The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1913-01-03
THE MESSAGE OF
GOVERNOR FERRIS
n REAL AUSTRALIAN BALLOT;
INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, AND
RECALL RECOMMENDED
\ simpIified Primary Law and other
important Acts Noted For
Consideration.
Our New Governor Addresses The
Legislature in Plain Terms and
Makes Many Valuable
Suggestions.

oug9csltoHs'
Gentlemen of the Legislature:
We are entering upon new era III
statecraft. A general awakening Is IN
process of evolution. The people are
coming to feel with force the time-hon-
ored quotation, "A Government OF the
people, by the people and for the pee
ple." They are not overzealous as TO
the particular political party that an
official represents; ia fact, the three
great political parties in Michigan
agre on essentials and it ought, there
fore. TO be easy for the legislators rep
resenting these three great parties to
work together tremendously and Ell
ficiently in securing these common
ends. We are, indeed, colleagues in our
effort TO join in common service for
the highest welfare of our great state
In other words, we are citizens and
public servants first and our party diff
ferences are secondary. ! can assure
the present Legislature that | shall
take great pleasure in encouraging
hearty cooperation from start to fin
ish Most of the measures that | shall
recommend have commanded the at
tention OF the people for at least a
decade.
Primary Law.
The secrecy of our ballot is the
foundation of our liberty and the law
wisely provides that this should re-
main inviolate. Our present pri
mary law violates these funda-
mental principles by providing
that every voter shall tell the
town board to which party he be-
longs, be publicly recorded as such a
partisan, and his name sent TO Ian
sing as such partisan. He can only
change his label on certain days of
the year as provided by law. This pro-
vision should be repealed. | suggest
that registration day and primary day
lie one and the same. This would in
sure a full attendance at the primary
All party tickets should be printed on
one ballot, the voter marking one
ticket only i'm the booth In order to
prevent minority nominations proris-
ions should be made for a second
choice column.
The abolition of party enrolment
would do away with the absurd -
Fer cent proposition ~ having rori3-
tration day and primary day the same,
thousands Of dollars could be saved
Ry giving the people The initiative and
referendum to amend the constitution
and make laws: by giving them a sin
sic and secret ballot and a primary
law to nominate and elect their pub
lie servants; by giving them the re-
call to discharge unworthy and misrep-
ersentative pebble officials. YOU place
i'm their hands the ra7ceSsary tools
whereby they can easily Get such re-
form legislation as they desire The
above are the fundamental things that
should take precedence over all other
legislation if we are 90 haze in this
state government truly of, for and
by the people
Initiative and Referendum.
In order that the people may rule it
H. essential that they be given the
proper tools to work With so that they
may attain their own salvation. The
most important of these measures is
the Initiative and Referendum. This
system has been adopted by nearly
one-third Of the states in the union,
but i'm onehalf of these the system
is ineffective because of some Joker
inserted in the amendment. A Consti
tutional Amendment should be sub
mitted providing for the Initiative and
the Referendum. OF all the states, Or
egon has had the Initiative and Refer
endum the longest VI has been in op
GRAFTON there for over ten years and
during that time the people have init
ated or referred over one hundred
measures by popular vote The per
centage OF petition signers is reason
able and the amendment is self-oper
ating. / suggest that il should be
adopted without any substantial
change. It's operation after series o.
years has been so satisfactory tha
after ten years the peopel voted dowr
the attempt to repeal It by an over
whelming majority.
Recall.
A constitutional provision shoulC
also be submitted providing for tn,
recall Of all executive, legislative AM
administrative officials The petition
for the Recall should not require NOR
than 20 per cent Of the voters of tn
district. This percentage has the ar
proval OF all OF the authorities on thi
subject.
Ballot Reform.
If the people are to rule throug
the agency Of the ballot at the electio
rrimai they must simplify our elet
i'm NJ ~ Laws TO -gibly we are III