The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-11-17
IMPERATIVE.

Z EAaeppetHSaAe 81 South Dakota do not
alletose Is the use made In the re-
esaet election 81 the Initiative and ref
eseAlUdnm: SIX laws were placed be-
go hs voters. There was a demand
~ vote "a mot to exceed one of
these, = far as any considerable
namnber q the people are concern
= u and thatn the county option law,
NNhick vas submitted by use OF the
Initiative. The other five were refer.
red by mean Of a petition of Eve per
csels rs the voters. It is safe to say
that Al I'VE OF these measures would
haNeaggne ON the statute books with
ont complaint worth mentioning, if
Il had not been that special interests,
representing q very small minority.
did nOtSIike the measures. Thus the
people we're called upon to pass on
these Nh laws when they did not
not want to do 80. And it may be
taken tor granted that the public
will not relish being compelled to GO
antossfhe general business of legislat-
Ing.
THE expense of the referendum for
the state was probably close to $780,
900. More than 100000 of this was
due u the referring of the Militia
IAW, which was done solely by Free
man Knowles, a socialist who object
"a TO all military measures and there
fore was Illogical enough to object to
IN Improvement Of the law as it now
stands.
Its IL apparent that it is altogether
too easy to invoke the referendum.
Almost any n with a grievance
against q particular law can induce
i've per cent of the voters to sign a
petition, and thus saddle upon the
state great deal OF unnecessary ex-
pense. Further than this. any par
ticular corporation that does not
like some law passed against its In
terest1,can gain eighteen months
time or entirely defeat the measure
81 question, by calling upon the ref
erendum. Thus. instead OF being a
safeguard. the Initiative and refer
endumS ass used by them becomes a
0CSttfyA menaceAto the interests of the
spd6lic. 40
The initiative and referendum
dos not intendto transfer from the
legislature tosthe general voting
body. the business Of making laws.
r. & designed simply as a last resort,
tosprotsct the public against betrayal
~ he legislature, or against the
consequences OF cowardice In the Leg
islaturs. But 70 allow. laws to be
submitted upon ! fve pei peti-
ticli ilssto prostitute the system. I'll
~ being made TO serve ends for which
atWass never intended. II will be re-
meInbered that few divorce lawyers
rHthIHA&SkHTtNIA fNEAS1xA3M atGE EAS&=H.E% /
~ Sioux Falls succeeded in referring
the measure passed to put. an end to
the disgraceful South Dakota divorce
industry. And thus they were able
% postpons the operation Of the law
sfor = ysar and q hall. simply for their
gain And 1.-THE law had been
voted uponsthis year. when %self-seek-
ings politicians Joined with a number
ofs Interests In creating a generally
hostile sentiment to all the referred
laws and amendments. It IS quite pos
3siyle that the law would have been de-
ssS1eate1.
There ID but one thing to do with
the system. and that IL to raise the
percentage required for submission,
from per cent to at least Is per
cent. Then the people would be left
With recourse II ever occasion
should arise for their using 1t. Not
only for the rake OF economy. but for
the purpose Of dedicating the initia-
tive and referendum to the purposes
for which It was intended. Governor
Wesley and the state legislature
should unite In taking steps to raise
the percentage required for submits
sion.
a GOOD YEAR FOR SOCIALISM.