The Greeley tribune., 1910-07-28
THE INITIATIVE AND REFEREN-
DUN, OR GOVERNMENT BY
THE PEOPLE

Just now it is well to look INTO
some of the reasons for the calling
of the special session of the legisla-
ture by Governor Shafroth. For a
number of years there have been ef-
forts upon the part of the public to
have certain clauses of the const1tu-
tion amended or for the legislature
| to enact certain laws in the interest
of great numbers of citizens and for
the curbing of the powers of the
special interests. But when the
legislators had met and adjourned
! the people found themselves still
/ without relief. The frequent abuse
of this confidence naturally reposed
/ in the legislators has rendered 1t
necessary that the people get and
| hold the legislative power little
nearer unto themselves. To this
end the party demanded the submis-
sion at the next general election OF
an amendment to the constitution
| providing for the initiative and
referendum. This is one of the meas
ures for which the special session is
called to submit. Now let US look
The methods of law making by the
people are called direct legislation,
known as the initiative and the ref
erendum.
The initiative is the proposal OF
law by the people.
The referendum is the submission
of law to the people at the polls
| -, NJ poinrffnn
BY these means the people can
start or stop legislation at will. BY
initiative petition they can bring
measure forward for discussion and
decision. They can repeal an old
law or amend it, or enact new one,
and progress is no longer barred by
the interests or inertia of the legis-
lators or councilmen nor by the
weight and wealth of corporate mo-
nopoly. Moreover. the people can
prevent bad legislation as we'll as
secure good legislation. II the legis-
lature passes law the people dis
like they can call for referendum
and veto the measure at the polls be-
fore It goes into effect. Whereas at
present the laws go into effect whe-
ther the people like 1t or not. and
they have to wait till they can elect
a new legislature to repeal the OBJ
noxious act (after the damage is
largely done perhaps) and II said
act is franchise. very likely it can
not be revoked at all when once al
lowed to take effect-a franchise
grant to a private company being q
contract within the protection OF
the federal constitution. fact which
makes 1t particularly necessary that
franchise grants Especially If un-
qualified by a reservation of the
rights to revoke at willy should be
submitted to the people.
Does not the direct legislation
amendment to the republican repre-
sentative system solve the problem
Does not the guarded representative
system retain the benefits of and
eliminate the evils of the unguarded
representative system? The city OF
state will have Its body of legal ex-
perts. trained advisors, and expert
enced legislators as at present. They
will continue to do most of the law.
making as now, but their power to
do wrong or stop progress. theil
power to do as they please in spite
of the people, will be gone. The
city and state will have the service
Of its legislators without being sub
ject to their mastery. II the dele
gates act as the people wish, theiI
action will not be disturbed. II
they act against the peoples wish
the people will have a prompt and
effective veto by which they can
stop departure from their will be-
fore any damage is done. If the leg
fslators do not act, the people can
put the machinery in motion and
bring the matter to decision. When
the legislators truly represent the
people their action will stand: when
they fail to represent the people
their de ision will be subject to
prompt revision. Today their acts
that do not represent the peoples
will, stand as firm during their term
of office as the acts that do repre-
sent the popular will Is this right? ?
Is 1T right that the peoples delegates
should be able to impose their will
upon the people for one, two, four
or six years? Is it right that the acts
OF delegates contrary to the will of
the people should stand in spite of
the people? Is such a delegate sys-
tenn really worthy to be called a
representative system? Is sys-
tenn properly termed representative
which may misrepresent as much or
more than it represents, and In
which there is no adequate means OF
determining whethes its action is
representative or not? Is not the
right to referendum, the right OF
the people to prevent the delegates
from misrepresenting them. abso.
lutely necessary to entitle the dele
c.a$o ay,atcsaa 70 4ha assaaasa.,