The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-07-13
WHAT INITIATIVE, REFENDUM
AND RECALL WILL DO

| conquer the world, IS that the people
are going to put a bride on the dele
rated powers of their servants who run
| their business, viz: the government.
Why they have not done so before is
| a mystery.
| However, it is now imperative in this
| day Of money madness and financial
| experts that they do so, as their ser
wants have gone to specializing in their
| business. for their private profit
They have learned how to use the
peoples capital to make money for
! themselves. and are no longer satisfied
with the honor and salaries they re-
ceive
Many Of our offices pay only nominal
| salaries and others nothing at ALL and
were created in this manner in order
that the patriotic citizen be given a
chance to serve the commonwealth
without a suspicion Of self seeking.
Since, however, the willy politician
| has learned the trick of turning the
honor. prestige, privilege and power of
these same officers into cold cash, the
| people have suffered.
1t is an established fact that such
offices as councilman, legislator. etc, to
say nothing Of congressman and SEN
ator, are the source of many bad con-
| dltlons in the peoples business-the
| government.
| After every election the peoples
servants do. If their servants betray
the confidence reposed in them or show
lack of ability to do their work, the
| people can only wait and trust for
| better next time
How long any sane business man
would allow such a condition, can be
imagined. In the first place no matter
| how able and honest a man is, will any
successful business man hire him for
two, four, or six years to give him alb
sOlute charge of his business and cap
ital, without reserving the right to
overrule him at WILL or discharge him
| if necessary?
| Yet this is exactly what the people
| are doing with their servants, and
| submit to you that a change is abso-
| lutely necessary before they can ex-
| peCt to rule.
| All the reforms in the platform of
the average seeking politician are but
| bats put there to get himself into the
| confidence of the people. After his cleo
| ton does he seek as hard to carry out
| these promises as he did to get the
votes? With the exception of a few,
their prediction promises are never
| heard of after the votes are counted.
| Why not change the government so
the people can annul the election of
! these fellows?
! If this was done, those who sought
I
such conservative things as really
needed attention for the best interest
of majority. AS it is, the politicians
are continuously raising issues to pop
ularize and empower themselves to the
| detriment of business.
! The average citizen don't know what
the average politician is going to do
| next.
The people as a whole merely look
| on and favor the fellow that appears
! to do be trying to do something for
| them, no matter whether or not they
| are impressed with his wisdom, for this
| is all they can do. Their powers ended
when they elected him.
This is not the way farming, manu-
! featuring, merchandising or any other
| private or corporate business is con-
| Quoted and 1t should not be the way
| the peoples business is conducted, but
it is. The government has simply been
turned over to the politicians without
reserVlng any control over them and in
| hundreds of cases the honest business
man has to bride them to let him alone,
while in thousands of cases the dis
! honest business man brides them TO
! give him special favors.
| Whole legislative majorities are thus
| bought, as we all know, either by cash
| or secret influence.
| If, however the initiative, referen-
dunn and recall features of government
! were in force, the spot light would be
| thrown on all public matters.
| Secret caucuses would disappear.
The market for votes would also dis
appear.
The politician might agree to sell,
! but the buyers would know that if the
| people found it out they would annul
! the trade and they wouldn't buy and
| pay for thing that couldn't be de-
| livered
The initiative. referendum and recall
| gives the people more power.
! Public opinion is the great purifier
and this law gives public opinion a
| chance to quietly express itself, with
| out the aid of MOB clamor.
! 1t is the only conservative way.
| No one need fear the whole people
! If a majority decide a thing openly.
it is reasonable to suppose it is nearest
right.
1t thus opens the door for the at
tainment of the highest civic ideals.
| 1t will force dishonest men and dis
| honest methods to the ground and keep
! them there.
| With the possible exception of the
! recall of the judges there are no legiti-
mate reasons against its adoption. Per
! sOnally. l would be willing to eliminate
! the judges from its provisions, until
such time, if ever, it became necessary
! to include them.
| AS Jn6 primary SOulueu the Ceatl
| knell of pre-fiXed and ring controlled
nominations, so the initiative, referen-
dunn and recall will sound the death
| knell of pre-fiXed and ring controlled
! legislation.
! The day of the willy politician who
would sell the birthright of himself and
! his brother for mess of pottage is
about over.
! In his place is soon to arise the
! honest teacher, who will lead his peo-
pie into paths of righteousness and
prosperity and whom the people Will
delight to honor.
! Our civilization is the product Of no
one class, but is the product of all the
people.
Let him who is afraid to trust the
people get away from America and
! especially away from Florida, the
fairest daughter of all. Let him be
take himself to Russia or some other
dark land, ruled by a monarch and his
! cohorts.
Let AS see that from henceforth no
man goes forth TO Washington or Tai
| lahassee unrledged to this work
You can fool some Of the people all
of the time. and all of the people some
| Of the time. but you can't all of the
people all of the time"
| Lincoln could have truthfully said
also, 1T is hard to fool a majority Of