The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-08-04
|a0R|DA'S COOL
|. SUMMER TIME
8, State will Yet Become a Sum-
nor as Well as Winter Resort
NORTH TAKING NOTICE
\, Yorker Expresses Opinion of Sum-
u.,ioflorida, After a Residence in The
Stale During Past Thirteen Years


Ous Of the most important measures
.s,iog both houses of the last Legis-
, sV was the question Of submitting
The qualified voters of the State for
Mir acceptance or refusal of the mi
s,tye and referendum clause in the
t,tp constitution. This measure pass
4 the Senate by vote Of ~ to 8, and
Nor being certified to the House,
1s adopted by that branch. The diff
Trent Arguments against the measure
resented in the Senate were quite in
i,feting to those who had given the
mstiOn some thought. Senators
tourney, Dayton and Henderson claim
n that il was not a Democratic meas
Ne and not according to the Jetfer-
tOan idea of Democracy, another
Senator went so far as to make a
sstement that the doctrine of the in
native and referendum is of anarchls.
tic and populistic origin.
Whatever the opinion of the Repre-
snatiyes against the passage Of the
iii might be, it is the purpose of this
urle to show that direct Legislation
" the people is the one principle on
which Jetfersonian democracy was
founded, a government of the people,
it he people and by the people, and
viii quote jefferson own words to
blow that the initiative and referen-
aam is purely a Democratic principle.
Thomas jefferson says: "rhe town
meeting is the wisest invention ever
tsyised by the wit of men for the per-
let exercise of self-government. Gov
mments are republican only in pro-
PORTION as they embody the will of the
people and execute it. Were to as
sgn to this term Ia republic) a pre-
t,e and definite idea, | would say
purely and simply it means a govern
nent by its citizens in mass, acting
Directly and personally according to
The rules established by the majority,
,nd that every other government is
more or less republican in proportion
sit has in its composition more or
Iss Of this ingredient OF direct action
diE citizens"
Again he says: 1.-The further the
departure from direct and constant
control by the citizens, the less has the
government Of the ingredient of re-
And again he declares:
And believing as | do That the mass of
The citizens is the safest depository of
their rights, and especially that the
evils flowing from the duperies Of the
people are less injurious than those
from the egotism of their agents. |
'n friend to that composition of
government which has III it the most
y this ingredient, the direct action of
he citizens
NOW in every commonwealth in the
United States with Il very few excep-
IONS direct legislation or the referen-
nm % used to make and unmake their
institutions. If the people can be de-
ended upon to make changes in their
institutions by the referendum vote,
DC fundamental law oil the land. is 1t
81 SILLY for a representative of the peo-
s 10 assure that they nave not sense
uoGgh to pass upon law that the
egslature enacts.
The State of Florida las been some
mat backward in th- rs we'll as any
% all other polite reforms. The
run OF the matter is We have been
sItng entirely too lar away from
0pular government, our Legislators
I've looked out too much for the in.
rests OF the great corporations and
,,fgotten the dear peepdl'who elect
~ mem to make laws for their benefit.
Inc people of the State are beginning
realize that some new departure in
" making must be- reSorted to. We
Allenge those who oppose the initia-
We and referendum TO show that 1t
lsnot proved success in other states.
Ashoma's first constitution contained
= nltlative, referendum and recall OF
'sa the judges; Oregon has adopted 1t
'sls ago and found it successful; Cal
9lnla, after the San Francisco graft
'posure Is now working under it to-
'laer with the recall of State officials;
: Slates of Arkans a, Texas. Colora.
NEBRASKA and Washington have all
unled by its introduction. The
solgla Legislature will. no doubt, give
|. measure consideration during the
esent session.
according to the joint resolution pro.
S'1g amendments to sections, /, IL
y; y !! OF article 3 of the State Con-
'.u!ion, passed by both houses of the
;ss.'slature, the matter will be sub
' " to the electors at the next gen.
- :, election. 1t provides that 20 per
- S.ol the legal voters will have the
! as 81 propose any legislative measure
20 per cent having the right to
.pcse amendments to the constitu-
~, 10y petition, each petition to In
w. me full text of the measure pro-
S The proposed amendments are
leone laws when approved by a
iiys'ty OF the votes cast thereon.