The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-05-19

within the limited scope Of this paper.
Ia do much more than To classify the
work ana touch very briefly ON some
Of the more important measures. It
is well to remember that there were
introduced in the House aud Senate
something like l,lO0 bills, some OF
which met early death In committee,
some OF which We're reported out but
were killed on the floor of the House
On Senate and some which finally
passed both houses. In all there
were some 40 bills which passed
both House and Senate.
II is obvious also that in a paper
such as this comment as To whether
measures were good or bad is out of
place as that is merely a matter OF
personal opinion. No doubt some
very good measures failed of passage
and some OF very doubtful value be-
| came law. The tremendous advance
that political thought has taken in "A
radical direction found marked eX-
preston in the work OF the last lcgis-
lature. MI three parties, Republican,
Democratic and Progressive. seemed
80 vie with each other in their efforts
to enact so-called Progressive legis-
h'tion. The true progressive measures
may be divided into two general
classes. ! irst Measures 10 enlarge
the political rights OF the people with
! reference to the election of public
servants ana in the enactment OF
laws. Second, Measures designed 10
safeguard and protect human rights
as opposed to property rights. Along
With this progressive legislation came
! as matter of course, certain so
called reform measures, designed 10
| cure all the ills and regulate the lives
of the human family IN every conceiv.
able direction. AS an illustration 81
| this last class may be mentioned tn"
uil attempting To make it "a crime
| Tor any house owner to refuse To rent
| his house to an applicant because Of
| the number of children in the appli-
cants tamily-also = bill regulating
the length of sheets To be used on
beds in hotels, ana numerous others
Of like caliber.
AS broad general classification
! however. the important measures
considered by the legislature may be
divided intol. Political Measures, and
| IL. Economical Measures.
/. Political measures may be sub
divided into two classes:
d. Measures intended to regulate tho
election Of public officers, and to
| place the control of elections moro
directly in the hands of the people,
! and
! b. Measures intended To give to the
people more direct power in the
I framing and enactment of laws.
! Under subdivision CD may be
mentioned the following bills which
passed both houses and will un-
doubtcdly be signed by the governor.
!. The primary election bill. This
| bill changes the present primary law
in two very important features. Tn
| der the present law it is necessary
for any voter who wishes to vote At
| the primary 10 enroll himself under
some political party, and at the pri-
mary he is permitted To vote only tn
nominate candidates on his own par
~ ticket. The new law abolis hes par
tS enrolment, and the clcctor chooses
his party ballot and marks it in the
secrecy Of the polling booth This
bin also cuts out the ubniXious l.
per cent clause of the present law, by
which party candidates have fire.
qently been prevented from having
their names printed on the official
ballot.
Whether the elimination of party
enrolment is wise or not, the results
of future primary elections must
show. The advocates of this measure
claim that there cannot he absolute
secrecy of the ballot when AN clector
is required, as at present, To publicly
declare his allegiance to some political
party, before he is permitted to vote
at the primary. Those opposed To the
measure maintained that, this being
"a party government, open enrolment
bN the electors under the various par
" organizations has been of untold
value in shaping public opinion when
the campaign has been upon some
great political issue. They claimed
also that along with it's right to exist.
each political party has the absolute
right To choose its own candidates for
Office without interference 10y m"r
of different political faith-in other
words that no man should he permit
tod To vote i'm the choosing of the
candidates of party unless he be-
iicved in the principles of that party.
,. The concurrent resolution ratify'-
ing the proposed amendment To the
United States constitution providing
that senators shall be elected by the
direct vote of people of the several
states instead of of by the legislatures.
Under the terms of the congression1l
resolution II was necessary that three
fourths of all the state legislatures
should ratify the amendment. This
has been accomplished and hereafter
United states senators will be elected
by direct vote of the people.
3. \ corrupt practices act. limiting
the amount of money that candidates
for public office may spend in their
campaigns, and the manner and pur-
nosp fnr which il may he eXpendel