Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-07-13
Public Forum
InIaat..e. nelerendam Dc Reean


These terms RI their ordinary
meaning and application are staple
and easily un4erEood. bat intneir
staDtion ~ governmental affairs are
mlsun8arstood end ~ II general
cgmprehenslou
one can hardly DHa an0n8 o aw
makers. many % can give = ieeid
explanation 81 the terms Initiative
geferendBYn and Recall ln q political
sense m1ch mgre how The system
could be applied
II thls ~ true ae ~ our Fepresent@-
tive men. noe 3 j. 70 BIZ expected that
the public ~ large ali understand
{ 49, . whole or 81 detail
True IT b that our legislative bodies
are ~ eonqe extent controlled ~ cor
p0rafioua ana fhls ls q crying etii but
has the time ever been anen MONEY
and the power it affords Gid n0t exert
lts c~yfrupting Influence in the world ,
IL b. 3 fact aeDlorable - the last
degree. and al reasonable meanA
should be- employed % guard against
such ener0achmente upon the happi-
ness and Liberties 81 the people.
The new school ~ philosophers pro-
poses 10 provide + remedy that &iii
H. considered b. an practical men al
once al i~iiusive, occult and impraeti-
cal and ~ The stuff That dreams are
made or
This h. a representative government
for the people. ~ TIE people, but not
Dy the people ~ large. but through
| their ch0sen representatives Tnese
| repreae Natives Whose duty il Is to
make laws. ave selections ~ the peo-
pie. Their terms of office are brief.
and 81 they % not correctly repre-
Wuf their constituency they can be
superseded ~ bad men are chosen
Il rs generally the fault Of the voter,
ana the people are 70 be judged by
their representatives
IL Was ~ ia Rome under the En-
plre. The bad emperor indicated the
character of the people ~ their ex-
trayagance and %depraylty, ana the
good emperOrs reflected the changed
condition.
but the practical application ~ the
above nee departure ~ what IS most
To- be- considered in this article. II q
theory b not practical in it, applica-
ton. h has and should have no stand
ing. Now let DO endcavor % get -
the true Significance Of these h%erraeiic
words. Initiative as applied to ieg-
|irlation. means that all lass both in
state and nation must originate out
side Of legislative halls and among the
| people ~ large. This would make
every voter "a law maker This would
make congress and state legislatures
Istfc formal bodies whose only duty
would Do 10 examine. codify and COM
pile laws without amy power ~
amendment or change. else the sole
intent ~ the system would be- de-
featcd.
SO bills are passed by any delibcra-
tive body without discussions and be-
lnE generally amended.
Under the initiative and referen-
dunn laws thus made are returned
to the people for ratification without
the crossing Of % "t' or the dotting or
AN o." There comes the browning
hardship OF the public 70 inform IL
self aa 60 the merits Of laws recon-
mondcd by the po%titionlng initiative
minority
WIN hundreds and thousands ~
lilli before the people how IL II posi-
b.r 90 decide upon the merits OF each
nil without study and de~llberation ?
Is voter could hardly read over the
title of ail the bills that he would be
called upon to vote tor. much lees the
provisions. Ina the whole voting day
iu fact 90 would turn our whole re-
publican form of government into o
~stupondous farce. "a hodge podge, n
ehimnrictl theory impossible of prac-
tical application Farmers taken from
thr pillow. women from the home,
preachers from the pulpit, All cngag-
ga in llw making and political strife
Elections would bc forced upon the
public by amy defeated party on petit
tlon of twenty-five per cent of the
voters and thus political strife and
contention forced upon the people
" boo should he attending to their other
duties. 10 would encourage u spirit Of
anarchy and individual government
under the delusiye idea that the
mass could formulate laws and work
out $40 detail Of administration
The irresponsible masses. In their
Wild freaks and orgies. are not 70 be
-ugtef with the administrator OF
governmental affairs History has AZ
%forio'i many examples among the ma
g. us oi Eurous ana even Ia our own
country
I. II took eight long years 20 overcome
the Itnnle'a craze for free and UNI
limited coinage 81 silver. over six
millions ut voters declared for a prcsi-
DENTAL candidate who openly de-
olared fyl government ownership of
public utilities
The last of the tribune was tri-
~umphantly elected on the demand 81
the masses aud on tho principle of mo-
taxation. hut when tho oXchequer was
b exhausted and o. tax was imposed. the
same fronzied populacc dragged the
unfortunate tribune from its seat and
nurilfod him boz thc streets OF Rome.
NO change representative sys-
tenn Go "a wholly irresponsible me
where almost every man would be a
laW unto himself would be the crown
inE misfortune nf the age. a iumpins
out of thc frfina pan into the tire
. Let the voter pay strict attention 10
% the selection of good representative
in thp first Instance. Thet Is the first
% duty oi the public. then an would be-
mill HlH ~ nfrI.- o.. ..ar..f ...r 49,.