The Harrison times., 1912-04-27

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been contcndcd by many to be loose
| " drawn in some respects, which
will ncccssitatc the passage Of an.
other by the next session,
| Iokcrs and antiquities are being
| found in it by alert constructionlsts,
and the attorncy-gcncral is kept
busy giving opinions as to the
meaning and requirements OF the
amendment, And such is the per
vcrSity OF human nature that some.
times some take an opposite view,
and there YOU are, Just at this time
it is improbable that even the Forty
Lawyers who gave historic opin-
ion with reference to the antitrust
act could agree on the / & X,
amendment. That is why the GOV
crnor will Just select five from
among them, then three Of them will
have to agree one way it they have
any opinion at all about it, after
they have heard counsel argue it
for several hours or days, and ran.
sacked all available authorities
bearing upon the issue,
Then again come the askcrs Of
foolish questions that poster the
wise men, and want to know if the
Legislature can repeal acts passed
by the people The referendum
clause gives the people a chance at
the acts passed by the Legislature
and they will take their first whock
at one Of them when they vote ON
the Turocr-Iacobson revenue meas.
urc next September
Then the people have taken into
their own hands the enactment Of
several laws which the Legislature
has not shown an inclination to
pass even in the face Of insistcnt dc.
mand, There is the statewide pro-.
hbition law, the siNty.day lcglsla,
tive session, the state banking act,
equal suffrage, and half a dozen
other questions which may or may
not be initiated
The heavy cost Of all this initia.
tion does not Ica2c the inltlators IN
the least Thcy want the laws, and
are willing the state should pay the
freight This is one OF the features
Of the situation which the next Leg
islaturc is likely TO consider care
iully-thc element Of cost of this
mass Of direct legislation, which will
naturally increase year by year, us
the people become more accustomed
to it, until initiation and referendum
petition circulating becomes u reg
uIar vocation
And this is the ne plus ultra OF
true democracy Of the genuine rule
Of the people, when they can initiate
laws OF their own, pass on laws Gu
acted by their servants, recall the
rccalcItrant Judge or executive, cX'
crciSc the imperative mandate, ban.
i-h the blanket ballet, and take va.
rious other short cuts 70 personal
liberty and protection in life, prop
crty aud the pursuit Of happiness,
But it is contcnded that there
should be some simpler and less cX.
pcnsiyc system than that which pre-.
walls under the existing enabling
act,-somcthing, say, like the Ore
yam system, where thirty'two laws
were initiated last year at a cost
less than that of the T. bill sub
mission
There is one radical difference in
the methods of the two law.making
bodies, Seldom does bill pass the
Legislature in the same shape that
it is introduccd most frequently it
has brcn so manglcd aud mainland.
led that its own progcnitcr is doubt
lul Of its identity after the COVER
nOr's signature is affixed,
But not 80 with the initiated bill
1t must be passed as it isintroduvcd
or not passed at all, for there is no
way to amend, aud refer, and
emcnd, and confer, and substitute,
and modify after enough signatures
have been filed for the submission Of
any one particular measure, The
bill may he long enough TO hIl four
pages OF the HARRISON TIMES IN
solid minion, but everything goes,
or nothing does The law'making
body constituted by the People is
less mobile than the older body, and
10 It's credit be il said It is less sub.
jcct 70 certain influences which have
sometimes placed some Of It's mem
bcrs under grave suspicion,
Now suppose one Of those long
bills is passed hy the People aud
some little defect found IN it' No
body OF law was ever drafted that
time proved perfect and all.sulIicient
there have been fifteen amend.