Arizona republican., 1910-08-11
PHOENIX, ARIZ., AUGUST IL, 1910.
Constitution and LEGISLATURE.


The letter from Mr.. F. Struck
meyer which we print this morning
brings out clearly an objection to the
inclusion of certain "isms" in the
constitution-an objection which we
have repeatedly emphasized.
This objection, concisely stated is,
that these things, if adopted at all,
should be a part of our statute law
and not a permanent fixture in our
system OF government.
If authorized by the constitution,
as republicans propose, they become
of course permanently authorized.
But at the same time it is left to the
people to say through their legisla-
ture from time 10 time what shall
be done about utilizing these patent
remedies
A patient may be willing to try
patent remedy for his bodily ills from
time to time, but he ought TO reserve
TO himself the liberty of swearing
off" whenever he pleases And he
would be most unwise to bind himself
to make the patent remedy a per-
manent feature of his daily diet.
There are some people to whom
anything is attractive if it bears the
label. New and Progressive" 1t is
A mistake. however, to assume that
either the initiative or the referen-
dunn is something new in the history
of governments. They are old. They
have never yet been a success. That
is why they went to the junk pile
of discarded panaceas for political
ills.
1t is possible, however. with the
light of history and experience to
guide us, to make beneficial use of
both the initiative and referendum
and also avoid the mistakes which
have made these remedies a failure in
the past. For this reason the repub-
licans of Arizona are quite willing
to frame a constitution which will
enable the people to experiment all
they please-and also enable them to.
protect themselves, by the machinery
of repeal, re-enactment,. and SO on
as they please. But these expert
ments must be confined to the field
of statute making, if we are to make
sure of preserving the form of gov
eminent which history has demon
strated is the only safe form of self
government ever devised.
IT is notable that the most rabid
advocates of the initiative and refer
endum as a permanent feature of our
government have failed to advance
any valid reason why we should not
withhold these ventures for the halls
of legislation.
The excuse that legislatures do not
do the will of the people" is arrant
nonsense. If the people have a will
concerning any matter it is exceed |
ingly easy for them to manifest that
will through the election of the right
kind, of legislators. If they permit
themselves to be careless in the Sc
lection of legislators, what warrant
have we for believing that they
would be more careful in direct leg
isIation?
No more obviously truthful state
ment was ever made than that of I
the late John j. ingalls, that "The
people get exactly the kind of gov
eminent they deserve" Everything is |
in their own hands. If they are in
different to their duties as citizens
and do not attend primaries and con-
ventions, and if they deliberately |
elect unfit men for office, they get
the quality of government that they
have a right reasonably to expect.
Why should it be more difficult,
will somebody please tell us, to elect
a high grade legislature than a high
grade constitutional convention?
AS a matter of fact, we may safely
expect an improvement in the char
acter of our legislature under the
state form of government. 1t is adj
mitted by everybody that many ter
ritorial legislatures have been below
the average of our high quality of cit
izenship But this fact does not APP
ply to Arizona alone And it is
a comforting fact, supported by the
experience of nearly all our states.
that it is much easier to get good
men to run for the state legislature
than it was to get them to run for
the territorial legislature. There is
far more honor in being a member of
a state legislature. There is far more
responsibility.
The Republican has such faith in
the excellent citizenship OF Arizona