The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1912-03-07
LAW-MAKING BY THE PEOPLE
BY THE EDITOR OF 1.-THE CRAFTSMAN

Americanism. In opposition of thi.
tendency there is a growing demand
for a more popular type of govern
ment, a government by the voters
The response to this demand ha:
been particularly notable in the
past year or two, both In the Federal
Government and in the States. Thus
last year the progress of democratic
principles was marked in Congress
by the restriction of the arbitrary
power of the Speaker, and in many
of the States by the adoption of var
ious methods of nominating to pub
lie Office by the direct vote of the
people. This tendency is making it.
self felt even in New York State,
where the waves set in motion by
Governor Hughes fight for direct
primaries are still troubling the
political waters.
Oregon Shows the Way.
Although the constitutional amend
ment necessary to legalize the popu-
lar election of United States Sena-
tcTn has not vet been authorized.
Oregon has shown the way to evade
this difficulty, and Nebraska and Ne
vada have followed her lead. The
Oregon plan requires the nomina-
ton of party candidates for senator
at a direct primary election. At
the same primary candidates for
nomination for the State legislature
are given the option of placing
either of the following statements
after their names on the primary
election ballot: % 1 promise to vote
for people choice of United States
senator; or (2) will not promise to
vote for peoples choice of United
States Senator. At the ensuing
general election the people indicate
their choice in the same way that
they choose a governor, and the ligis-
lature chosen at the same time will
naturally be pledged to ratify the
peoples choice. In 1908 this scheme
afforded an interesting illustration
OF the breaking down of mere party
lines when a majority of the Repub-
llcan legislature elected a Demo-
cratic governor whom the people
had indicated as their choice.
Oregon, moreover, is the only
State which has yet made any con-
siderable use of the initiative and
Referendum, although these devices
have been nominally adopted by
some twelve States. The Initiative
consists in the initiation of legisla-
ton by a certain fraction of the
voters and its subsequent enact
ment by a majority of the voters to
whom the proposed legislation is
referred. The Referendum signifies
also the popular veto upon acts of
the legislature. The two measures.
together enable the people literally
to make their own laws. "Perhaps
no proposal is more attractive to the
thoughtful voter impatient with the
perverse legislation of misrepresen-
tative legislatures, remarks Arthur
N. Holcombe in ''The American
Year Book," ethan this of direct
legislation. 1t puts a weapon in
the hands of the people with which
they should be able to end the
reign OF crooked politics, special
privilege and the spoils system.
Another new instrument in which
the public is becoming interested is
the Recall. This provides for the
retirement of an elected officer be-
fore the expiration of his term of
office if. he has forfeited the con-
fdence OF the voters. 1t has been
adopted by a number of American
cities, and in Oregon it is applica-
BILE to State officials. Most of the
opposition to Arizona's proposed
constitution centers around the fact
that it would apply the recall even
to the judiciary.
One cannot discuss the develop-
ment OF popular government in this
country without constantly recur-
ing to Oregon, which under the
guidance of the Peoples Power
League has become sort of politi-
cal experiment station. There the
Initiative, Referendum and Recall
have been In effect for eight wears.
Speaking to a New York audience
recently Senator Owen of Oklahoma
explained that by these instruments
the people can initiate any law
they want and veto any they don't
want. He declared that the senti-
ment for the Initiative and Refer
endum was growing rapidly, and
that 1T wouldn't be long before
every State In the Union adopted
them. The Initiative, he said, is the
best method of law making be-
cause 1T is speedy, direct, simple
and efficient. He went on to saw:
The idea has swept the West as
we'll &c Maine IA II