Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1910-08-03
SANE AND SIMPLE"
By c. B. Wood.

A free and honest ballot is the yer
foundation, the absolute essential G
a government by the people; to Civ
such a ballot force and effect is tn
object of representative government
! and when such a ballot fails the gov
eminent founded by our forefather
fails, and free institutions disappear
| and a government of the people, b.
the people, for the people become
what the skeptics of the old worl
prophesied-a failure.
1t is generally conceded that in or
der to have a free and honest ballo
and to give it the force intended b.
the founders of our government, it i
necessary to have:
(a) A registration law which guard
the integrity of the privilege of suf
frage;
OBJ A direct primary to insure tn
popular selection of United State
senators and other candidates for of
flee;
(c) The Australian ballot, which in
sures honesty in elections;
Id A corrupt practices act, which
prevents the corrupt use of money il
political campaigns. and provides tina
popular fverdicts may be based OF
ideas. and not upon dollars; ,'
(e) The initiative and referendum
the keystone of popular government
not a substitute, but a check upor
the executive and legislative bodies
the first affording an opportunity Il
initiate the will of the people, by the
people, for the people, the second pre-
venting the arbitrary misuse of power
temporarily concentrated in executive
and legislative bodies;
90 The recall as an admOnitory
and precautionary measure, the very
existence of which will prevent the
necessity of it's use.
There is practically no dispute as
to the necessity or the efficiency OF
the first four propositions cited. al
though those who profit by their alb
sence use every art to delay then
enactment and weaken the enforce
ment when enacted.
AS to the initiative and referendum
four republican states and two demo
cratic states have it in their consti-
tutions. Four more states will vote
upon the subject this fall. Both par
ties declared for il in their platforms
in Nebraska. The present governor
Of Ohio, the next president of the
United States, is running for re-elec-
ton on an initiative and referendum
platform.
Los Angeles, which has more voters
than Arizona, has it; Chicago. with
min
ever have, has it.
Under our form of government, we
have three distinctive branches, the
executive, the legislative and the iu-
'dicial 1t was the hope of our fore
fathers that these three branches
would remain distinct and separate
But instead we continually have the
executive trying all sorts of means
granting or Withholding patronage. to
bride or bulldoZe the legislative
branch. A law cannot be passed in
this territory or in the states except
by two-third vote of both branches
OF the legislature, unless you have the
consent of one mantle governor.
English and European writer's have
all predicted the downfall Of our gov
eminent. because we had no way,
they said. to keep the balance of pow
er adjusted between the branches of
our government. Those writer's, Of
course, like many of our home states
men, have little confidence in the
people. It is the corrective influence
of the people that sustains our gov
eminent. and upon it we must rely.
BY the means of the initiative and
referendum we can aid as well as
have a check upon the legislature,
and also trim the governor when
needful. The veto will remain to serve
every useful purpose without being
a menace to good government as it
is at times.
No one wants to substitute the
initiative and referendum for the
executive and legislative branches of
the government; nor does anyone
wish to have all legislation referred
to the people. It is simply desired
to have the right. and the method
provided. so we can pass on such
laws as we want.
The right must needs be in the
constitution; the method can be pro-
vided by the legislature.
BY method I mean the details that
go to carry into effect and operation
the powers granted by the cOnstitu-
ton. The states and cities mentioned
all use the same principle, and all
vary in the details of carrying it into
effect The right of trial by "a jury
of our peers" will be guaranteed in
the constitution, but the provisions
as to how the jury shall be drawn.
and the number of challenges allowed.
etc., will be provided by a law passed
for that purpose.
Many people will no doubc want
both the principle and the means
placed in the constitution. Perhaps
they are right. but there is excellent
argument on both sides of that dues-
ton. 1t is certainly essential. how
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