The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-06-14

lows: A petition for the recall signed
by twenty-five per cent. of the cleo
tors who voted in the previous cleo
ton, can bring on within q. days an
election on the recall of any public
officer. The petition must set forth
the reasons for such recall. On each
ballot at such election, the reasons for
recalling such officer must be stated
in not more than 200 words, and he
must state the justification for his
course in the same number of words.
No petition can be circulated against
an officer till he has held Office six
months, except in case of a member of
the legislature, and in that case it may
be filed within five days from the be-
ginning of the first session after his
election.
"The arguments put forward by the
advocates of these measures are the
following: Under the initiative and
referendum and recall there can be no
class or community action against the
general welfare of the majority of the
citizens, and the individual, realizing
the impossibility of securing special
legislation for himself, against the
general welfare, soon ceases his effort
for special privilege and will work for
the general welfare. Also, these give
the people the opportunity of securing
and retaining such legislation as they
wish. Also, these eliminate corruption
among members of the legislature,
who realize that all their measures
must be scrutinized by the people, and
they will be afraid to sell out That
the people, being the fountain of ali
power and legislation, the more nearly
you approach a pure democracy, the
better laws you will have: in other
words, the voice of the people is the
voice of God"
''In opposition to these evils, 1 beg
to urge the following objections:
81. Government must have power
and stability. That is the crying evil
of our day, the slack administration of
the laws. Most people have superb
contempt for all law and government.
Any law that is liable to be bent and
changed at the whim of majority or
at the command of a demagogue, is not
likely to be very efficient. Under the
referendum and initiative, such as we
find in Oregon, what will hinder ma
jority from invading the sacred right
to property or the right to freedom of
speech or opinion in the weaker class
es? The most sacred relations and
affairs of life are put at the mercy of
the rabble. In some States the So
cialist vote is increasing to an alarm
ing extent We shudder to think what
may be the result of some of the laws
they would pass, unrestrained by no
constitutional provisions. Society
must protect itself against its own
vicious members. The hand of justice
must fall like thunderbolt on the
head of the transgressor and if it does
not, peace and happiness are at an
end; Mr.. Jefferson's dream of "life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
will have become faint memory. The
certainty and swiftness of punishment
are the greatest barriers for the pre-
vention of wrongdoing. Mr.. Calhoun
says that "the end of government is to
protect and preserve society" and also
Governments must be able to repel
assaults from abroad as we'll as to re-
press violence and disorders within"
"2. 1t is admitted on air hands by
the adherents of these three measures
that it is impracticable to apply them
to Federal affairs. That the Union is
too large and its machinery is too gi-
gantic to admit of these measures. In
! other words, you can terrify country
ma piStrate or the intendant Or MAYOR
of a two by four town into doing a
thing because the people demand it,
whether or not it accords with right Or
wrong, but that the federal judge with
his petty despotisn, that sets at cefi-
ance State laws and tramples under his
! lawless foot State government, can not
be reached by the recall. That Fed
eral laws are outside of the pale of
the referendum Or initiative. Nine