Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1910-12-02

claws proposed under the initia-
tive. said Senator Bourne. are not
subject to amendment, and. therefore,
cannot be made the means of enacting
iokers' as has often been done IN the
case of measures enacted by a rlegisla-
ture. Legislative blackmail and
grants of special privilege are made
Impossible by the referendum.
Senator Bourne advocated extending
the direct primary to the selection u
candidates for president and vice
president and OF delegates to national
conventions, thus relieving presidents
of any obligation to men who make
and manipulate conventions.
A corrupt practices act is neces''
sary feature of popular government IN
order to regulate campaign expendl:;
lures and prevent. abuse of the inltla-
tive and referendum and the direct
primary. An important feature of the
Ores on system is the publicity pam
phlet published by the secretary OF state
and mailed to the voters at least
eight days before each election. Each
candidate in the primary campaign
may have published IN this pamphlet
a statement in support of his can
didacy. Each candidate must pay for
at least one page in the pamphlet,
the amount varying from 800 for the
highest office to SO for the minor
offices. Each candidate may secure
not more than three additional pages
at 500 page. In the general cam.
paign each party may use not to exceed
twenty -four pages in the publicity
pamphlet at $50 page, making
approximately $40 for each candidate
A candidate shall not expend in his
primary campaign more taan Is per
cent, nor in his general campaign
more than 10 per cent of one years
salary in excess of what be pays for
space in the publicity pamphlet. A
candidate for governor IN Oregon can
reach all registered voters in two cam
palgns at total cost of $780,
COnluding his speech Senator Bourne
said:
"Orgeon has evolved the best
system OF popular government IN the
world. The Australian ballot
assures the honesty of elections.
'The registration law guards, the
int gritty of the privilege of American
citizenship participation in govern
ment.
"rhe direct primary absolutely IN
sures popular selection OF all candl-
dates and establishes the responsibility
of the public servant to the electorate
and not to any political boss or special
interest.
''Che initiative and referendum is
the keystone Of the arch to popular
government for by means of this the
people may accomplish such other re-
forms as they desire.
''The corrupt practices act is neces-
sary as complement to the initiative
and referendum and the direct prim-
airy, for, without the corrupt practices
act, these other features OF popular
government could be abused. Under
the operation OF this law popular
verdicts will be based upon ideas. not
money argument, rot abuse; prln-
clples, not boss or machine dlctatlon. ..
1.-The recall is rather an admonitOry
or precautionary measure, the ex-
lstence of which Will generally pre-
vent necessity for Its use.
ELECTORS who believe IN the valid
ity ana importance of their sovereign
citizenship, in their own intelligence
and in their own capacity to think
and act for themselves politically,
should study these foreign laws and
should work for the adoption of
similar laws in their own states. They
should question all candidates for cleo
tive Offices as to their attitude upon
these measures and support only such
candidates as pledge themselves to
work diligently for the adoption of
similar laws and defeat candidates
declining to make such public declara-
firms -