The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-02-25

other sections of the country. What
do they meany
The initiative means the power given
the people 10 initiate the enactment OF
laws fol- their own government The
method of the initiative may be any
one OF several. either 10y petition to
the legislature. by ballot or any other
workable method of letting the people
say to the Legislators whether thcy
want them Ia take action on proposals
or no or whether proposals shall take
the from OF law wnen IL has the sane
| tion OF majority OF the people with
out reference To the Legislature. The
machinery tor putting the method into
effect is OF various brands; very i'm
perfect and very divergent as yet for
the initiative has not been tried ~ any
great extent.
/ The initiative has not yet taken on
serious aspect as regards such an ex-
tended municipality as the state but 1t
is very prominent in smaller munich
palities such as cities, townships and
counties.
The referendum means that proposals
for laws by the Legislature be referred
TO the people, when there is any ques'
ton Of their being acceptable to the
majority. for popular expression
through the ballot whether or no the
law shall become operative.
The recall means that the people,
having chosen person TO office may
upon certain conditions, by vote. re-
call him from office The recall is al
ready ia operation in some Of the
western states and recently "a mayor
ia one OF the Pacific coast cities was
oustod from Office through the recall
In short. the initiative, referendum
ana recall are methods devised to
bring the governing body closer TO the
people, with the ultimate object of
making the people the immediate gov
errors Are they right No one can
honestly gain say. Is the time ripe
for them That is another question,
The public schools are gradually do
ing their work and the governing class
is going to be greatly extended as the
years roll by and intelligence is substi
tuted for ignorance.
We are in new period in the eyolu
tion of popular government in which
the three words Enumerated in the
opening sentence Is going 10 play a
very important part
The first epoch of our government
was that Immediately following the a
doption Of the constitution when the
governin class mlstrusted the people
and safeguards were placed about the
government by it's founders because
they feared the people when the Fed
eralists represented by Washington,
Adams, Hamilton and others sought
government that gust Of popular pas
sion would not sweep aside IL was a
popular government only in name
Then came the French revolution
aud the further extension of popular
government in this country under the
leadership Of Jefferson which came. in
time, to te manipulated by the sCuther-
ners for their own end and a slave
was substituted for the old
federal oligarchy af the Alien and Sc |
dition period.
: The war between the sections evsled !
that olgarchy and popular government
was again widely extended, this time |
TO end In a commercial oligarchy being |
for that of the southern
slave owners
We are at the threshold of the new |
epoch The stirring times Of tho past
few years have lessened the grip Of |
the commercial oIigatohy upor the
throats of the country. Government |
regulation Is "a certain as that tomor-
rows sun will shine The initiative.
and recall ara heing substi
tuted for the bayonets and cannons of
the civil war period the battle is one
Of brains and confidence There will
be many rash aud disasterJus cam.
oaigns bat the Guiding Hand which
has shaped our destiny in the past will
TO mould our progress in The
future and in the end the question
will be settled for the best.
Those who rail at the new movement
are wasting their political lives in
a reckless abandon OF righteousness
those who foist ii to ride into popular
favor are the worst enemies 10 4 final
solution. Those who study carefully
and step cautiously are the ones TO
whom this movement must look TO for
success
ea---s---s.-.--sss---r,s-----s
Theodore Roosevelt Is for Chase :.
Osborn for president III 1912 This