The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-01
is Modelled on Provision in
Oklahoma Constitution,
Conferring Peoples
Rule
Representative Bent Offers
Referendum Bill to Apply
to Charter Amendments
and Bond Issues in
Bridgeport
Mcneil Says that Principles
of His Bill Are Accepted
in Many States and Fav-
ored by United States
Senators and Numerous
Governors.
Especial to The Farmer.)

Hartford, Feb. 1-Connecticut is to
have its share in the great movement
which is in progress throughout the
United States to restore government
to the people by giving the electors
a direct voice in the proposal and re-
jection Of legislation by the initia-
tive and referendum.
The formidable quality Of this move
ment is recognized by the representa-
tives of the interests here, who only
hope to stave off the inevitable, at
the latest, until the next session Of the
General Assembly.
This morning Senator Archibald Nc
Neil, Jr., introduced into the Senate a
bill proposing an amendment to the
constitution for the initiative and ref
erendum. The bill Is. modelled upon
the Oklahoma amendment, which has
given excellent satisfaction in that
State.
1t is supplementary to the bill for
the advisory initiative and referen-
dunn which Senator Mcneil offered a
few days since.
These general bills were supplement-
ed In the House by a bill offered by
Representative w. w. Bent OF
Bridgeport. proposing an amendment
1t is provided that no amendment to
the chatter, Or bill authorizing the city
to create a debt by bonds or other
wise, or any bill increasing salary
charges against the city, shall be ef-
fective until within 80 days after the
adjournment Of the General Assembly,
and not until they are approved by
"a majority of the electors, if ten per
cent Of the electors shall petition for
theif. submission,
Said Senator Mcneil in explaining
his proposed amendment to the con-
stitution providing for the initiative
and referendum:
people is not merely a shibboleth in
the United States. Temporarily per-
haps the people have lost sight of
their rights as law makers, through
the difficulty in amending the con-
stitutions, but this right has now been
brought close to them in some states
and promises to be brought close to
them in several other states this year.
My amendment is based upon the
constitutional provision granting. the
initiative and referendum in Oklaho-
ma. This is very similar to the pro-
vision existing in the constitution of
Oregon. One is a Republican and
the other Democratic state, as
might be expected, seeing that the
matter is in no sense partisan, nor the
doctrine of any particular party. Gov
ernor Foss of Massachusetts, in his re-
cent message enjoined upon the legis-
lature a resolve for a constitutional
amendment for the initiative and ref
erendum. There can be no possible
objection to these powers if we be-
live in the right and the capacity Of
the people to govern themselves, said
Governor Foss. McGovern of Wis
consin, Stubbs of Kansas, Osborn Of
Michigan and Johnson Of California,
in recent messages have enjoined up
on the legislatures of their states the
duty of providing the powers of ini-
tiative and referendum by constitu
tional. enactment. In this direction
is the declaration Of the Republican
Progressive League, recently made,
formed by nine United States Sena-
tors and six governors of states and
endum Is basic reform imperatively
demanded by the people. Yet. IN
case there are any in this state who
do not trust the people, I will say that
there is no immediate occasion to
tremble. The regular method OF
pie time for thought. Any change
must be proposed by majority OF
our General Assembly, must be print
ed with the laws and must then be
adopted by two-thirds of the sue
ceeding general assembly before the
people may signify their will regard
ing 1t.
I shall ask the General Assembly
to propose the amendment for the in
itiative and referendum as offered by
me, and thus put itself as much as it
can in line with legislation in sister
states and in line with political pro-
gress in the Twentieth century. In
order that the amendment may not
be prejudiced by those who might
claim it would be used to alter the
historic system of representation I
have inserted a clause providing that
neither of the powers shall ever be
used to change the method of elect
ing representatives as now provided
by the constitution.
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