The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-02
Is Ii ''SilIy'' to Have A Law Which Would Give All the Citizens of Bridgeport
 Power to MakeRight What Twenty
 four Aldermen Have Made Wrong?

was heard before the committee on cities and boroughs a very humble bill. in the form of an amendment to the charter of Bridgeport.
 The effect of this bill. which had been offered by Representative John H. McMurray, was simply this:
 If the twenty-four we'll meaning men, and usually honest and well meaning aldermen should thereaf- ter mistake the views of the citi- zens, by passing a bonding bill. or a police ordinance, or a; twenty year water contract, then the cit- iEens, and the electors represent ing the citizens. would have the right to bring that mistake to the ' ballot box, to be passed upon by the freemen.
 Or if the aldermen refused to pass some measure desired by the people, such a measure could be brought to the ballot box
 There appeared against this bill the mayor. the city clerk, and the president of the board of alder men, and distinguished counsel for a public service corporation, all of Bridgeport
 Two of them were Democrats by politics Two of them were Re publicans. But the president of the common council, a Democrat, and the disttng gushed layer, a Re- publican. were AGREED in this- that the btll was a FOOLISH bill, and the other two agreed with them.
 The Democrat, who is president of the council, said that the bill is a ''sf11y" bill. The Republican, said that it is a. freak bill. Both of them regarded the bill as an in suit to the common council, and assumed an attitude of utmost in dignation, that anybody should presume to believe there ought to be a method of taking the views of all the citizens of Bridgeport, if those views should chance to be op- posed to the views of the mayor and twenty-four aldermen. or any thirteen of them.
 Every, little town in Connecticut has the initiative and referendum. If something is done in a town that the citizens do not like, any twenty citizens may call a town meeting, and then all the citizens, or as many of them as are interest n6 1crJa fo of0 will thrash the question out. If it is something the selectmen have done which the citizens do not like, they may veto it. That is the Referendum. If it is some thing the selectmen have not done, the citizens may do it, and that is the INITIATIVE.
 Bridgeport had the town meet ing plan once. But the city got too big. They couldn't all get into the hall, and the old plan became unworkables Then the aldermen were created. to REPRESENT the citizens, as their AGENTS.
 But this system was found, not in Bridgeport alone, but all over the United States, to have it's drawbacks.
 Finally the people began to in stall the initiative and referendum, or the commission form of gov ernment accompanied by the in1- tiative and referendum This means that the town meeting plan is restored for certain purposes, and under certain regulations. In stead of twenty people, ten per cent of the people are required to demand consideration of the meas ure. That is one man in every ten. In the General Assembly one man in 258 is sufficient to propose a matter for action. In Bridgeport it would be 1.6OO people, Then, the petition having been filed, and checked and found sufficient, the matter is considered, not in a hot and crowded hall, but at the ballot box, after there has been a con siderable period for debate. Each citizen who is interested in the question goes to the ballot box with his ballot in his hand, under his oath of office as a citizen, and reg isters his will.
 This silly principle has been almost generally accepted through out the United States and in many foreign countries. It has been accepted in the national platforms of four of the five large parties. It has been accepted by four of the larger parties of Connecticut, and especially by the Democratic and Progressive party.
 Yet comes Bridgeport's Mayor, the city clerk. the president of the board of aldermen, and divers oth- err- n-otesting that the measure ~