Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-05
THE INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM
AND RECALL. ,.

I'C III~SIVC rCT
AND RECALL. .
Probably no question before the PEG.
pie OF this state is a more pointed
issue today than that of the initiative,
referendum and recall. At the ses-
sion of two a ago a concurrent
resolution favoring this was passed,
and is up again before this session for
final passage. Az has been many years
since there has been a question UP
for discussion which presents so many
phases and which ELECTS so many
sorts of arguments as this.
Briefly summarized, the functions
of the initiative and referendum are:
To restore the sovereignty Of the
people.
To educate and develop the people.
To secure education for the general
welfare.
To prevent legislation against the
general welfare.
To eliminate the Legislative black
mailer. ,i
To make our legislative bodies truly
representative.
The recall is a separate matter.
Heretofore our Legislation has been
through delegated power and, except
IL, instance. u,horo tho consultation ;c
under consideration, there has been
no direct legislation, and then only
partly. In order that the absolute SOW
ereignty Of the people may be re.
stored and that this may be made a
government of the people for, the peo-
pie and b. the people in fact rs well
as in theory, it is necessary that some
remedy be found for the abuse of
power which is practiced more or less
through the loose methods of our
legislative system. The initiative and
referendum is considered as the only
solution of Vie problem so far. BY
this method there is not the chance
for hasty action as there is in legisla-
tive enactments. Just to illustrates:
In Oregon where II. constitutional
amendments were considered four
were adopted and seven were reject
ed; of d bills submitted five were en-
acted and 16 rejected. or 725 bills
submitted to the legislature 275 were
enacted, hence the ratio between the
direct and delegated legislation was
9 to 275. Fifty-five days are given the
people to consider 80 measures to be
voted upon, or in the above case about
two days to each bill, while in the 40
day session the members were ex-
pected to consider about 500 bills in
40 days, an average Of about IL each
day. -.,
In another case the Oregon legisla-
ture repealed a statute which al.
lowed every householder a tax ex-
emption of household goods to the
value of $500. After adjournment all
were astonished to learn what had
been done. special session was
called and the repealed law re.enact-
ed by an overwhelming vote. This
would not have happened if the peo-
pie had had several weeks to consid-
er it.
Through the initiative and referen-
dunn the people are empowered to en-
act any law which fails to pass, and
to annul any law which proves dis
tasteful to them. In this way it puts
q quietus on the legislation which ia
r special interests, for the people
do not have to accept the laws if
they do not approve of them.
A delegated government has a ten.
dency to suppress the individual,
while a popular government develops
the individual.
It is the intention of the initiative
to provide a system by which the PEG
pie can, without unreasonable delay,
secure litigation which a majority aft
er a full public discussion believe to
be best to public interest.
It is the intertion Of the referendum
to provide a system by which the peo-
pie can defeat legislation which a