The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-12

conscience and show that you are ,
big man, progressive man. mar
who believes that the city government
shall be by the people and for the
people.
i Render your supreme service to
Richmond tonight By voting for the
unamcndcd ordinance.
| -----r-s==--
DIRECT LEGISLATION IN CALL
FOKNlA.
| Like tho dog that caught tho train.
| California does not know what to do
! with its direct legislation. How great
| the burden OF direct legislation has
been upon the voters ana how slight
the good 1t has accomplished are en-
| phaszed in a letter from Pulo Alto.
Cal. to the New York Evening Post.
Tho writer of this letter. ii. l. Smith,
states that In November, 1910, the peo-
PIE adopted eight amendments 10 the
| Constitution of California, aggregutins
about four thousand words Eleven
months later, III October, 1911. they
voted OF twenty-three amendments TO
me same Constitution, aggregating
| above fifteen thousand words, Now.
the Constitution. which had been
+. passed in 1879 was very voluninous
ana explicit document. requiring some
twenty-two thousand words In all
to set forth the organic law. of Cali
fornia. yet the Federal Constitution of
me United states only amounts. with.
out amendments, TO four thousand
words. That is, California. in two
elections and by thirty enactments.
amended Constitution five times AZ
long as the Constitution OF the United
States 10y matter that was nearly five
times as long.
One OF the amendments, AS Mr..
Smith points out, which has lust been
adopted, contains three thousand six
hundred words, and three OF them
above two thousand. Some OF the sub
Jccts passed upon were tho initiative,
me referendum, the recall of Judges,
"ohan suffrage, and compulsory re
cess OF thirty days Tor the Legislature
after the bulk of bills have been in
'roduced. The result of this wholesale
amendment has been to SO alter the
fundamental structure of the State
mat no one can say whether the exist
Ing laws really represent the Will OF
the intelligent voters.
Nor Is 4, difficult 40 sec why this
is 50, since four hundred thousand
electors can hardly digcs, the true
intent and meaning OF a broadside
3SN25 inches in size, sent out By the
Secretary of State. Along with this
went supplemental sheet aiaXl2iG
Inches. and these TWO papers contain
the proposed amendments and The ar
guments FOR ana against Them The
sheets were dcnsely printed, and moth
ING but the most earnest and inteIii.
gent patriot had either the sense or
The courage 10 attack that mass Of
crowded letters and figures.
No one, according TO Mr.. Smith. has
yet Seon found who even claims 10
nave read the whole sheet.
Now, what was the result OF this
vast burden imposed upon the electors ?
Did the people rejoice IN the freedom
OF the referendum? Was the mtelu-
sehce OF the public emphasized, ana
We're the laws OF California ma
,erially improved? The figures thai,
Mr.. Smith gives in answer to these
questions are illuminaiive.
The total vote for Governor in No
Nember. 1910, when the first eight
amendments were adopted" says Mr.
Smith, was 3S5,71S. Tho vote al the
recen; election ranges from 2is,4S7
down 10 1878, say. from "a per cent.
10 90 per cent. OF the gubernatorial
vote in the preceding November only
INC interest IN the suffrage movement
sept the vote as high as it was Even
So 30 per cent. oil the people pissed
Eolhme OF legislation on such topics
besides the ones already mentioned,
as weights and measures, eminent do
main, legal procedure, compensation
lof accident. civil service. changes IN
school text books, elections, railway
passes. clerks OF courts. The woman
suffrage amendment was carried by less
than y per cent. of the less thuu "a
per cent of the electorate who voted
on II. With tile exception of non
contentious amendments, the largest
vote. - per cent, OF the whole cast on
II, was given to the provision for Inc
recall OF all elective officers, which!
includes judges.
On the other hand an amendment
which Mr.. Smith characterizes as