be revolutionary
to our present form of government. |
With such proofs as these in view, |
you can agree with me that the Ini- |
tiative and Referendum should not be |
adopted in Ohio.
Richard Carter, the Latin orator,
began by saying:
'Rooseveltus existimatus est |
potentiae regulator"
He ended with "Salvetc, omnes,
virum, magistratum; igitur ingens
fustis cujus honestati probitati ct |
civibus yeris acta est" More than
these we dare not attempt to quote.
The following class poem was writ
ten by Marie Irene Burdo:
The Old Maumee.
The Maumee flows between it's banks
All clothed in brightest green,
For loveliness 1t surely ranks
With any stream we've seen.
We love to sit upon its shore,
To gaze across the stream.
And ever ponder more and more,
And of its history dream.
Its water flows serenely on,
AS seasons come and go,
The woods have disappeared that
stood
One hundred years ago.
How sweet the hope of future years
To treasure up its name!
How sweet to hear the story told
OF how it won its fame!
For many years we know 1t flowed
Between those banks So green,
While on its shores were battles
fought
n.,,. NaAt.