Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-17
Initiative and Referendum.

IL Wuulu Ub dLuubtHBt were IL uOb %
pathetic, to see the patron saints of
the initiative and referendum, who
we're so loudly proclaiming its virtues
in the last Nebraska campaign, now
hedging and running to cover on the
plan which has been formulated in the
legislature for submission to the peo-
pie. Two great democratic legal
.luminaries. Attorney General Fora
Little-While Arthur F. Mullen and
Vice Chairman Chris Gruenther of the
democratic state committee, ably sup
ported by the local democratic organ,
are frantically endeavoring to con-
vince the Lawmakers that they are
over-stepping their pledge to let the
people rule. The real dificulty they
encounter is to square their present
protests against unconditional initia-
tive and referendum with their former
pen and word pictures OF it's beauties.
The particular points now made are,
first, that the initiative should not in
clude the right to initiate constitu-
tional amendments, and second, that
the referendum should not be availa-
BILE on low percentage petition invit-
ing special interests" to hold up leg
islation enacted tor the public good
But what is the initiative and refer
endum which the people Of Nebraska
we're promised in the late party plat
forms? Is it not the same plan by
which. we were told, Oregon had
achieved ideal popular government?
The Oregon initiative and referendum
is thus described in the famous speech
of Senator Jonathan Bourne, jr.,
claiming for his state the best system
of popular government in the world
today
oregon's initiative and referendum
amendment provides that the people re-
serve TO themselves the power to propose
laws and amendments to the constitution
and to enact or reject the same at the polls
Independent of the legislative assembly.
and also reserve power to approve or reject
at the polls any act Of the legislature. An
initiative petition must be signed by per
cent of the legal voters as shown by the
vote for supreme judge at the last proceed
ing election, and filed with the secretary
OF state not less than four months before
the day OF election. A referendum petition
need be signed by only per cent of the
voters and filed with the secretary OF state
within ninety days after final adjournment
of the legislature which passed the bill ON
which referendum is demanded. The legIs-
lature may itself refer to the people any
act passed by IT, The veto power OF the
governor does not extend to any measure
referred to the people.
If any advance has been made in
the perfection of the initiative and
referendum since oregon's departure
1t is probably to be found in the form
incorporated into the new constitution
of Arizona, to advocate which William
j. Bryan travelled all that distance to
make speeches in its favor. The
Arizona initiative and referendum pro-
vides that under the initiative 10 per
cent of the qualified electors may pro-
pose any legislative measure, and Is
per cent may propose any eonstitu-
tional amendment. Under the refer
endum either the legislature or per
cent OF the qualified electors may
order the submission to the people at
the polls any measure, or item, or sec
ton, or part of any measure. enacted
by the legislature, except laws imme-
diately necessary. for the preservation
OF the public peace. health or safety,
or for the support and maintenance Of
the departments OF state government
and state institutions. II the Arizona
constitution embodying the initiative
and referendum in this form could
command the unqualified endorsement
OF William j. Bryan, naturally the bill
put forward at Lincoln to redeem the
democratic platform pledge in Ne
brasks should command the endorse
ment OF ex-Attorney General Mullen,
Vice Chairman Gruenther and sena-
tor-elect Hitchcock's newspaper.
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