Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-09-09

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becomes law. For example, if 8
per cent the per cent named in the
Republican platform propose a law
permitting druggists to sell liquor for
the purposes allowed by the consti-
tuition, it will be voted on by the
voters as described.
The referendum is applied to acts
Of the legislature. For example, if
the legislature passes law permitting
druggists to sell liquor, and five per
cent Of the voters petition that it be
submitted to the popular vote, it
must be printed on the ballot and the
majority of the voters will decide
whether or not it shall remain a
law.
We now have the initiative and
referendum under the commission
form of government in the cities,
although the required per cent IS
much higher.
The "recall" is a provision by
which, on the petition of a certain per
cent of the voters any public officer
can be voted on again and if reelected
he is recalled. For example if
the people are not satisfied with the
work of the secretary of state they
can file a petition for his recall. An
election will then be held to choose
his successor and the officer will be
considered a candidate unless he
declines.
Many will be in favor of these
propositions because they apparently
give the people more power. Many
will be opposed to them because the
PopulistS and Democrats have been
playing them up as their issues. An
obje ction is that laws will be pro-
posed and passed upon by large
number of voters who are not posted
or qualified and the indifferent
manner of voting on constitutional
am encments is cited as an illustra-
ton. 1t is claimed that there will be
many propositions submitted and
that bad laws may get through or
good ones be repealed because of
lack of information.
Another plank in both Republican
and Democratic platforms is for the
Oregon plan of election of the U. S.
senators. Under this scheme the
names of the party nominees are
placed on the general ballot in
November. A Republican can vote
for a Democrat, or vice versa. For
example two years ago a Democrat
could have voted for Bristow without
voting for the Republican candidate
for Representative and Republican
could have voted for Farelly without
voting for the Democrat for Repre-
sentative. The members of the
Legislature cannot be legally bound
to carry out the wish of the majority
of the people, but they almost surely
would do so, and such was the case
in Oregon, when Democrat who
received a majority of the voters was
elected senator of the republican
Legislature.
This is certainly as good a method
of approximating direct vote on
senators as can be figured out under
the constitution Of the United States,
which requires the election by the
Legislature.
The initiative and referendum has
been in use in Switzerland for several
years and is now the law in a half
dozen states, including Oregon,
Maine, Oklahoma and Missouri.
None Of the objections raised have
mlterialized enough to hurt. In a
state like Kansas it can be tried out
and if it fails to come up to promises
it can be resubmitted and repealed.
1t should be submitted to the people
for a vote and when it is discussed
should be considered on its merits,
without regard to its supposed doubt
|ful parentage. The question now up
Il