Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-02
REFERENDUM'S PROGRESS

NJ . NOV EMEN1 mas oNSi OS''i' ''i
~ remarkable in American politics
~ than the adoption of the princi-
pies embodied in the initiative and ref
erendum, which has been going on qui-
etly, since 1897, through the sheer force
of their inherent worth and the need OF
them in our government, perverted as it
was becoming under corrupt influences.
Los Angeles was the first large city in
America to apply the innovation in To-
cal affairs, and it has been of inestima-
BILE worth to the community; yet,
strange to say. it is still the mark of
futile ridicule and opposition.
The progress of the reform brought
about through this agency has been
lately reviewed by c. f. Taylor, and
the historical resume he has prepared
will, it is safe to say, astonish both its
friends and enemies. He presents this
summary:
1897 Iowa applied referendum to all
franchise grants.
1897. Nebraska made initiative and
referendum optional in cities.
1898. South Dakota adopted initiative
and referendum amendments.
1900. Utah adopted amendment. for
which legislature has never passed en-
abling act,
1901. Illinois passed public policy law
providing for advisory referendum.
1902. Oregon, by constitutional amend
ment secureed an effective form Of the
initiative and referendum.
1903. Los Angeles, Cal, applied initi-
ative and referendum to municipal af-
fairs.
1905. Nevada, by constitutional
amendment, adopted the referendum.
1905. Grand Rapids, Mich, applied
initiative and referendum to municipal
affairs.
1906. Montana adopted initiative and
referendum amendment.
1906. Delaware, by popular vote, in
structed legislature to provide for the
initiative and referendum.
1906. Nebraska gives to cities power
to adopt initiative and referendum,
which has been quite generally ac-
cepted.
1906. Des Moines, Ia, adopted initi-
ative, referendum and recall in connec-
ton with commission plan of govern
ment.
1907. Cedar Rapids, Ia. adopts initi-
ative. referendum and recall.
1907. % Oklahoma placed initiative
and referendum in the constitution to
be sumbitted to the people; (2) Maine
legislature voted to submit an initiative
and referendum amendment; go Mis-
souri, legislature voted to submit an in
itiative and referendum amendment;
(4) North Dakota legislature voted to
submit an initiative and referendum
amendment this must be passed upon
by another legislature before it can be
submitted to the people; 90 Delaware
legislature placed the initiative and ref
erendum in the charter of Wilmington.
1908. "a June / the people of oregon
demonstrated the peoples ability to leg
islate more clearly than was ever done
before by voting very discriminatory
upon nineteen measures, four being
amendments to the constitution, four
measures referred to the people by Pc
tition and eleven measures initiated by
petition; (2) September Is the people Of
Maine adopted a direct legislation
amendment to their constitution; 90
November 8, Missouri adopted direct
Legislation amendment to the constitu-
ton by a majority of 35,S68, though it
was disadvanta geously placed on the
ballot Four years ago this same
amendment was defeated in Missouri
by majority Of over $4,000 (D Ohio
adopts referendum in regard to fran
chises In cities: % numerous minor
victories for direct legislation, and dem
onstrations of the efficiency of direct
legislation resulting from the November
8 elections; CO. movement started in
ontario and other provinces in Canada
for initiative and referendum; a.
movement started in England for initi-
ative and referendum, headed. by COM
mittee of most influential citizens.
In 1909 a full score of states, among
them California, took action to extend
the system, most of them giving the
right to cities to adopt it in local af-
fairs, although not using it in state
wide elections. The initiative and ref
erendum are waking the people up to
their responsibilities. If they had come
sooner billions Of dollars in franchise
values would have been saved that have
been voted away, largely through cor
ruption, to corporations by legislatures
and city councils.