The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-05-01
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM


referendum? The question is so Of
ten asked, it seems that contribu-
tion to the columns of The News and
Courier on the subject would be well
coined by large number Of readers.
1t is as follows
To the Editor of The News and Cou-
rier: Some explanation Of the opera
ton Of the initiative, the referendum
and the recall may be desirable, as
they are looked upon as institutions
of the far West, foreign to our ex-
perience. Yet they are not SO new
and strange, and are but a develop
ment of the fright Of petition" which
is rooted in the foundation Of English
liberty and is specifically protected
by the State and Federal constitu-
tions: "the right Of the people peace
ably to assemble and to petition
for the redress Of grievances"
1t is natural that with the growth of
the democratic spirit there should be
evolved some method Of enforcing
the demand which gives rise to a pc
tition, If backed by a majority. Thus
the initiative and the referendum,
though spoken of as brought from
Switzerland, are indigenous growths
wherever there is living democracy,
and have developed naturally in each
republic, the later development in the
younger having the benefit of the ex-
perience of the older.
These instruments are included in
the Commission Government Acts re-
Gently passed by our legislature, and
have been available for two years in
Columbia, though nobody has seemed
to feel any need for calling them into
use. One of the popular achievements
of Governor Wilson was the enact
ment of similar law for New Jer-
sey and his campaign for it's adoption
by the larger cities.
The only Southern State to adopt
these constitutional amendments for
its government is Arkansas where
some two years ago Mr.. Bryan went
and spoke for the amendments. The
movement is not so advanced for
states as for cities; the machinery is
not so readily employed in large and
scattered constituency, and is urged
for states only for Use In extraordinary
cases, the fact Of it's availability be-
ing expected to stimulate legislators
and largely prevent the need of resort
to it's employment.
The initiative? Anybody may draw
proposed law as he thinks it ought
to be, and if a prescribed per cent
OF voters sign petition asking for
an election on the question of its
adoption, the petition and draft being
filed with the secretary of State, an
election must be held within a fixed
time, at which ballots are cast for or
against the law, and a majority vote
enacts it, without submission to the
governor or the general assembly.
These Intermediates which we are
accustomed to think of as the only
lawmakers-are in this instance dis
pensed with, and the people legislate
directly"
One objection to the method is that
the proposed law must be adopted or
rejected as drawn-there is no way
to amend as result of defects point
ed out by debate, and the people may
adopt 1t because Of it's general pur-
pose regardless of the errors or de-
tails which may cause it to prove un-
satisfactory or harmful On the 9th
er hand, if the measure is promoted by
an intelligent, patriotic committee of
citizens, the draft may be presented
in as perfect form as possible, and
the friends OF the measure have the
opportunity to vote for it on it's mer-
its, whereas in a legislature there
are many skillful dishonest ways of
Gripping it by amendments and pass
ing 1t in form that "keeps the prom
ise to the ear but breaks it to the
heart" The initiative is a mere sup
plement to the Legislature; the latter
continues to be the chief agency for
making laws but the people have the
safeguard of a means of Initiating"
or starting bill for adoption as a
law without it's having to run the
gauntlet of legislative body which
someties under, the pressure of lob
byists misrepresents the people.
The referendum is different only in
that 1t deals with bill or law which
Is before the legislature or has been
naSsed The lepislatnrn NAV MrnRnrn