The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1911-03-31
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FROM THE FIELD.


NV ancestors were NludhtIF' It
well known fact that the commun-
iesnts of that church when they as
semble at their house of worship
may sit the hour out without word
being spoken. At other times the
spirit of prophecy is upon them and
their services are pretty much the
same as those of other sects | can
preach only when the spirit is upon
me I believe if all speakers and
writer's would only give utterance to
such thoughts as force themselves
unon them we would not be sub
jected to the burden of listening 20
so many dry perfunctory DISCOURSE
| am impressed tonight with the con-
q viction that / should eschew the
realm of morals and religion and
gambol for awhile in the fl Id of
politics. / find many of my parish
toner's disposed to spurn any soS-
gestcd scheme of government if some
leader in whom they have confidence
asnounces it as being populistic or
socialistic I find many to be the
10 dest in condemnation of that
about which they know the least
The political atmosphere is full of
discussion at present concerning the
initiative, the referendum and the re-
call caused largely by the United
states Senate refusing to ratify the
proposed Constitution of A riZona
because they knew the people of that
common wealth did not have sense
enough to know what would be for
inf of
ment 1t looks a little presumptuOus
for me to define these three high |
sounding but harmless words. but /
for fear some of my brethren have
not given any time to an investiga-
non I am impressed with the idea
that il is my duty to define what
they mean when applied to politics
The first / heard of them was from
our populst friends. ! like many
others tossed them aside as vagaries
of the enthusiast as we did the idea T.
OF free rural mail delivery and many
other populistic vagaries which we
now have and have enjoyed so long
that we have forgotten but that we
originated the idea ourselves. As /
understand the initiative in politics -.
il means that when the people be- r
,oue convinced that the welfare of =,
be masses demands a change by
way of repeal or amendment of an
existing law or the enactment of
/ new law they by ballot instruct
heir representatives accordingly We
nave provision on our Texas stat
utes passed for the temporary use
n rfy "a 4
prohibition element of said party 1t
nae served its purpose in that 1T has
forced the submission OF the much
discussed constitutional amendment
and will probably never be heard on
lkst4--ttfrr1tff II the 1uestion shall come
up for settlement again. The retef-
eodum provides that the legislature -
or other quasi legislative bodies shail -
before enacting a law of far reach
ing eject submit it to the Judgment W
Of their constituents for acceptance '
DR. rejection A bond issue i'm p
county or city is by the initiative / =,
md referendum. A petition Is pre- "
rented to the commissioners or coun-
sil and the question is submitted to
the voters. The recall means that N
when the people elect an official d
and he proves incompetent or I'LL
any manner recreant to his trust
they may recall him, relegate him p
to the ranks, bounce him, or take
his commission away from him and
substitute some one else. These are
only roughly draughted definitions
OF these terms but ] hone plain
enough to be understood. The ques-
lt- al
citizens is should all or any OF these
governmental schemes be tried. 1T
seems to me that when another
question is submitted to the salts
faction of the sovereigns of the sol!
the answer to the first is simple
That is are we as a people capable OF
self government? Are we sufficient
" intelligent to be permitted TO de-
eide for ourselves what kind OF law
we will be governed by? This quos-
ton answered in the affirmative /
logically leads to the inevitable con
elusion that we are entitled to the
initiative, referendum and recall IL
no is the proper reply TO this inter
rogatory then the success of the
American revolution was mistake
and the American eagle that is said /
In his lofty flight 10 represent I
American freedom ought TO be shot
Old Glory should be torn down, % p
pluribus unum" should be taken
from our seal, we should step aside
and tell George V to send us a gov
ernor general If We are not capa-
BILE OF originating and ratifying our /
(. ftN