The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-25

state before going into effect, except
such laws as may be necessary for the
immediate preservation Of the public
peace. health or safety. support Of the
state government and its existing pub
lie institutions: provided that not more
than five per centum Of the qualified
electors of the state shall be required
to invoke either the initiative or the
referendum"
When the five per cent or more Of
h voters wish to use the referendum
on any law passed by the legisllnee
IN that state they file a petition
the secretary of state within niuety
days. after the adjournment Of tho
legislature. The law must then be
submitted to the people. As will DO
seen from the constitution. this five
per cent can also propose legislation
through the initiative, which they do
through a petition to the legislature.
That body has no choice: it must sub
NIT to a referendum the law thus pro-
posed through the initiative. If tho
result of the referendum is favorable
to the proposed law it goes into eftecr
at once.
Besides this statewide referendum
local laws n ordinances in the cities
an towns of South Dakota are submits
TED to the vote Of the communities
affected by them. In San Francisco
the initiative and referendum are in
Iorce.' u It takes fifteen per cent Of
1t Is generally assumed that the
adoption Of the initiative and reforen-
dum would lead to more radical lesis-
latton. However. DR.. Edwin 3. Sios.
som. writing to the Independent from
switzerland where he has been a
spectator at a referendum election. ex.
pressed the opinion. based on what
l1C hQQA nhaaHvrAA th-k A.
was more likely to err in the directinn
OF conservatism than Of radicalism'
lie wrote after seeing the r~eferendur,
wipe an old age pension law az tho
statute books three months after =
had been enacted. a !"
Ine recall had its American begin.
nings IN Los Angeles. where It Was
, 1rseleeo IN the city charter in 1908.
ane clause providing for 1t announces:
The holder of any. elective Once ,na,
oe removed at any time by the elector.
quaiifed to vote for a successor ~
mat incumbent" If twenty-fve ner
ZEN OF voters petition for tho
nemGval OF such an officer the petition
Is NED with the city clerk. Il mat
,,h me- !, a stasement Of the reasons for
The city clerk has ten davs IN 'v u,tSans
70 ascertain II the petition contsins
n requisite number Of ~sienatur.:
and upon his certificate to that eifect
the city council must order an %eiertf",.
WITHIN thirty to forty d.vs. In"
less the accused oficial requests other.
wise IN writing. his name must be mt
coed himself. The candidate rece,vir-
= ~ !. h hs les number Of votes. whether
The other cities that have f@niiosr.a
r r9s iA1'n n EEL lead have modelled their
some Of them require az hish . nU Pvt
centage Of voters as thirty or forty -
make the demand. Orexon n an
adopted a constitutional amendrnsrt
making every elective officer IN the
state. from, constable to ~SovcrnGrS
and. OF course. including iudres' s,,h.
Ject TO the recall. In that ~ tn.
reasons Q the recall Of the nmc;.I
must be stated within zoo words. ana
ne Is allowed the same SPACE IN ~,hH;rs
to defend himself. )" "n'ch
a very curious case came uran o...
gon last year. In which Z circuit ,nds.
ame Coke vas made the subject 81
2 recall petition because Of III c.~l
DUCT OF q murder trial. w.