The Greeley tribune., 1910-10-20
self-government.

upon demand to enforce the rules
that may be adopted. If any decis-
ion rendered by him is thought to
be in violation of these rules any
member may appeal from such de-
cision to the whole body. This is
the referendum. In the absence of
this right of appeal the presiding
officer practically can do as he
pleases.
''If member wishes action on
any matter he makes motion to
that effect, and this, on receiving
the support of a second member. is
placed before the body for considera-
tion and adoption or rejection. This |
is the initiative. In the absence of
this right to move. members are |
without power to act.
"If the people of city, state or
the nation, are in truth to be self
governing it seems inevitably to fol-
low that they must have at hand the
means of making the government to
their bidding. The people of the
city Of Chicago, for instance, voted
In favor of public ownership of their
street car system, but their board of
aldermen were able to thwart the
popular desire. The people of Phila-
delphia, and many other places, have
repeatedly found themselves unable
to achieve their wish To many,
self-government has for such rea-
son come to be looked upon as an
irridescent dream.
This pessimistic view arises from
the fact that we are possessed of but
part of the necessary machinery of
We are like an
the governor His engine will go"
but its action is beyond orderly
control
1.-The initiative and referendum.
taken together. are called direct leg
islation, That is. just as in any de-
Lucrative body, if the usual machi-
merry does not produce desired re-
suits, the body can act directly. So.
If our city or other government does
pie, when possessed of the machin- |
cry of direct legislation. can act, or
legislate. directly. Without this
power they are not really self-gov- |
erning.
The Initiative
1T is proposed, therefore, to give
to certain percentage of the quail |
fled voters in any political body the
power to prepare and present petit
tions for proposed laws to the whole |
body of voters This is the exact |
equivalent of motion in any club |
or society. save that a considerable |
of Seconds" is required. |
That is. each signer of the petition |
really seconds" the motion to adopt |
the matter proposed in the petition. |
Such action is the initiative.
''It is sometimes said that the peo-
pie need only to elect officials favor
able to desired laws, and that there
by all need for the device known as
initiative will vanish The fallacy
In this position comes from the fact |
that our officials have many duties.
An officer may be highly esteemed
and very satisfactory IN nearly all |
relations, but at the same time be |
quite at variance with the people on |
some question held by them to be |
Why shall we maintain |
a system that either deprives us OF
the efficient officer. or of measure |
that we believe to be expedient?
AN officer was elected by ma
jority of two to one, although he de-
clared himself opposed to policy |
that the same constituency favored |
by a vote of three to one. The op-
posing candidate. meanwhile. had /
declared in favor of this policy. The |
is simple. Other issues |
were. in the opinion OF the voters,
important to force this
matter into the background. If pos
sesseJ of the power to initiate legis-
lation, the voters could have enjoyed |
the services OF the officer they desir- |
ed. and also secured the adoption OF
the policy they preferred. They |
were. In fact, but partly self-govern-
Ing.
The Referendum
ut Is also proposed that the peo-
Pile shall have power, expressed by |
petition. as explained In the above
reference to the initiative. to prompt
ly propose the defeat OF acts OF legis-
lation deemed by them to be unwise'
II measure has been enacted by the
petition may be pre-
pared within a stated time (perhaps
90 days) and signed by the given per
centage OF qualified voters, where
upon 1t shall be submitted to the peo-
pie for adoption or rejection. This
is exactly equivalent to IAN appeal
from the chair. The matter may
be placed before the people at spec
ial election or at the next general
election.
sIt Ia sometimes urged that under
such n plan the people would be vot-