The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1910-06-09

to the liberty loving German tribes
to the north. These still main
tanned an equality Of opportunity,
made their own laws by the voice Of
the people, governed themselves by ma
jority consent, and used and enjoyed
the natural opportunities Of their com
mon country without monopoly and
without special privileges. This was
Direct Legislation in its simplest and
purest form. Such system, only sim
plified and perfected by allowing the
people to vote on the laws by ballot, is
what the people of Idaho, as we'll as
nearly all other states, demand as
their natural right But tits a conces
sion that the legislature of Idaho has
denied to the people for many years
and will continue to deny until the vot
ers demand that every legislative can
didate shall sign a written agreement
before the election to favor this amend
ment. Then it is up to the voter to
take off the political head of every can
didate who refuses to sign such
pledge.
Direct Legislation has been used in
Switzerland in its most improved form
of application for over fifty years; has
never been restricted. but has grad
ua1ly been extended until it now en-
braces nearly every county or canton.
Such a system is being carried to per-
lection in our sister state of Oregon,
having become law in 1902 by an al
most unanimous vote of the people the
first time it was submitted to their
judgment, only 1908 voting against it
in the whole state, while 62024 voted in
its favor. Two years later two laws
were submitted to the voters. One was
a Direct Primary Election Law and
was carried by a vote of 56205 to 1854
The second was a Local Option meas
ure ard was carried by 43316 to 40198.
Two years later or in 1906 eleven laws
we're submitted to the popular vote. In
1908 nineteen measures were submitted
to the people, of which seven were de-
teated and twelve adopted.
Among the most important measures
carried by the popular vote in Oregon,
l will mention the following
An amendment to enlarge and extend
the scope and provisions of the Direct
Legislation Law itself. Also a law
prohibiting free passes and other dis
examinations by railroads and other
public service corporations. One of
the most important was an amendment
providing for the Recall which al
lows the people to place unfaithful pub
lie officials upon a second election. 1t
was carried by vote of 583S1 to 3IOO2
The most important and far reaching
of all was a law instructing members
of the legislature to vote for and elect
the candidate for u. s. senator who
received the highest number of votes at
the general election. A very funda-
mental amendment provided for proper
tional representation and was car
ried by 48868 to 34t2S.
Among the most important measures
defeated by the people vote was a pro
posal to sell an old road to the state
at an unreasonable price. And to the
shame of the state Of Oregon be it said,
that an amendment giving equal suf-
l-Irage was deIedted oy vote OF 4fOIo
to 36902 in 1906. An amendment in
creasing the pay Of the members of the
Legislature was defeated as was also
an act increasing the military expenses
of the state. The equal suffrage
mendment was again lost June LIST 1905
which plainly shows that the people
| of Orernn are NOT unite I'M 70 tie hio.h