Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-05-26
THE BALLOT PROBLEM.

ago, eleven measures were submitted
to the voters of Oregon under the
initiative and referendum. Two
years later, the number had increased
to nineteen. At the general election
held last November, the voter was
obliged to wade through ballot con-
tanning 32 proposed measures and
about the size of an ordinary horse
blanket. Now with election day more
than one year ahead, comes news
from the Secretary of States office
that eleven measures have been filed
for a place on the ballot, as against
only eight measures at this time pre-
ceding the last election. At this rate
of increase, no one knows how large
next years ballot may be. 1t may
contain fifty measures, and it may
contain five hundred. In the face of
this increase, how idle the argument
in favor of a restricted use Of the in
itiative and referendum How impo-
tent the plea for resort to the use
of this power only in cases of emer-
gency or of great public need!
1t will be noted that the fault
finding and criticism and the plea for
safe and sane" use of the law is
not coming from the element that
opposed its adoption, but rather from
among those citizens who have played
a leading part in the movement to
fasten this revolutionary system of
lawmaking upon the country. Here
we have Governor Woodrow Wilson,
all the way from New Jersey, telling
us what a grand good thing we have
in the initiative and referendum, but
urging us to be reasonable in its use.
And who, pray, is to decide what is
reasonable? Who is to say in ad-
vance what laws are needed, or would
be acceptable, to the people of the
state? Why has not one man just as
good a right to propose law as an
other? And why should not all be
given an equal hearing? Is 1t argued
that reason" demands limit to the
number of measures to be placed upon
the ballot at any one election? Is
the power of the sovereign people to
be expressed in mere numerals? II
any one of these theorists or faddists
entertalns any such notion, let him go
before the voters of Oregon in their
present mood, with an amendment to
limit ballot measures to five, ten, or
any other number. and see how
quickly he will be given to understand
that the people are supreme and that
they reserve the right at any and all ,
elections to submit that many meas
lres, and as many more as they darn n
please. !
Another source of agitation Is
'ound by these would-be reformers in
he large number of names of candi- '
iates found upon the ballot since
Idoption of the direct primary law.
These erstwhile promoters Of a "free
or all'' primary are now advocating
he short ballot-whatever that may
'e. But again they leave us in the "A
lark. Who is to decide just how long
he ballot should be? How short is
hort ballot? How many names -
hould 1t contain? If the direct pri-
nary was adopted to give every aspir-
lg candidate an opportunity to run
Or office. how are we to regulate the
myth of the ballot without violating !"
ne very spirit of the new law? What "a
spirants shall We encourage, and ~
hlch ones shall we squelch? VI
1t is evident that there is some -
ling wrong with the oregon system vi
ven If II is true that 1t is the BEST 80
ystem on Earth" We have recently IFS
ad II upon the authority of two no
IS important personages than Gov III
nor Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt ni'
Iat the system is all right, but that ui
needs fixing. But who is to fix It?
nd how is It to be fixed? New Jer-
US scholarly Governor does not tell
l. and Il is noticeable that here is st,
lie subject upon which the loquacious IN,
,ddy is silent In the absence of any
tempt on the part of these two bio
ave and patriotic defenders OF the Ro
-egon system to suggest satlsfac- o'c
~ elimination OF the undesirable 10,
atures OF which they complain, the Ion
spicion arises that they have no me
questions TO offer. IL win be use a..
is to look to Mr. U'Ren for assist lin,
ce. for II is evident that he consid- Jey
) these laws as nearly perfect as hui Fui
IN Ingenuity could make them. The PA
nd and doting father cannot be ex- !
cted TO see the flaws and imperfec- inv
ms In his own children. pro
What. then. are we to do9 The OF
server must confess that It sees no Co,
y out OF the predicament in which sto,
egon just now finds itself. II would Cor
m that the Initiative and referen- lar,
m and the direct primary are here abo
stay, but this newspaper cannot OF
the life Of Il see how the power ma,
the people under these laws can be We
tricted without violating the very mo-
ence and spirit OF the laws them sais
ves. ara
cert
Much OF the talk We are now hear am,