The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-10-18


particular interest to WASHINGTON voters.
November the voters of this state will
approve or reject constitutional amend
ments providing for the initiative. refer
endum and recall. The proposed amend
lhents are weak in two places, i. e., they
ldo not allow the voters to initiate and
refer to popular vote, constitutional
amendments. nor does the recall apply
to the judiciary. This should not cause.
however a single voter to vote against
the proposed amendments. Determined
efforts will be made at the next legisla-
tive session to remedy the defects and
the sentiment expressed by a majority
OF legislative candidates is favorable to
success. In all other respects save the
exceptions noted the law is exceptionally
strong. The percentage necessary to in
ltiate IS low enough to put the law easily
within the grasp of the people The
interests are at last aroused and are
fighting the passage of this amendment
They would fight any direct legislation
measure that had teeth in it. Friends
of direct legislation are urged to vote
for this measure. The writer of the fol
lowing article is the national field sec
retary of the National Referendum
League and probably the best posted
man on direct legislation in the United
States.)
By Judson King,
In his timely and valuable article on
the "Intative, Referendum and Recall'
in the August American Federationist,
President Gompers pointed out that the
American Federation Of Labor was the
first body of organized men in the United
States Officially to endorse direct legis-
lation and to demand that the initiative,
referendum and recall be added to the
political tool-chest of the people. That
action was taken at the Philadelphia
convention on December II, 1892, and
ever since then organized labor has been
the most powerful continuous force bat
Ting for these reforms. In 1892 labor
could not get the old party politicians
within a mile of a pledge to support di-
rect legislation, save in rare instances.
In 1912 thousands of old party and new
party politicians are imploring the vot-
ers to elect them to state legislatures,
or make them governors, presidents, or
what not, because they are in favor of
the initiative and referendum.
Organized labor in thousands of cleo
toral districts is now questioning candi-
dates how they stand on this issue, and
whether they will, if elected submit to a
vote of the people amendments to their
state constitutions providing for the in
itative and referendum, and it is safe to
say that in a ajority of instances they
will get an affirmative answer. The
stone which the politicians once rejected
has become the threshold of entrance to
the political temple.
But it is of the utmost Importance at
this time TO ascertain what kind of an
initiative and referendum amendment
the candidate favors. 1t is not enough
to stop with gaining mere assent to
"the principle" 1t makes no difference
how much man shouts for "the rule of
the people," if he refuses to support an
honest workable, amendment which eX-
perience shows to be just and right, he
must for practical purposes be regarded
as unfriendly to the initiative and refer
endum.
An examination of the actual workings
of the initiative and referendum in the
states where it is now in operation, Will
demonstrate that it is one thing to have
"the principle in the state constitution
and auite another to have a system
which is workable and with which the
voters can do business. The initiative
and referendum is a piece OF political
machinery as easy to put out of COM
mission as to "p" page of type. An
ordinary statute law can be amended by
the legislature. To change the initiative
and referendum requires an amendment
to the constitution, and involves a fight
as difficult as to get it adopted in the
first place. Moreover it often takes
many years to demonstrate the harm
done by iokers and to remedy them. IL
has taken one hundred years to convince
the American people that the checks
and balances" of the constitution are
responsible for much of the mls-repre-
sentative government we have had. we
are finding it out now to the distress OF
our health, happiness and pocketbooks'
The clever corporation lobbyists do
not ask that "checks and balances be
nlaced in the initiative and referendum
II is safeguards and restrictions" when
tbev want now, but they are playing the
same old game under a new name.
The forces of organized labor, particu-
larly the legislative committees, must
look out for those Safeguards and re-
strictions." When candidates states
that he is 'in favor of the principle oil
the initiative and referendum, but mas
not made up his mind" as to the par
ticular provisions, it is time to put a
question mark after his name right on
the spot, and at the first opportunity tc
have a heart to talk with him as to just
what he means. If you want to get
right at the real vital elements of a
workable initiative and referendum with
him, let me suggest
Five Initiative and Referendum Ques'
tions for Candidates.
l. win you vote to apply the initia'