The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-03-09
DIRECT LEGISLATION.
Its Friends and Opponents.

Presiden Taft says that the Initial
tive and Referendum mean majority
rule and as he plainly states that he
does not believe the majority fit to
rule he is opposed to these measures.
He has recently carried this opposi-
ton to the extnd of applying the
epithet, "neurotic" to those who
want the will Of the majority to
prevail.
Other servants of monopoly speak
differently. In Ohio they are oppos-
ing the Initiativ and Referendum,
and shrieking out as their reason
that the Initiative and Referendum
mean minority rule. Majority rule,
they say, is what they want.
Is President Taft wrong in his in
depreciation Of the Initiative and Re-
ferendum or are the other trust
agents in Ohio simply lying?
Indifferent Citizens.
TIL argument that the Initiative
and Referendum mean minority rule
because a certain percentage of the
voters will be- too indifferent or too
ignorant to vote either way on pro-
positions submitted, is not worthy of
serious consideration since those who
bring 1t forward are relying for it's
success on the ignorance or gullibil-
lty Of the persons to whom it is adj
dressed. Those who do not vote on
propositions submitted abstain volun-
tarlly. No one who does not want
to vote should have his vote annulled
through negligence Of some one else.
Applies to the Men Also.
II an absolute majority of all voters
should be required for the adoption
of laws and constitutional amend
ments, then the same principle should
be applied to officials also. If that
were done there would very seldom
be anybody elected. Even at presi-
Dental elections enough voters stay
away from the polls to change any
majority so far received by a success
full candidate into minority It
Is doubtful whether President Taft
would have carried a single state in
1908 had there been an absolute ma
Jority required. He certainly would
not have carried enough to elect him
and the country would have been
confronted with hard legal problem
to solve.
In 1900 there were more than
twenty-one million males of voting
age in the United States. A little
more than one-third of these voted
for Taft. He had a clear mapority of
all votes cast but received only a.
minority Of the votes of those en-
tilted to cast them. His biggest ma
jority was in Pennsylvania where he
received 745,77s votes: In 1900
pennsylvania had 1,817,239 males of
OF voting age, so that even there he
failed to receive a clear majority of
the possible vote.
1t would be as reasonable to insist
that to be successful a Candidate
must receive a clear majority of
all possible votes, as it is to insist
tnat particular measure to be car
i1eu must receive such a majority.
DO Not Want Any Reform.
IL those who oppose direct legisla-
ton were sincere in their profession
OF desire Tor representative govern
ment they would favor proportional
representative. That is the establish
ment of a system of voting which
will ensure to each party or to anv
group representing some particular
idea, representation in legislative
assemblies in proportion to popular
strength. But opponents of the
Initiative and Referendum don't
want this reform any more than thew
want direct legislation. 1t can only
be obtained in this country through
the Initiative and Referendum That
IS how Switzerland got it. That is
now a constitutional amendment
authorizing this rform was obtaind
IN oregon, although no enabling act
has yet been passed to give it practi-
cal effect Representative govern
ment without direct legislation is i'm
possible. ,