The wageworker., 1910-02-12
NO TfCnNlCALIIItS SHOULD INTERFERE!

The Wageworker believes in the initiative and
referendum It believes that the people should
right to vote upon any question, at any time if that
question is of interest to sufficient number The refer
endum law of this state, it applies to cities and
towns provides that petition containing the signatures
of 20 per of the legal voters of the city sufficient
to send any question to the referendum Such peti-
on, containing the required number Of has been
filed with the city clerk asking for areferendum the
wet dry question this spring.
It demonstrated that technicalities in
terefere and prevent the voters from having oppor
tunity express themselves Because the sgners failed
with few exceptions, to append Lincoln Nebraska,
after their Names City Clerk Ozman, backed by City
Attorney Flansburg decides that the signatures il
legal
This is a petty technicality that the gentlemen
should be ashamed to advance They have right to
their views the best policy for the city pursue
They have right to resort to petty subterfuge in
order prevent others from expressing their views
Tactics of that sort may go the courts they
present conducted, but they will not go down with the
masses of the people. By signing such petition the
signer does not bind himself to vote either way. He
merely shows that he has confidence in the voters and
willing to abide by the decision of the majority
The Wageworxer has taken part in the present
discussion to whether Lincoln shall be wet
dry but if the advocates Of dry city going
defeat the intent of the referendum lawf they
unwilling give the voters chance express their
choice then the Wageworler will fight them to finish
Not because the Wageworker particularly favors
wet city, but because The Wageworler believes thor
oughly the initiative and referenduin the right of
the voters Of this municipality any other to say for
themselves what they want That principle is whole
lot dearer to The Wageworer than the abstract ques
tion of whether Lincoln shall be 9 wet dry.
The prohibition advocates ought to make it known,
without equvocaton that they do not in the
stand taken by City Clerk Oman and City Attorney
Flansburg. FAR minded people easily Disguised
with petty techncalities More chan twenty per cent
of the voters have asked for referendum the excise
question That is all, and than the law requires
The WageworAer insists upon the referendum Techni-
caies may delay it, but cannat prevent it. And unless
the question is referred the present petition The
Wageworer is going to take hand in the fight and it
is not going to support any advocated by men
who afraid of public opinion that they will
sort to petty technicaes to the people from
having opportunity to vote. The Wageworker and
its editor have spent to many and to much effort
to the initiative and referendum to begin
standing in with who afraid to let it become
operative.
The wet or dry question has been thoroughly
discussed in Lincoln. The people know what they want
legal number have asked for opportunity to vote
it, and they ought to have it-and they will have it.
matter what legal technicates may be offered And
the the advocates of prohibition try prevent
this expression of opinion the certain they will
make it that who willing fight to the death
for the referendum will register of protest against
such foolish tactics
The Civic League should take warning in time