The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-02-21
Question Not Answered
gconanued nom Pare onal

as 10 exceptional cases railway rates
are now regulated
Nr Roosevelt next outlined his
views on the machinery OF govern
ment saving in part.
III believe in the short ballot
Il believe in providing for direct
nominations BY the people, including
therein direct preferential primaries
for the election of delegates to the
national nominating conventions. Not
as a matter Of theory. but as a matter
oi plain and proved experience. we
find that the convention system. while
/, often records the popular win, Is
also often used BY adroit politicians as
method Of thwarting the popular
will
II believe in the election q United
States senators by direct vote
'I believe in the initiative and the
referendum, which should be used not
to destroy representative government
but TO correct ii whenever 1T becomes
misrenresenttive. Here again ! am
concerned not with theories butt with
actual facts If in any state the peo.
PIE are themselves satisfied with their
present representative system, then 1t
is Of course their right to keep that
system unchanged; and it is nobody's
business but theirs. But in actual
/ practice it has been found in very
many states that legislative bodies
have not been responsive to the pop
ular viii Therefore believe that
the state should provide for the pos
sibility of direct popular action in
order to make good such legislative
failure The power to invoke such
direct action. both BY initiative and
oy referendum. should be provided in
such fashion as to prevent its beifg
wantonly or too frequently used. !
do not believe that it should be made
the easy Or ordinary way OF taking
action. n the great majority Of cas-
es it Is far better that action on leg
isiatiye matters should be taken by
/ these specially delegated to perform
The task: in other words, that the
wolk should be done by the experts
ch. sen 10 perform it. But wfer tle
men thus delegated fail te periarm
faeir drty. then it should be "a We
/ pow sr OF tie people themselye 70 per'
form the duty
AS to the recall, do not believe
that there is any great necessity for
It as regards short-term elective Of
ficers. On abstract grounds was
! originally Inclined to be hostile to it.
1 know OF one case where 1t was
actually used with mischievous re-
suits. On the other hand, in three
cases in municipalities on the Pacific
coast which have come to my mowl-
edge it was used with excellent re-
suits. / believe it should be generally
provided, but with such restrictions
as viii make it available only when
there is a widespread and genuine
public feeling among a majority Of the
voters"
The remainder OF the address. con
stituting a large section Of it, was de-
voted to the recall Of the judiciary
Some extracts follow;
Massachusetts has the right 70
have appointive Judges who serve dur
ing good behavior subject to remor
AL not by Impeachment. but by simple
: majority vote OF the Two houses Of
/. the legislature whenever the repre-
sentatiyes Of the people Eel that the
needs Of the people require such re
noval New York has the right tC
have long term elective judiciary
Ohio has the right to have a sAori
! term elective judiciary without th'
recall California. Oregon, ana Ari
zona have each and every one Of then
the right 10 have short term elective
judiciary with the recall Personally
Of the four systems Il prefer the Mass
: aohusetts one. if addition be made 4
Tx as / hereinafter Indicate, but that j
8 merely my preference. and neither
: nor any one else within or wiihou
public l.ie has the right to impose hi
!, preference upon any community whei
K the question is as TO how the commu
il nity chooses to arrange Tor its exc
e cutlye legislative or judicial fun,
s tions DO not believe IN adoptia
y ! the recall save as 9 last resort whe
Z lit has become clearly evident ina
]. mo other course achieves the desire
result Rut either The recall viii hav
to be adopted Or else il viii have q
ha made much easier than il now
10 get rid, not merely Of a bad Judge
but oi a judge sho however yirtusu.
Ihas grown 50 oui q touch wlih soeia
, needs and facts that be is unfit lone
er to render gpod service On th
bench. IT IS nonsense 70 say tina
I. ;.,a.....i, ..s.sr.H v,sen4s fHa Hifff1r4ffv N