The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-12-21

the opulent minority have ruled the
numerical majority all these years
of our nations history.
1t is said that Alexander Hamilton.
after the constitution had been adopt
ed, sneeringly remarked that *'"under
the constitution the people might
REIGN, but property would GOVERN
In the good old way" He was right
Today We are endeavoring to over
throw the power Of: property and
money in government. Today not only
does the "opulent minority" control
the government, but it owns and con-
trolls vast proportion of the wealth
OF the American nation. The secret
OF this control and accumulation Of
this wealth In the hands of the few
lies in the constitutional guarantees"
set up In the constitution, the tre-
mendous difficulty Of amending that
document. and in the clever system
OF checks and balanceS' inserted In
the national constitution and copied
In all the state constitutions.
Today we ara seeking escape from
THIS KIND Of representative govern
ment. A new birth Of the spirit Of
liberty IS sweeping the land. The
central demand Of this movement is
Let the People Rule" The wav
to accomplish that rule Is the estab-
Hshment OF the Initiative and Refer
endum and Recall by means of which
the people propose to ABSOLUTELY
CONTROL the representative system.
and more than that, to have at hand
a new method Of making laws and
constitutions by which they can ACT
DIRECTLY at any time they see fit.
The Initiative" and Referendum is the
vital political issue in many states.
Its success is foregone conclusion
and Is matter Of time. Now il the
time when the short-sighted friends
OF direct legislation will be tempted
to let up on their efforts under the
mistaken notion that the victory IN
won.
BUT THE INITIATIVE AND REF
ERENDUM WAS NEVER IN so
GREAT DANGER AS RIGHT NOW.
Privilege never sleeps The Initiative
and Referendum are now in the hands
OF the politicians, and unless the real
friends of this movement are wide
awake and do the proper kind Of
lighting, we shall one day wake up
to find thai. the same old brick has
been played upon Us. and that.>;we
have only the FORM Of self govern
ment. Privilege is agile and moves
In the dark, ever ready to take ad-
vantage OF a new situation. Says Will
liam Henry .Carruth:
the bones are not vet
OF those who broke the shackle. and
the shackles are not yet rust
LII the masters are forgivinE new
ones; and coward lips are
sealed,
while the. code that cost a million
lives Is step by step repealed"
The Tories Of the 18th century.
"nen forced to abandon monarchy
and a landed aristocracy, preserved
much OF their vital power by THEM
SELVES framing a representative sys-
tenn of checks and balances"
The Tories OF the 2oth century.
forced to submit to fundamental
modihcation of this representative
system, are now seeking to throttle
the initiative and Referendum bv
means Of system Of Safeguards and
restrictions" The startling fact is
that they are succeeding.
In 1911 the forces Of organized
LABOR In Minnesota, under an informed
and clear headed leadership, defeated
an effort of the Tories. to foist upon
the state of Minnesota an Initiative
and referendum system which would
nave been worse, than useless. To
nave agreed to an amendment CON-
tanning Safeguards and restrictions''
which denied the people the rirht to
1nltlate and enact amendments to the
| constitution, which provided for 20
per cent petitions, or even 10 per
cent petitions distributed in 81 coun-
! Ties, and which required a majority
OF all the votes CAST IN AN ELEC-
IAON to adopt an initiative proposal.
would have been the height Of fol1v,
such a povision would have delaved
, the movement for direct popular row.
! eminent for many years.
! The fight is now still fresh and
! promising. The time to have made
the real fight was during the elec-
t'on when candidates for the state
legislature were seeking the votes 1T
H~~@AS' lucy SUOulU tnen have
oeen pledgd not only to the abstract
principle Of the I. and r.. but to GER
tain specific provisions which must
govern any amendment worth the pa
per upon which it is written.
The Minnesota State Federation of
LABOR sent out a series of questions
to every candidate for the *Iegisla-
ture during the last election. It is
understood that almost one half OF
the successful candidates pledged
themselves to- an honest and Just IN
itiative and Referendum bin. The real
danger will come when the bill is be-
Ing considered by committees in the
LEGISLATURE. My purpose in writins
this article is to awaken the friends
Of direct legislation. and to inform
them Of the danger Of /. and r. jok.
ers. y
The Initiative, Referendum and Re.
call were live issues in the last cam,
paign. Both progressive, Democrat.
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