Omaha daily bee., 1910-11-13

Two states have given as examples
in the recent election OF the initiative
and referendum run riot
For the information OF the public
The Bee has exhibited in its window
for a week one Of the seven-foot bal
lots containing the referendum legis-
lation voted on in South Dakota. And
even then il did not tell the whole
story. for besides the six laws submit
ted for ratification in South Dakota,
the voters were called upon to pass on
six constitutional amendments and
also to elect candidates to forty-two
offices. The intelligent South Da-
kotan. therefore. exercising his right
of suffrage conscientiously would have
to make fifty-four cross-marks on
three different ballots in the interest
of good government.
According to the South Dakota law
the referendum legislation had to be
printed in full three times in each of
three official newspapers in each
county in the state, the bill for print
ing being, as we are informed, about
$3.50 for each paper. There are fifty
three counties in South Dakota, so that
II each county has Tvs full quota of
newspapers the publication of these
laws alone will have cost the taxpay-
ers OF that state over 100000.
ID
first because it adjoins Nebraska,
Oregon is perhaps the typical initia-
tive and referendum state. In oregon
each voter was confronted in the re-
cent election with the duty of voting
Eyes" or NO" on thirty-two separate
measures of varying scope and impor-
lance. The ballot in Oregon is kept
within bounds of physical endurance
only by condensing the proposed laws
and amendments to titles not exceed
ing 100 words each and arranging
them, set in small type, checkerboard
fashion, across the sheet. To vote the
ballot in Portland would require the
making of thirty-two cross-marks op-
! posite the initiative and referendum
measures and forty-four cross-marks
opposite the candidates names, or sew.
enty-six cross-marks in all.
In Oregon, instead of giving the
newspapers a windfall, the text and
arguments pro and con for each propo-
sition are embodied in pamphlets
printed and distributed at state ex
pense. The pamphlet containing this
information this year comprises 21i
pages of fine type, and as Oregon hal
over 100000 voters, the printing anC
postage bill can well be estimated al
mounting into the thousands.
What Oregon is up against with 1T
initiative and referendum may be gath
cred from the explanation accompany
ing one single proposition, namely
the woman suffrage amendment. TIL
opponents call attention to the fac
that woman suffrage was submitted II
Oregon to vote of the people in 100,
and beaten by a plurality of 20,137
1t was submitted again in 1905 AM
beaten again by 1O,173, and when sub
mitted a third time in 1908 wa
beaten by a decisive majority OF 81,
} $40. But, Notwithstanding all this
when again submitted for a fourt
time in 1910, the advocates conclud
their argument with this remark, "W
earnestly hope we shall not be com
= PEELED to repeat this appeal in 1912.
We submit that in the experience O
these two initiative and Referendum
states there is food for thought for tn
people of Nebraska and other state
who are being adjured to embrace thi
pretended reform by pleas that SCUM
so beautiful in theory, but so wOefull
ignore its impracticability