The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-10-24
THE MEANING OF THE INTT1A-
TIVE ' = -

lie state ana national legislative
bodies have shown their betrayal OF
the public welfare in so many instan-
ces, that it has become necessary In
order to subserve the public good and
restore the government ~ it's per-
verted functions to its = sentatiys
capacity, that the pc : ssume@ AMI
fake into their ov " IDS some OF
the legislative pc - lhich the peo.
pie originally d. - "a to legislative
bodies, If the - I'd protect them
selves i'll thu 9 ..e from the unjust
taxatlons, = ions, and financial
burdens have attended the
government If the bosses and the in
terests- SO far the best means sug-
gested for doing this is through the
Principle OF the Iniative, which pro-
poses to give the people the right and
power to start such legislation ais the
people require in the interest OF tha
general welfare. .'. st.N fi%s
THE INITIATIVE AS AN. AI1ARM
TO THE NEGRO. s|tT
One Of the ridiculous and absurd
features of this campaign is an ef-
fort on the part of certain politicians,
assisted by misguided and paid advo-
Gates whose convictions are handed
down or made for this occasion. to
mislead the Negro voters Of the Mort h
TO believe that the restoration of the
right Of the people Ill general to pro-
tect themselves aga iISt" specific evils
injected into our politics by crooked
big business" and corrupted bosses,
means the Acknowledgement of all the
colored people Of RE North. n Tbs
answers to this argument are nuIuer-
Gus. 1t is sufficient 10 point out that
under the present system of pretend
ed representative government, s.,
Stoutly defended in vain by those SO
resourceful in the manufacture of Nj
gro alarms, the Negroes of the South
have been stripped u one constitu-
tional right after another. and ,nRder
this tery sacred system the eofoFe4
people did not have an, oppOrtnnit;I
to exercise the mower they had in
their own self defsUse So that sff
there is any, system which ought TO
be repulsive TO the Negro as sys-
tem,- il should be the one nrde:.
Which he las suffered SO much
throughout the South 1t migt.t.
be we'll to call attention to the fach
that In the states where the Prinei-
pie OF the Initiative is in operation,
the Negro has not been disfranchise1
because OF its existence. Moreover,
under the present system, tho, sSessFe,
only with the greatest difficulty, is
able to get before any legislative COM
mittee upoEl matter, affecting his in
terest. On the other hand, under
the Initiative the Negro viii have tho
equal power OF any citizen of initial
ing legislation in his own behalf, AMI
Of using his increased power to pro-
tect himself, at the same time throw
irg off the races dependence upon
false friends and false leaders.
THE: PRINCIPLE or THE REFER
... -s.~.T ENDTM. z 5-Ges;t2S r r I.
Tie Principle of the Referendum
is offered as the best solution of
another phase of the same problem,
which has attended the legislative
evils. Tie special interests, through
their hired and paiG. servants, tho
political bosses, have not only been
able to prevent such legislation as
would advance the general inter
erst Of the public a. large, but theF
have been able to ;ccure from time
to time such legislation as would
enable these special interests to Sc
cure that pernicion3 series of enact
ments which have. enabled crooked
big business TO more and more en-
large their unjust tributes levied mp
on the -toiling massss of the people
through the machineries of the state
and national governments. The peo-
pie in vain have groanod under their
Increasing burdens. but they have
Continued to increase. q
They have changed one after
another their supposed representa-
tiyes but one by one they have fallen
under the maIevolent influence Of
hnally the people have become COZ
vinc"d that the only way to prevent
in the future the continuance OF
sneCial legislation iu the interest OF
the few against the many. is to- re-
sumo and to take unto themselves
another phase Of legislative power,
formerly delegated to their represen-
tatives thru the principles OF the Ref
erendunl, which reqrires that before
any Law shall become binding It shau
be Rrst approved by reference TO the
people, the rightful source Of all po-
iitica1 power biE" the Initiative,
the Referendum, instead Of diafran-
chising the Negro or any class OF cit.
liens. 1T greatly enhances the power
Of all the great body OF American cit-
izenship, and makes It more ami
."s.- .
CONTINUED from page four.l