The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1910-09-16

% we present portion of his speech Phoenix as given in the
AROMA Gazette, as follows
aon That is just as in any deibeatve body if the usual
ey does produce results, the body can act directly So
-four city other government does not act rightly the body Of the
% when possessed OF the machinery Of direct legislation act
sae directly Without this power they really self
governing rr IL
# Is proposed therefore give to certain percentage Of e
a6d any political body the power prepare and
m petitions for puposed laws to the whole body Of This
the equivalent of motion IN any club society," that
considerable number OF seconds IS required That each sgner
petition really seconds the motion adopt the matter pro-
msd in the petition. Such action is the initiative
Il IS sometimes said that the people eliminate like defective
nile the need only elect officials favorable desired laws and
that thereby all need for the device known the initiative will vanish
The in this position comes from the fact that our officials have
y duties An officer may be highly esteemed and very
factory nearly all relations but at the time be quite
m with people question held by them to be important
Vhy shall we maintain system that either depve of the eff
Gent officer of measure that we believe to be eedlent
An officer elected by majority Of two although he
declared himself opposed policy that the constituency
favored by vote of three to one The opposing candidate mean
while had declared in favor of this policy The explanations simple
Other issues were the opinion of the sufficiently important
force this the background possessed of the power
initiate legislation the could have njoye the services Of
the officer they desired and also secured the adoption of the policy
they preferred They in fact but partly setgovernng
THE REFERENDUM
It's proposed that the people shall have power expressed by
bon explained the above reference to the initiative to
promptly propose the defeat of acts of legislation deemed by them
be uwise II has been enacted by the legislature
petition may be prepared within stated time peraps ninety days.
and signed by the given percentage OF qated voters WeePo
shall be submitted the people for adoption REJECTION ms
exactly equivalent an appeal from the chair The matter may
placed before the people special election or at the next general
election.
1t is somtimes urged that under such plan the people would
voting all the time and all manner OF questions In TACT e
referendum where adopted seldom resorted to- LEGISLATORS are
careful when they know the people can reverse their dolgS ana @
much important lobbyist not lnnde to use their peculiar
powers OF persuasion on members OF egsaye Gus F 5 me-
know there watcul cities intent upon the defeat OF |
anou schemes and with full power to defeat them Il the Pp
will.
Legislators are usually elected for years and the people
who the principals have control of their agents save by c
m impeachment proceedings-and constitutional suaI%e
which are subject to court interpretation Would any rational h
agent agents complete -
power of attoneyof his establishment Tor TWO years
he continued this practice with power save to cae m
mmey every years. how long would his eSIiDISl0i' ~
The referendum will not only cure legislative rasca but IN
even greater degree will operate as preventive @ I
corporation brbe legislative body to enact injurious luop
knew the people would in all probability rescnd Sch act
few weeks montls 1t would not pay lhe coFPor'o
merely lose the money spent to secure lesSa'e
LEGISLATIVE OBSTRUCTION.
With e initiative and referendum the will OF the people cannot
thwarted by Indirect methods In the Legislature
and obscure amendments frequently divert or even reNe M
da law first introduced A BILL on beng preseHeu
atre referred to committee Unless those Interested 10
option are sufficiently powerful to overcome any oPosI1 P1
appear the bill is heard of agan-t IS tvce its
forced from the committee, and its eneilleS t a
friends may be placed so far down the list OF D | The
adjournment before it acted upon & ba6neDs
bill by these methods amendments are proposed anu
na few members are Cor profess to be- convinced tne
are desirable when fact they render the whole i o tray the same
II the bill finally gets through one house nus ften leads
course in the other Failure of the two houses - s ter oDe
conference committee from botlw;th OF course o''
mg Tor clever minds. 4 s1l # must
After all this the bill may still be Vetoe' l'
Fun the gauntlet of the courts. i,tad nv the
initiative and referendum bill properly Sa don OF reject
ne M people without obstruction The people el'
All opportunity to deceive or poison eliminated c affairs
Direct legislation is merely the ap pcaton 70 @ to attain the
@f'A9i at that end dSssss i want G go
eminent It sometimes pro5enafn re oaao onr on the ground
oppose direct legislation explain their 81 managing their
avn affairs. Such men tories lhey l"N