Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-09-27

n departure from the republican forr
y guaranteed by the constitution that
Z lawyer president, more intent upo
K the conscious discharge of his dut
than upon the temporary exigencie
OF partisan politics. might feel him
, self constrained to withhold his ap
. prevail which Is essential to our ad
mission 10 the union: M then "
= have the serious objections to tn
: practical working of the proposed ney
system.
As to the latter subject. is Their
anything in the history of republican
or democratic governments TO induce
us 10 believe that We would Obtain
any better results through direct leg
i~slation by the vote of all the people
than we have had by the exercise oI
the delegated power Of the people act
ing through their chosen represents
tives2 IL must be admitted that q
comparatively small portion of the
voters of our country take active in
terest in purely public questions in
y~olving the welfare of the whole state.
and a still smaller portion who give
time 10 the study of such subjects so
that their interest may he intelligent
as well as active.
1t may be we'll TO consider, briefly
at least, What can be said in favor Of
the adoption OF the initiative and ref
erendum as a practical question, put
ting aside constitutional objections.
II Is urged, in substance, h q it is
impossible for the people to eject a
legislature which will respond to
their desires and which will not
promptly succumb to the %corrupt!ng
influences of persons and corpora
lions possessed OF wealth and power
and DESTROYS of securing legislation
for their selfish purposes, without re-
gard to the public interest. II is,
therefore. believed that, If the people
can retain in their NJ hands the
power TO force upon the legislature
by initiative the enactment Of laws
which, when ono adopted, necessar-
lily must be beyond all legislative
control, as otherwise the plan would
he futile, and by the referendum the
submission to q popular vote Of those
legislative enactments which q small
percentage of the voters consider OBJ
j~ectionable. then the evils arising
from the inevitably weak, dishonest
and corrupt nature of persons elected
To the legislature, Will be greatly di-
minished, as the knowledge that laws
may be referred to the people Will
tend to discourage the purchase OF
legislation by INSCRIPTIONS schemers
against the public good.
IT is believed that the foregoing
completely, although very briefly,
states the arguments in favor Oh the
initiative n referendum. n it is
to be noted that the principal founda-
ton OF the argument is in the as
sumed incapacity of the people to
elect proper men as members of the
legislature. If this is correct. IL is
difficult to see how the evil will be
remedied by having the people at
large do their own legislating when
Il small portion, either by inclin-
alton, training or experience, is fitted
for such work. It is quite impossible
TO understand how the people who as
is assumed. have not sufficient knowl-
edge and judgment to select decent
honest and incorruptible legislators.
will have am better or more judg-
ment or viii be transformed from
blind followers of wicked political
into beings OF superior dis
eminent. merely because they are
called upon to vote upon the adop-
ion or rejection OF laws, with no
more time nor opportunity Tor study
md examination of them than they
have for the consideration of the
merits OF candidates for legislative
,ffice. our difficulties do not come
rom the lncapacity or inability of the
to vote wisely in the election
L legislators. but are due to the fact
# the practical Indifference of the
masses 10 matters OF general public
.oncern, and this applies. not only TO
he ignorant and uneducated. but to
average citizen of superior knowl-
.dge and intelligence, and that indif-
erence cannot be dissipated by
hanging the purpose of an election
rom the choosing of men To the
.doption of laws. on the contrary.
here is every reason 10 believe II
fould be greater.
while il is true that the initiative
nd referendum have not been in {
peratiCn in any part of our country
Sufficient length Of time for us to I
safe and certain conclusions 1
rom their practical workings, yet a 1
asson may be learned from what has :
appened in the state of oregon. Be- {
June. 1902, ana the end OF !
sO9. there were submitted to the /
eopIe OF that state 30 different E
ieces Of legislation. 10 of which c
ere submitted at one election, ana Z
is reported that moro than 30 9TH I
RS are 10 be voted upon at the next c
tate election. Ii is not to be as 9
lmed that the voters OF oregon are 4
ery different in virtue. intelligence
public spirit from those of New 5
Iexico, and it is certainly difficult e
IT us to believe hat even a respect Il
BILE minority Of the oregon electors Il
no adopted or rejected the laws y
pom which they voted. were fully O
nd i~ntelligently informed as to what y
ley were doing. We do not know C
ist how the campaigns as 10 these &
uestions were conducted in oregon, I
nj il is not unsafe to assert that {
ley were carried on much like other &
campaigns, ana that the a
eople We're led Ia vote for or against g
le laws by the personal influence or b
Iouuence of those In whom they a j
o~nffdence. or hy the buSincss OF
Their pressure Oh those 10 whom they C
ere under obligations. and it is q
lually safe to assert that legislation u
REQUIRED by these methods Will be q
ven less beneficial TO the public than G
nat which results from the efforts $
+ the average legislature, hedged C
bout and restricted ny constitutional d
mutations intended to prevent hasty. "
i-~considered legislation. b
II COZ porote greed CT the unscrup- C
selfishness Of am class Of peo- o
lc earnestly desire the adoption or {,
.@iectinn Of any law. without re- h
ard To- the public welfare, those who il
light be animated by such improper n
would take an active and Wig 81
interest I'm the election. while a g
proportion. perhaps a majority. Il