The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-08-29

1HObe luNlISu 70
speak at these meetings are Hon.
Henry T. Hunt, Hon. John d. Fackler
of Cleveland, Mayor Newton D. Baker,
l.. X. Langdon Of Lebanon, Hon. J. F.
Dempsey of Cincinnati and Judge r.
M. Wanamaker of Akron. Ten auto
mobiles have been donated and will
leave the tent at 1880 every forenoon
for noon factory meetings.
At one of these factory meetings
Tuesday, Herbert 8. Bigelow, presi-
dent Of the Ohio Constitution Conven-
ton, made the following speech to the
men:
"Mr. Voter, this is challenge which
l make to you. If you vote against the
Initiative and Referendum, it will be
because you entertain a mistaken no.
ton of what it is. Do you know what
Is actually provided in this Initiative
and Referendum Amendment?
ut is No. on the ballot. You are
called upon to express your opinion of
1t at the special election September
Sd.
do you think that this measure will
increase the numbers and expense of
1 elections? Then you are wrong.
Under the amendment which is be-
ing submitted, there will not be one
extra election. The amendment does
not permit special elections, all vot-
ing upon questions must be done at
| hn - al
do you think that the people will
be required to vote upon all laws
That would be preposterous. The fact
is this. A period of 80 days must
elapse after adjournment before the
acts Of the legislature take efrec:.. If
petition of six per cent of the mil
lion electors is filed before the end of
the 80 days period, demanding popu.
lar vote upon any act, this act must
be placed upon the ballot at the next
election, otherwise all acts of the legis.
lature take effect without a refer.
| endum vote.
"The petition, to be valid, not only
must contain the required number OF
signatures, all of which must be
signed in the presence of witness
and duly sworn to, but the required
percentage must come from at least
half the 38 counties of the state
Even If all the voters of Cleveland
"Do you think that the initiative
opens the door to freak laws and ire
sponsible law making? This cannot
Se under the form of the initiative
upon which you are going to vote.
''Do you know what this form is? 1t
Allows 10000 voters to petition the
legislature to pass law. The righ-
to petition our representatives is as
old as our Anglo-Saxon liberties.
This does not permit a clique to
spring anything on the voters. II
merely permits 10000 voters to peti
ton the legislature to act.
But what is our immemorial right
of petition worth if the legislature re
fuses to act? Nothing. 1t is dead
letter.
THE meat of the initiative is this
If the legislature does not act, the
measures which was presented by the
petition and was defeated by the legis
lature, must be submitted to the
voters at the next election If this is
demanded by a second petition ol
10000 electors in addition to those
who signed the first petition.
DO you say that hasty actions will
be taken? This cannot be, for every
measure must first be presented te
the legislature. 1t would be a yeaI
after the first petition was started be
fore it could be brought to a vote.
do you say that the people would
have to act without information. This
also Is untrue. A pamphlet must be
sent by the state to each voter, giving
tbs text Of the measure to be EoteC
upon, with arguments on both sides.
do you say that there still linger:
In your mind the fear that it will bt
used often and trifiingly?
"But do you know that under state
law. every city in Ohio now has the
initiative and referendum and has hat
it for two years? This initiative ant
referendum law has given no ground
Scr your fear. 1t has not actually beer
used except in Cleveland. But it ha!
been of great benefit because the
knowledge that it could be used hal
been warning to city councils
"Oh, but the corporations have
raised false cry. They are trying tt
frighten the farmers and home owner!
by claiming that the initiative will b
used to pass single tax law.
'Do you know that this cannot b.
done? Do you know that the conven
tion put provision in the amendmen
itself which forbids the use of the ini
tiation TO enact the single tax?
ITO understand this amendment Il
to favor it. Opposition to it is 3 con
fession of ignorance"