The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-21

important, 1t Is easy to overestimate
its Importance; and, moreover, that
each community has the absolute right
to determine for itself what that ma
chinery shall be, subject only to the
fundamental law of the nation as ex-
pressed In the Constitution OF the Unif
ted States. In the first place, L
believe IN the short ballot. You can
not get good service from the public
servant IL you cannot see him, and
there Is no more effective way of hid
ing hinf than by mixing him up with
multitude OF others 80 that they are
none OF them important enough 70
catch the eye Of the average, works~
day citizen. The professional poliu-
clan and the professional lobbyist
thrive most rankly under a system
which provides @ multitude OF cleo
tive officers, of such divided resDonsi-
bility and of such obscurity that the
public knows, and can know, but little
as to their duties and the way they
perform them. The people have moth
ing whatever to fear from giving any
public servant power SO long as they
retain their own power to hold MIN
accountable for his use OF the power
LuSy nave GSlSShLSQ ~ 444A4.
believe in providing for direct norn-
nations by the people. including there
In direct preferential primaries Tor the
election OF delegates to the natio1si
nominating conventions.
I believe in the election OF United
States senators by direct vote Just
as actual experience convinced our
people that presidents should be-
elected Gas they now are in practice,
although not in theory by direct vote
of the people instead of By direct vote
through an untrammeled electoral cob
lege, so actual experience has con-
WINGED us that senators should be
elected by direct vote of the people
instead of indirectly through the vartT
Gus legislatures.
! believe in the initiative and the
referendum, which should be used not
to destroy representative government
but to correct it whenever 1t becomes
misrepresentation. Here again ! am
concerned not with theories but with
actual facts. II in any state the peo-
pie are themselves satisfied with their
present representative system. then
1t is OF course their right to keep that
system unchanged; and it is nobody's
business but theirs. But in actual
practice 1t has been found in very
many states that legislative bodies
have not been responsive to the popu-
lar will. Therefore believe that the
state should provide for the possibility
of direct popular action in order to
make good such legislative failure.
Wisconsin Method Praised.
In a recent speech Governor MCCOY
ern of Wisconsin has described the
plan which has been there adopted.
Under this plan the effort to obtain
the law is first to be made through
thu legislature. the bill being pushed
as far as it will co. so that the details
of the proposed measure may be
threshed over In actual legislative de.
bate. This gives opportunity to Per
feet 1t In form and invites public
scrutiny, Then, il the legislature fails
to enact 1t, 1t can be enacted by the
people on their own initiative, taken
at least four months before election.
Moreover, where possible, the question
actually to be voted on by the people
should be made as simple az possible.
In short, l believe that the initiative
and referendum should be used net an
substitutes for representative govern
ment, but az methods of making such
really representative.
Give the legislature an entirely free
hand; and then provide by the initia-
tive and referendum that the people
shall have power to reverse Or sup
piement the work OF the legislature
should II ever become necessary.
As to the recall, l do not believe
that there is any great necessity for
1t as regards short-term elective Of
fcers. On abstract grounds I was
originally inclined to be hostile to it.
/ know Of one case where 1t was ac-
tually used with mischievous results.
On the other hand, in three cases in
on the Pacific coast
which have come to my knowledge it
was used with excellent results.
believe II should be generally pro-
vided, but with such restrictions as
will make it available only when there
is q widespread and genuine public
feeling among a majority Of the
voters.
There remains the question Of the
recall Of Judges. One Of the aDlest
iurists in the United States. a veteran
in service to the people. recently wrote
me as follows on this subject:
There are two causes of the asi.
tation for the recall as applied to
Judges. First, the administration Of
Justice has withdrawn from life and
become artificial and technical. The
recall is not SO much a recall of judges
from Office as il In racaN Of the adj
Of Justice back to life, SO
that it shall become, as 1t ought to
be, the most efficient of all agencies
For making this earth better place to