The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-03-01
MR. CROMWELL GIBBONS AND
SOCIALISM


OF the old and better school of its
founders than any of his rivals, judg-
ing from their public utterances, but
MIR. Gibbons, shifting the breezes,
which he conceives to be momen-
tarily popular, hops on to the social
istic band wagon and declares for
the Initiative and referendum" and
all its long line of concomitant impos-
sibilities.
It is entirely evident from his deliv-
erance on this subject that this fad
is something entirely new with Mr.
Gibbons, and has no place in his po-
litical nomenclature, for he approach
es IL from the wrong direction and in
nocently conceives it's tail to be it's
head
Mr.. Gibbons recent deliverance re-
minds us of the picture the late Gov
ernor Altgeld (the governor who par
doned the anarchists) drew of Chaun-
cey Depew, who pretended to have
been born on a farm" and was IA
miliar with farm life, and to prove
II hitched up horse to a pillow, but
unfortunately he had the animals
face turned in the direction of the
farm implement.
Mr.. Gibbons says:
After all, the initiative, referen-
DUN and recall is merely the applica-
ton to the affairs of state of the
same sound business principles which
are applied in our every day affairs.
The head of an establishment knows
what he wants done and tells his
employe-that is the initiative. He
looks over the accomplishment when
IL is completed and accepts or rejects
the plan outlined-that is the refer
endum. If he finds that his employee
is incompetent, or disloyal to his es-
tablishment, he fires him-that is the
recall"
Now. il we know anything about it,
the Initiative" springs from those
lower down to keep under control
those higher up.
In other words, the initiative"
springs from the people, and is mott
fication to those in authority that
they must change their course of &C.
ton, and if the notification is not
needed then the recall" is applied,
and those who are administering the
government are marched out.
In the very nature of things, the
Initiative, referendum and recall"
are potential instrumentalities to pre-
vent the head of an establishment
from firing those who are under him,
but instead are instituted for those
serving under him to fire out the head
of the establishment.
Clearly Mr.. Gibbons does not feed
on the Appeal to Reason, is not dis
ciple of Mr.. Weyland, and is not ia
mailiar with the literature of Mr.. Eu-
gene v. Debs.
Before he goes too far, we would
advise Mr.. Gibbons to read Mr.. Tom
Watson, on the true meaning of So
cialism.
Mr.. Thomas Jefferson said that he
doubted IL the initiative and refer
endum" would be practicable in
New England township.
Think for a moment of the great
multiplicity of laws that are intro
duced at every session of our state
legislatures and our national con-
gress.
How is it possible to familiarize
the people with all these laws and
get their sanction for their adoption?
Why, even here in the little mu-
nicipality of Ocala, with less than
, five thousand inhabitants, according
10 the federal census, the ordinanc-
es. i'm order to save a few dollars ex-
pense. are not even printed in the
newspapers, and nine-tenths of the
people are unfamiliar with them
Now, the state laws and national
laws proposed at every session of our
law-makng bodies would fill dozen
newspapers the size of the Ocala
Banner. Who, it may be asked, is
going to pay for their publication?
That is the only way to get them be-
fore the people if the system is to be
worth anything at all, and is to be
carried out in its completeness.
To perfect this new system in our
government we would be compelled
70 have a direct vote of all the peo-
pie on all the legislation proposed in
congress, in the legislatures of the
respective states, and in our various
municipalities.
We could not do like twas it Scion,
Lycurgus, or some other ancient
sage?)-post these laws so high on
the walls of public buildings as to
put them out of the sight of the
people. IL the idea of the referendum