The Stanford interior journal., 1911-03-03
FOUR NEEDED LAWS.

tor the legislature are telling how
strong they are FOR the passage OF
good road laws. and q fairer taxation
system. Both are of paramount i'm.
portance. but there are four other
measures. which ought 10 receive the
highest consideration and in the
event there is a democratic platform
convention held this year. they should
by all means be included in the pla;
form. The most enlightened of the
country today are for these measures
for they bring the government more
closely into the hands fthe massec
than anything else. They are the
initiative. referendum and recall and
direct primaries.
The direct primary principle is un-
derstood by most everyone. II a man
6istrusts the capacity of the people
to govern themselves, he win oppose
the initiative. referendum. and recall.
II he believes in popular government.
he will favor these three measures.
The initiative is the proposal Of a.
new law by petition signedby fixed
percentage OF the voters. In Oregon
per cent OF the voters can propose a
new law, which must then be sub
mitted to all the voters at an election
for rejection OF adoption.
BY the initiative. the people can ace
10 the legislature neglects or refuses
to act II the Representative will not
do what IA wanted. the people can do
do what Il wanted. the people can do
IL themselves. II powerful special In
tcrests, by paid lobbies and inflence
, defeat q popular measure In the Legs
latnre, the people through the initia
Tive, can enact II into law. Special
interests cannot corrupt all the voters
or even majority of the voters. The
initiative Il direct legislation by a ma
ljOrity OF the voters at general or
: special election and after and fair dis
Z cdssion. II IS directly the movement
s Of, by, and for the people.
5. rhe Referendum.
o The referendum is the submission OF
o a proposed law TO the voters. II may be
demanded on petition OF the voters.
or granted voluntarily by the Legiala.
. tture. It recognizes the power Of the
Ieopla to make laws. The constitu-
iion OF Wisconsin was adopted on a
referendum vote. The primary cleo
tion measure became a law on a re-
feTendum vote in 1904. When ali
!. parties recognize the necessity OF the
y referendum on measures OF the high
est Importance. why can IL not be used
10. - nd nHd0rlu rNnnaAura
2 Ito register the will of the people? II
is now so used by scores of City COun'
=, ellis in referring important questions
. to the people. Is -~. "
The Recall.
5 The recall was adopted in Oregon
through the initiative in 1908. by a
a popular vote OF 5s.3Sl TO $1,000. That
! decisive vote shows that the people
want the right, under reasonable limi
tations, OF recalling an unfsithful pub
v lie official. One such limitation Is
the filing OF petition for the recall
. signed by at least 25 per cent OF the
u voter; in the given district at the
preceding election. A special election
e within twenty days determines the re
cali OF such officer and the election nj
;, another who Will truly, represent tbs
: people.
Every firm or corporation employ
a ing an agent at a distance retains the
\ power of recall and summarily uses
- IL in case the agent betrays the In
terests of his principal. The State
= a corporation, but the people arc
: the stockholders and directors and tho
Representative Is the agent who
should truly and fairly represent those
who elected him.
The recall works by threat OF use as
well as by actual use. IN Des Moines
= in 1909, the evident determination tC
u use It Il necessary, caused the hostile
G;ty Council 10 appoint poii5s
marshal who had the confidence OF
v the people. In Los Angeles the city
: Council had voted away three miles
of river bed worth $l,000,0O0. The
9 threat of the recall compelled the city
= Council to rescind that vote and res
n tore the property TO the city. The
!. threat n the recall forced certain
members OF the Oregon Legislature iz
: 1909 to carry our their pIedgeI Ia
n abide by the popular vote for United
States Senator. The power to use
. the recall and the certainty that II
y will Be used II necessary will in most
q cases bring the desired result-she
Q obedience of the Representative "a
. TINS, who elected him