Newark post., 1912-03-13
SENATOR CHAMBERLAIN
LECTURES In OPERA HOUSE

pud1lfn League OF Delaware extend
ed TO Newark last Saturday even
ING when the second lecture was
delivered OH the subject of the In
;tiative, Referendum and Recall.
The speaker of the evening was
Senator Chamberlain OF Oregon,
whose earnest manner and fOrcible
arguments were followed with in
terest by his audience.
Senator Chamberlain is related
10 ihe Chamberlain family, which
has for generations been we'll
known III This community He
EXPRESSED himself as feeling among
neighbors and friends.
The speaker addressed his au-
dience from three premises; the
people do not possess the power
which is additionally theirs; they
NAV obtain that power; and the
means by which they may regain
tnat which has been lost.
In the beginning of Our govern
nent the representatives chosen
were the real choice of the people.
There were no such things as con-
veutions to name the candidates;
the choice came directly from the
people. Gradually the congress
sional caucus came into existence,
TO be followed by the conventions
Of the present day. The first con-
vention was held i'll 1881, since
which time the choice of the repre-
sentatiyes has been farther and far
ther removed from the people, - the
county conventions-probably con-
trolled by a boss, i'll many instances
the representative of some interest,
and absolutely without ideals of
patriotism naming the legislators,
the state conventions, naming the
national delegates, who i'll turn
vote for the nominee.
The speaker gave examples OF
such Misrepresentation as exists III
so many of our states to-day and
explained the workings OF various
political deals.
The people of Oregon, i'll the
midst of such a corrupt state OF
affairs had cast about for a remedy
for these political ills, the result of
their application and thought being
the Initiative, Referendum and
Recall.
Senator Chamberlain defined the
Initiative as it exists i'll his own
state, as provision by law that if
petition is formally presented
signed by a certain number Of Vo-
,ers in Oregon, 81 of the total
number the city or state must sub
init the question on the petition to
a popular vote. The question be
comes a law if the majority vote
"veS." An illustration of the need
of such a law occurred i'll Oregon
in the instance of retarded legisla-
ton concerning the Columbia riv-
er. That wonderful waterway
flowing for hundreds of miles and
affording such a splendid means
OF transportation, was practically
useless for navigation owing to
several small distractions. The
correction of this would have cost
comparatively little, but the neces-
sary appropriation could not be OBJ
tanned. There was a certain big
salared railroad attachee who liv-
ed in that locality. He seemed tc
have 10 duties whatever, but il
was discovered lie was III Wash
ington whenever any measure per,
tanning to the Columbia river chan.
mel was under consideration. Af
ter the people of the state hac
arisen III their might and by state
and private subscription built small
railroads around the distractions
enabling the boats 10 compete Will
the eXorbintant railway charges
the appropriation was received
without difficulty.
The Referendum is a check TO tllt
legislature. Should the people b'
convinced that law is being pass
ed which is unfair to the genera
public, upon petition of SN OF th'
voters Gin Oregon) the questio,
may be referred to popular vote
If voted against by majority tn
measure becomes void. Thi
guards the people against unfai
legislation granting special privi
leges to the public service corpora
tlonr eCt.
The speaker granted that tn
most serious division of the chan
yes he advocated is the Recall
This, he stated, is merely the prin
ciple of private business applied t
government affairs. Any institu
ton, any business concern, reserve
to itself the ripht of RECALLING