The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-10-17
Makes Radical Change.

In her recent election California,
by an Overwhelming majority, de-
clared for the iniative. the referen-
dunn and the recall, thelater includ-
ing judges and all o tber officials of
the State and counties. This means
radical change in the constitution
Of the State. In addition to the In
above mentioned, they
have also by the amendments passed
Incorporated the application of civil
service rules to city government and
to appointive State offices in their
constitution.
The meaning of the election is
that the people believe that old ways
Of government, State and municipal
have in part failed ana thai the ma
tural recourse is for The people to
take back to themselves important
powers that they have delegated to
the government. While the proba-
bility is large that III this resump-
ton of direct government by the peo-
pie there will be some blundering,
the wisdom of the resumption may
be vindicated. At all events, condi-
tions under the changes to te made,
can't be any worse than they are
now.
"PrimaSily, of course, says the
State, government springs from the
people and is for the people. There
may be a point at which forms and
methods fail and when 1t. Is, reached,
in the opinion of the people, 1t Is
their duty to tear down and rebuild"
This condition has existed in Cali
fornia for years, the same as it ex-
lists in other States, but sooner or
later, the people will take charge in
al. of them. They are tired of boss
rule, and it. has to go. Revolutions
lever go b.lckws rds.
= AS the siate says re President
powerless to comprehend the breadth
and depth of the popular reVolu-
ton that is proceeding in the
West and,viewing through his East
ern rnagnifying glasse5 a single func-
ton of government, he assumed to
legislate for he peoplA Of Arizona in
respect to 1T. Now he Is confront
ed with the fact that in commanding
a wavelet to recede in Arizona he
was placing himself in the path or
billow rolling over half dozen great
States and that it is too late for him
to step aside and escape its crush
ing force"
Mourning that California "decit-
ing in haste" will repent at leisure
the New York World remembers that
direct government ended in disaster
in Athens but, says The State, "The
World forgets that many change
towards direct government has been
made in the Unied States without
mishap. The devic, T the electoral
college was design i to save the
presidency itself from direct govern
ment, yet the people virtually can
celled it's original functions, convert
ing into a mere recording machine
of the popular pleasure.
President Taft and the World
seem to think that no State should
dare take a step that has not been
taken before yet" says The State,
:'we have in New York City, the re-
cord of thirty or forty years OF Ia
mertatons from the press that NUM-
cipal government is altogether bad.
Scarcely had day passed in quar-
ter of a century that the New York
World has not despaired OF New
York City, at this moment it rails at
Tarnmany in mingled terror and rage
but when California, with the aim
of correcting similar evils, strikes
straight at their heart, The World is
seized with commissions"
That is a complete knock out for
The World. The trolble with Presi-
dent Taft and the World Is that they
fear hat the iniative, the referendum
and the recall will give the people
too much power, and that they might
Use it to interfere with the "big busi-
ness" of the country, which Presi-
dent Taft and The World both aid
and abet in it's raids on the public
They want a strong government in
which the people Will have little or
no voice. But the day for that is
gone. The revolution is abroad in
the land, and it will go on until the
people are completely in the saddle,
and all officials from the highest
to the lowesl will realize that they
are responsible to them for their
acts.