Arizona republican., 1910-09-06


 initiative and the referendum - q proposition which conferred upon the people the right to propose the enact ment of a law, any law on any subject, without any reference to the legislat- i've department of the state govern ment, and to proceed and enact such law the same as though there were no legislature dt all Of course this in Volved d constitutional amendment conferring this right on the people. The professed justification for this was that the people had made a fail ure in their effort to choose reliable men to represent them in the legisla ture, hence their remedy was to as sume the legislative function them selves, thus taking the absurd position that a man. voter, who had shown by his experience that he did mt know enough to choose a reliable member Of the legislature from among his person al acquaintances, yet was fully com potent to grapple with the great ques- tions which confront every lawmak- ing body in the world. And not only the best posted and best qualified men generally were thus made legislators, and, again, not only what is known as the average man was thus law giver for the whole people, but the veriest hobo, the most illiterate specl- man of humanity that could be found anywhere was clothed with the power to engage in the business of leSlslat- ing upon the greatest matters which involved the interests of the lives and property of the entire commonwealth.
 50, the republicans of oregon, in an evil hour when its greatest con cern appeared to be the acquisition Of voters. agreed to accept the populistc ultimatum and as soon as the provided machinery of our constitution would admit. incorporated the initiative and referendum idea into the organic law.
 FROM BAD TO WORSE.
 This was bad enough, but if it had stopped there perhaps there might have been some hope for ultimate es- cape from the entangling web which began to complicate matters, but at about the same time movement be- gan to assume an aggressive attitude which demanded the enactment or direct primary law which conferred up- on every voter the privilege of directly choosing candidates for all positions to be filled at all elections, town, county and state Having the initiative, thls was easy of accomplishment, for the demagogue was immediately abroad Tn the land, and that is where you usual lv find him-saying to the voter: Are n't you good enough to select your candidates for office? Who knows more than you do anybody? All conventions are the tools of political machines ana the engines of the Devil whose first and greatest desire is the oblteratlon of individual rights and the surrender of the toiling masses to the greed ol the Allied Interests'-Or words to that effect. So. we got the primary law, an original variety in oregon which, while protesting in its preamble that 1t pro noses to come into existence to strengthen political parties, proceeds along lines which are gradually de- stroying the republican party in that state and provides an easy way for inc opposing forces to combine and create havoc with the dominant party
 ARIZoNA's OPPORTUNITY.
 "This campaign in Arizona supplies the foundation movement for the es- tablishment of a state government after a contest looking to that con- summation whose perseverance TOT many years has commanded the ad- miration of the entire nation, and Il come bearing a message to you the purpose of which is to warn you against the adoption Of the funda- mental principles of populism into your