The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-05
TAKING POWER FROM VOTERS

There is quite a general movement
throughout the United States to relieve
the voters as much as possible of the
trouble of governing themselves; in
fact the effort to Cure the old evils
has taken two exactly different forms.
over to the people the functions which
have heretofore been intrusted TO leeis.
islative bodies, or to officials elected by
the people The movement to relieve
the public of as much participation as
possible in the public affairs of the
community or State takes also double
form. One branch of it is expressed
IN the commission form OF city govern
ment. and the other in the short ballot
for county and State purposes. The
commission form of government re.
duces the number OF elective officials
IN the city (besides an auditor or treas.
urer at times) TO form three to five, as
the case may be. intrusting to these
three or FIVE commissioners all the func.
tons of government, and allowing them
to appoint such aids as are necessary.
IN order that they may pursue their au.
tocratic administration in a way to suit
themselves. The people are allowed to
elect these commissioners, and the com.
mlssioners do all the rest
The other form of this lifting of the
burden of government off the people, IN
volved in the short ballot propaganda,
allows the people to elect a few Off
GERS for the county or the State. or anv
given district; these officers, when so
chosen. TO make appointments to suit
themselves and run things in their own
way. The people, under this short bal
lot idea, are to have as little TO saw as
possible about whom they will choose
TO serve them; this under the pretense
that they cannot possibly know the long
lists of candidates presented. But. as
a matter OF fact, tho people know
good deal more about candidates than
they are credited with. and the idea
that they shall be allowed TO elect ONLY
II few arbitrary despots. and intrust
these despots with the public business,
is directly contrary 10 the basic ideas
of popular government.
This short ballot propaganda is
doubtless responsible for the contrary
idea of the recall as applied to officers
elected by the people, either for short
or for long terms. Manifestly, If the
people are to elect few despots TO
rule them, there must be some way of
getting at those despots if they exercise
their privileges too hard. Therefore.
the recall comes in as a check.
The other contrary proposition, TO
the deprivation of the people Of their
right to popular rule, takes the form
Of the initiative and referendum. These
latter are meant more or less to dis
place or be check upon legislative ac
ton. In the initiative the people are.
under certain forms Of law and restric.
lions, allowed TO propose legislation,
and to carry it through under the guild
ance provided in the law giving it ef.
feet. The referendum is supposed to
DC check upon what might be vicious
or extrayagant legislation, by forbid
ling that legislation TO 90 into effect
until 1t is approved by a vote of the
people This is the referendum. It
must be confessed, however, that the
referendum proposition so far as Utah
s concerned, is a pretty bad failure.
since so few vote upon referendum
propositions. Last fall, for example.
we had five constitutional amendments
to the people for ratification.
they all carried by vote so very small
as to be, in fact, contemplate. The
fifth was carried by vote of less than
one-elghth of the total vote poIled
which is surely most unsatisfactory
way Of amending the constitution.
Still, that is the way we have: if only
nalf dozen votes were polled, and
our OF these votes were polled in favor
If an amendment, the amendment would
larry. But surely referendum which
calls out so light vote can hardly be
as much of check upon the
legislature.