Evening journal., 1911-01-17
URGE The
REFERENDUM
Lawmakers Hear Views of
WilminGtOnianS on the
Subject
WANT LEGISLATURE
TO ACT THIS YEAR

Sitting in City Council chambers
last evening, two Senators and four
! Representative of the Wilmington
representation in the present State
Legislature, heard arguments present
ed by prominent citizens favOring the
! initiative and referendum as to its
applicability to the government of
Wilmington. There were no heated
! arguments, no fist shaking episodes
or like features, but il was simply a
heart to heart talk, and the citizen
who attended doubtless went away
with advanced ideas upon one or more
important matters which might benefit
the city. The legislators who were
/ present were Senators Thomas
Monaghan. Senator Charles r. Miller
and Representatives Thomas NJ.
Gormley, DR.. Thomas o. Cooper, AL
bert B. Moore and Granville p Alex
aneer.
Should the initiative be adopted by
/ the city it would be necessary for
every bill to be presented and filed
with the City Council four months be-
fore the general elections. Printed
copies of each bill would be dis
tributed TO each and every regular
voter in the city. Should fifteen per
cent. of the voters, the per cent TO be
! judged from the highest vote of the
last general elections, wish to have
the measure voted upon, they could
so petition and the entire population
of the city would have a right to a
voice in the disposition-of the bill, and
as soon as it is voted upon by the
people at the elections it becomes a
! law, provided the majority favor the
enactment.
However, should the is per cent
not petition for an initiative vote, and
the measure be passed by the City
Council, it is open for a vote Of the
people any time within ninety days
after its passage, provided in this
case that ten per cent. of the regular
voters so favor the referendum. So
! if a law is passed by the City Coun-
ell without an initiative vote by the
public, it is subject to a referendum
vote by them If the petition, signed
/ by ten per cent of the voters, is filed
within ninety days of its passage. In
| this manner, unless the measures
meet, both before and after their pas
sage, with the favor of the voters oi
the city, they are subject to a vote anC
if found to be unfavorable to the ma.
iority, are liable to elimination.
This is the plan of initiative ant
4 referendum as applied in nine States
of the union and fifty cities with sue
II cess. It is the plan which is supposed
|. ly responsible for the remarkable
growth and splendid government o
Oregon, said by many to be the State
with the greatest and most complete
form OF government, not only in thi.
country, but in the world. Friends
of the movement argue that it gives
every man an equal chance to a vot,
in the passage of a law or I'm its re
lection. Should it be introduced fol
the State government, the per cent
in this case would probably be Is pei
cent on initiative and 10 per cent on
referendum. This, however, was no
i'm any way discussed at last evening
meeting, the arguments being carried
only on the grounds of its applianc,
to this city.
Senator Monaghan Presides.
/ The bill, which will probably bl
| submitted to the Legislature, provides
for the amendment OF the Constitution
section one, article two The meeting
was presided over by Senator MOnag
han, Speaker pro tempOre of the Sen
ate, with Representative Moore acting
as secretary
/ On behalf of the presentees of tn
bill, Francis l. DUPONT spoke to th'
I Legislators first. Mr.. DUPONT said tina
with the present status of affairs II
l Delaware it was almost impossible I,
\ do anything with Wilmington eXcep
through the Legislature and he saiC
that he was presenting the subjec
rather from the viewpoint of the prin
ciple of the matter than from the lega
standpoint, and said that the initiative
and referendum is a principle that Il
coming to be recognized Throughout
the United States.
"It will bring the masses in close
touch with the Legislature" MIR. du
Pont said, land show those who con
tend that they will never understand
the working of the Legislature, tn
chance that they need and place upoi
them the responsibility of government
which will bring to the front all tina
is good and worth while in them. The
will know they have a voice in tn
great government and that it is no
simply up to few chosen Senator
and Representatives
Mr.. DUPONT said that there were Ger
tain objections which had been mad
to the bill I'm its application to vii
mington. One of these was that tn
people are believed not to know wha
J is best for them. Mr.. dupont said tina
with the growing complexity of tn