Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-08-11
Initiative Aud Referendum.
SHALL The PEOPLE RULEH

sututlon OF Maryland:
That all government of right originates
from the people. is founded in compact
only, and instituted solely for the good of
the whole; and they have. at all times.
the inalienable right to alter. reform, or
abolish their Form of Government in such
manner as they may deem expedient."
"A government of the People. by the
People and for the People. A Lincoln.
Many intelligent students of political
affairs in this country and in this State
have reached the conclusion that the adop-
ton of the Initiative and Referendum would
be decidedly helpful in bringing about
better political conditions.
REFERENDUM
The Referendum is a device by which
the people are able to keep a grip on
their representatives after they have been
elected. Hitherto the only way to control
the average legislator was to bind him with
promises before his election, or threaten to
defeat him if he dared to run for re-elec-
ton. Too frequently the pledges and the
fear of defeat have not been strong enough
to prevent Legislators from sacrificing the
rights of the people at the demand of COM
mercial or political organizations that we're
big enough to protect and reward their
friends The Referendum proposes to
change all this by giving the people the
right to veto any bill which the legislature
passes.
II is not hard matter to provide for
such veto power Ii calls for a constitu-
tional amendment, of course, but the
amendment itself is a simple one. 1t
merely provides that if the people do not
like any bill passed by the legislature they
may sign petitions demanding vote on
this bill. If these petitions are signed by
per cent, of the registered voters-thatis
in Maryland by about 10,0O0-the law
does not 90 into effect until after the next
general election and at that election the
adoption of the law is submitted to the
voters in the same way that constitutional
amendment is now submitted, and the ac-
ton Of the voters is final.
INITIATIVE.
| The Referendum is a way to keep the
legislature from passing laws the people
do not want, and the Initiative is a way
to secure the laws the people do want
Under the present system the majority of
the voters in the State may favor a par
ticular law, but that does not mean that a
majority Of the men elected to the legisla-
ture will favor that law, particularly if it
is opposed by strong financial or political
influence. The Initiative cures all this in
a very simple way. It provides that voters
who desire the passage of particular law
shall forward petitions to the Secretary of
State before the meeting of the legislature.
If these petitions are signed by 8 per cent
of the registered vOteTs-that is in Mary
land by about 16,000-the Secretary of
State must submit the law asked for to the
legislature as soon as il meets. If the
Legislature passes the law, well and good
If it refuses to pass the law, the question of
its adoption goes on the ballot at the next
| general election, and the decision of the
| people is final. If the legislature mOdifies
or amends the law petitioned for, or enacts
another law in place of it. the whole ques-
ton goes before the people at the next
general election in such a way that they
decide first whether there shall be any
legislation on the subject or not and
secondly, which of the two forms of the
law they prefer
If the Initiative and Referendum were
now presented for the first time by some
group Of theoretical cranks without knOwl-
edge of practical politics, we should expect
to hear them denounced as unavoidable /;
all right in theory, but bound to fail if
actually tried. But as a matter of fact
neither the Initiative nor the Referendum
used in the Swiss republic for nearly
half century, and the Initiative for nine
teen years. They have been used in this
country as well. South Dakota has had
them since 1898. Utah since 1900, OREGON
since 1902. Montana since 1906, Oklahoma
since 1907, Maine and Missouri since 1908,
and Arkansas and Colorado were added TO
the list at the last election. The Initiative
and Referendum have also been given q
thorough trial in this country in city affairs.
and have also been adopted as part of the
charter in San Francisco, Berkeley Sacre-
mento, Pasadena, Los Angeles and other
California towns in Portland, Oregon in
Seattle. Spokane and Everett, State Of
Washington in lewiston. Idaho; In Hav-
erhill. Gloucester and Brooklne. Mass. in
Kansas City and St. JOsephs. Missouri
in Omaha and Lincoln. Nebraska in Dem
yer and Colorado Springs. Colorado; in
Keokuk. Burlington. Des Moines and Cedar
Rapids, Iowa in Wilmington, Delaware
in LeavenwOrth. Kansas City and Topeka,
Kan in Newport. Rhode Island This is in
no sense complete list, but Is indicative
Of the strength which the movement has
acquired IL will doubtless be an item of
interest to many Marylanders to know that
two towns in Maryland, Mt. Rainier and
Hyattsville have recently been granted the
Initiative and Referendum. II Is worth
while TO note that | have not been able TO
discover any city. nation or State that has
abandoned the Initiative and Referendum
after fair trial
WHAT Is To BE GAINED BY THESE CHANGES
The first and most important gain under
the Initiative is that il gives to the voter
the right TO express his opinion on the
questions in which he is interested. Now
all he can do is to choose between two
parties and when he votes for party he
votes for everything In that party platform.
no matter whether he approves 1t or not.
The Initiative gives a man a chance 10
vote for the law he wants, no matter
whether his party has promised ii or not.
II puts the power 10 make laws back in the
hands of the people where 1t belongs. II
is distinct step forward toward genuine
popular government.
The Initiative is also powerful weapon
against graft. Many people believe that
corporations that had big interests at
stake have not hestated 10 buy the control
Of legislatures and in that way prevent
the passage Of restrictive legislation de-
manded by the people. With the Initiative
once established there will be no further
purchase Of Legislators for such purposes.
II would be a waste Of money TO bride a
legislator TO defeat a bill which the people
could promptly enact in spite Of such
defeat.
In the same way the Referendum makes
it absolutely foolish to spend money TO
secure the passage Of a bill by the legisla-
tuTe. because no matter what the legisla-
ture does the people have the final voice
and can defeat the Legislation II II is
unpopular without regard 10 any amount
Of money that may have been spent in
securing its passage. Even in cases where
there is no charge Of graft the Referendum
is important. In the last session Of the
Maryland Legislature one Of the most bitter
fights was on the repeal Of certain corpora
ton legislation. and the question Of this
repeal was never raised until long after
the platforms had been made and members
Of the legislature elected. Whatever we
may believe. no one knows whether the
decision reached by the legislature was in