Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-19
THE WAY 1T WORKS.
and Referendum I'm Opera
tion in Oregon.


and Referendum I'm Opera
tion I'm Oregon.
Portland Oregonian.
Given a disease, and Dr. William Jennings
Bryan will find remedy for 1t. Or given
no disease. and Dr. Bryan will invent one
and prescribe just the same. AT this time
DR.. Bryan is engaged in a heroic effort to
force both prohibition and the Initiative and
referendum down the unwilling throat Of
unhappy Nebraska The patient does not
yield easily to the frequent manifestations Of
the Old Doctor. The democratic party
there shows signs of revolt, which no doubt
greatly surprises and pains DR.. Bryan; but
he keeps pegging away at mis- attempts to
Kill or cure.
This is the way he regards direct legisla-
ton:
The initiative and referendum do not
overthrow reftesentative government; they
merely bring the representative under the
control OF his constituents. The people VIII
not resort 70 the initiative ana ret Ht nnd
give voice to public sentiment. The lnitla-
tive and referendum are, as IL We're clup
held over the ePfssen1ssSe 20 e0 and
give expression to the wishes OF those VINO
elect them.
II Dr. Bryan viii take the trouble to visit
Oregon and study the initiative and refer
endum in actual operation, he will learn
some things he doesn't know, IL he can
| learn anything from observation OF facts
and not from sheer theory. He will ascer-
tain, for example:
The initiative sets aside and sppersedes
representative government
The initiative and referendum does not
bring the representative in any way under
} control Of his constituents. II enables hin
, to evade his responsibility by failure OF
= refusal TO enact needed laws through thu
pretehse OF reference to the people.
The people resort to the initiative and ref
D erendum when Legislators perform thei
: clear duty in defeating vicious, useless o
: unnecessary laws or class legislation.
/ The Initiative and referendum is a clu
used by faddists, or cranks, or hobby-hors
ical statesmen, to force legislature t
enact extreme or radical or local laws, an
when the legislature Declines there is in
j. slant appeal to the people" See the thirty
q two laws and amendments now to be sui
!. mitted In Oregon under the initiative an
referendum, including prohibition, woma
B. suffrage employers liability, taxation an
so on and so on, down to nine propose
new county and county division measure
"a For the third time In successive regult
elections the people are to accept or re1e'
female suffrage, and for the third or four
D. time in six years they must pass on OF
c. form or another OF prohibition or local o.
IN ton Oregon is under the permanent me
a ace Of the single tax, or some other radio
or revolutionary enactment, or variety
40 radical and revolutionary enactments.
or Oregon is tired. 1t wants to get bai
n. 10 sanity and safety II is profound
alarmed over the tendencies and possIbl
~ ties Of the initiative. and it has so (
discovered that the referendum is invok
w. mainly in sheer revenge by interests W
n are disappointed over the passage of
ee measure or measures not desired by the
nd There is a place for the initiative and r,
IN erendum doubtless In our system OF sc
eminent. but opportunity for It's unlimlt
es use ought never TO be given.