The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-04-07


mcnt in conservative Washington.
old timers regard the action as roy.
olutionaiy aud such men as Senators
Hale and Lodge remain dumbfound-
ed at the wonderful political changes
that have swept in upon the cons"r-
vative east of late
Massachusetts is the second state
in New England to acknowledge the
practicabiii,y of the initiative and
referendum. Maine was the first. de
spite the protostatiDns E Senator
Hale History repeated itself when
Senator Lodgc throw himslt into
the breach in Massachusetts, He.
like Hale was ignored and there Is
now talk of demonstrating the eff
cacy of the law by initiating the cod
fish senator
The common sense of the init!a
tive aud referendum is aptly cX-
pressed by Senator owen. who has
prepared an article up-n the nc"cs-
city of this particular piece of loeis
hiiou. Followiug is AN extract:
- nation g., lin % condition oi
good political upaltn when it,, rep.
r,su,ati,cs aiy the free choice Of
the people, and represent the best
ideals of the people in the iesisla-
tive, executive and judicial depart
m,uts of the q N,nmcnt.
"Thc people appear II RUE through
party machinery but do not rule in
fact. because the party machinery
T., in the hands of corrup, machine
men controlled in the interest of the
few and against the interest of the
many.
The remedy is to restore popular
government and to overthrow ma
chine government. and the initiative
and referendum is the open door by
which this can be done.
In vain the people demand cleo
tion of senators by direct vote: in
vain do the people clamor for an
abatement of cnc-man power in the
house of representatives, in vain do
they seek publicity of campaign con
tributions; in vain do they demand
, laws forbidding corrupt practices and
3D. other reforms of government In
vain do they demand control of mo
nopoly, reduction of tariff, and lower
= prices. The pcop'e are appealing To
the nominees OF machine politics
= committed against them.
The initiative means that small
percentage OF the voters, usually
per cent, can initiate any law they
please. and regular election fr 9
vote OF the people of the Who'll,
state for thoir acceptance or r,jcc
tion.
= The referendum provides tha
when the legislature passes an ca
not acceptable to the people of tn,
state. a petition within 30 days aftc
the passage of the act, signed by
per cent OF the voters, will Cperat'
II To suspend the law until the mex
regular election. at which the poopl,
viii vote upon the law whether I
: shall become statute or whothe
r It shall not
Under the initiative aud retercn
dun the legislatures try to meet tn
will of the people. They are not sui
= jcct to temptation by every corrup
tion gr ambition. II they fail Il
T. pass the laws the people want IN
/ people pass their own laws with tn
"A. initiative.
a. ",f they pass a law the peopl
don't want the people veto
,c through the use OF the referendum
s.. This system OF government is calle
IA the peoples rule.
n. The agency by which it is aeon
IS. plshed is called the questioning {
N candidate This is most conveuicn
ly d.nc by thr organization Of IN
legislative committee representa-
large group Cd. voters. For inStan
pr the National Grange, the America
d Federation of Labor ,ho mitiu,i,
". and Referendum league.
81 Each waIrization appoints #
ly chairman o % legislative committe
> aud an tr ,I irm,u sign q comm
' letter addressed To each cludidat
u.s. or AN parties drmaudn- p.a
DO. answer u 90 .Iy,Q number T dal