Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-22

Are you AFRAID 10 trust lne lnlllduNe ana
the referendum?
why, my friends. this is not new doc
trine. We have it now. If you want to
change the county site, how do you do it?
petition is circulated. and when it is
signed by a certain number of people.
voters in the county, the question must be
submitted and then the people, at refer
endum vote act upon the question. That
is the law in this state today on such an
important question as the changing OF a
county site. 1t is not trusted to the rep
resentatives, but 1t must be voted upon by
the people themselves. Isn't that good doc
trine? Isn't that democratic doctrine? Isn't
it in harmony with our ideas Of govern
ment?
And what is the referendum? Well, if
the legislature passes law and any con-
siderable number of the people think that
that law ought not to have been passed. d
referendum can be asked and then that
question is submitted to a vote. and the
voters have the right to say whether the
measure shan become a law or not
Is that not fair? Why, the law gives the
governor a chance to veto, and If the gov
ernor has the right to veto a law that has
been declared for by a majority of both
branches of the Legislature, shall we say
that the people themselves, who elect gov
ernors and elect legislatures, shall not have
the veto power and be able to sit in judg
ment upon a bill that had to be signed by
the governor as well as passed by the
| legislature?
Now, that is easily understood, and that
is the thing that your senators are not
willing that the people shall vote upon.
! No matter If they themselves believe that
the initiative is wrong and the referendum
is wrong. no matter if in their hearts they
have a contempt for popular government;
no matter If they despise the intelligence
of the people who elected them, what right
hav they to say that the people themselves
{ shall not say whether they shall have di-
rect legislation through the initiative and
the referendum? (Applause)
Am l disturber of party harmony when
ask that the legislature be reconvened
and that that matter be submitted to the
people?
| l repeat that in asking it l speak in
harmony with the platform of my party.
I say that when I ask for it / am asking
for what the governor desired-a demo
cratic governor. / am asking for what a
democratic legislature desired-if we have
majority of the democrats in favor of
this proposition
Now, this is the initiative and the ref
erendum. Are you surprised that it is
popular?
Let me ask-let me see IL it is popular
here. You probably understood 1t before
said anything about it. / have tried to
make it clear. am going to put it to a
vote. l am going to ask how many in
/ 49,, A. 81,
and referendum and are willing that the
people of this state shall have laws thai
suit them and reject laws that they dc
not like? And after those in favor of the
initiative and referendum have risen on thi'
vote will ask them to sit down and l will
ask those to rise who are willing to an
nounce before their fellow men that they
are not willing that the people of this
state shall decide questions that come be
fore the people of this state How man!
of you will by rising indicate that you be
lleve in the initiative and referendum
Let's see you rise. Now, you may b
seated again. How many? 1 will not cour
those against the wall unless they ste
out, although there are some sitting dow
for fear they might be counted that wa!
How many of you will. by rising, indicat
referendum? Evidently the brewers dl,
not come tonight. Uaughter) one man
One man in this audience is opposed to tn,
Initiative and referendum.
A Voice: And he don't know anything.
Mr., Bryan: No. l don't say that. | wsl
we could excuse all on the ground tina
they don't know better. Q1aughter)
This is Omaha. This is the largest cit
! tbn utoto hn
live who sit upon their seven hills her
and from their throne of beauty rule tn
state. Laughter) And yet in Omaha il
the very presence of these brewers Their
is only one man in this audience that rise
to say that Inc is opposed to the initiativ
and the referendum. applause and laugh
teri
1t is just as l thought 1t is just as
thought!
Mr., Bryan: 1t is hardly necessary to sub
nit any arguments in favor of county op
ton, for it stands upon its own merits, an
those who oppose 1t cannot successful
combat the arguments presented in it's ia
vor. The presumption is on the side o
those who favor county option. The pre-
sumption is always upon the side of thos
what they want. In order to overthrow
that presumption there must be sound ar
gument.
Note-Here Mr.. Bryan launched into a
extended argument for county option an
. against the saloon
Mr.. Bryan: Now, that is the argument
that county option is one-sded you hea
most. An absurd argument And why al
surd? Because they talk about fairnes
with a saloon. 1t is not fair to the saloon
: Why, my friends, you never use the wor
fair when you are talking about saloon
You never say 1t is not just 10 the saloon
1t is one-sided. You don talk about jus
tice when you are talking about saloons
Read the lexicon OF the liquor dealer an
there are two words that do not appear 4
It. One is fairness and the other is justice
! The saloon is a nuisance everywhere, an
never tolerated except as necessary evi
(Applause) The saloon is on the defen
slve everywhere, ana talk about the saloo
insisting that as matter OF Justice an
} fairness IT must be allowed to inflict IL
, noisome presence in community where
E is not wanted! CApplause)
In this city. only a few years ago, NOR
E than half of your saloons had houses OF /
fame connected with them and II reouire