The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-04-14

aAAtE. lit Will Efarn EEGE TN@~* Two in
did destroy one Of the most
powerful party machines and that i,
remains destroyed. He viii find
among other things. that a Deulo-
cTac governor was elected In that Re-
publican state: and that the same
democrat was sent To represent the
state IN the United States Senate.
while the State remained Republican.
Ana this is only one example ~ the
lnJur5 and destruction that has been
wrougnt on political machines bN the
initiative and Referendum.
\ Close Vote shakes His Faith.
in pages 80 and lS1 ne gives the
small percentage Of the Not. cast on
certain measures in Switzerland. and
instances Of decisions being det-rmin-
ed by a Very small majority very
close vote; and on page is7 ne says.
Sucn instances DO not condemn the
institution. but they shake our faith
in a popular vote as an infallible in
ueN OF puhllc opinion" AS | read this
L couid not help making Il marginal
note as follows: What does the au-
tner think of the many instances in
"hich laws have been made Instances
IN which laws have been made in
legislative bodies by a very small vote.
or by a very small majority very
close vote Do these things shake
his faith" in the legislative system Of
making laws?
Anu noW, AFTER more than a decade
of experience with the Initiative and
Referendum in many parts of this
country, the author says of tina sys-
them on page ia: LAS Vet il is too
early to predict what the ultimate
effect of the institution will be. A
generation must pass before tina can
be determined" What shall We say
Of such a student of recent history
and of such an Interpreter Of recent
history? Suppose such an attitude had
been taken regarding this Republic
in 1890 or 1900? Would not such an
attitude have been fatal. even after
our historic struggle and our early
years of construction? What would
have been thought of MIR. Lowell in
Massachusetts any time from 1775 to
1890? An answer to this question
will throw some light on what we
should think of him now.
h Power to Start something.
But let us turn our attention TO Mr..
LOWelfS latest eXploit-his (~Volun-
tary) appearance before the commit
tee on constitutional amendments IN
the State ca pital at Boston, March 3.
1914.
The Boston Morning Herald for
March 10th states that Mr.. Lowell
Showed that Is, 600 people. II
that be the number chosen, could
force an issue over which the whole
State would have to fight. It might
be q religious, or a class or a racial
issue that ought to lie dormant,
l but with the Initiative it could be
/ inVOked.'
Does not Mr.. Lowell or any other
citizen Ct Massachusetts know that
e one man in either house of the Mas
: sachusett legislature can propose any
: measure at any time during the sit
T ting Of the legislature? This could
e have been done by any one man in
e the legislature at any tine since Mas
S SachuSettS has been a state and the
: Massachusetts legislature conVenes
every year. However, one man could
: not force an issue all over the State,
but a majority of 40 men in the Sen
S ate and of $40 men in the House
could do So; and is not that much
more likely thar that $4,000 voters
should do SO? Concerning a religious
question or any other question which
S should like dormant" there is no more
denger of such a question being I'M
e tiated by $4,000 voters in Massachu.
n sets than by a majority of the leg
= i~slature in Massachusetts. In nc
State, nor in any city, which has The
Initiative and Referendum, has any
e attempt at any such thing been made
and it is much more likely that Sucf
attempt shall be made by the iegis'
lature of a State or legislative body
n of any city, han hat it be made by
Z popular lnllldtlNt Dy lHe ldISe mum
n Der of voters required to initiate.
Further, Mr.. Lowell is reported il
the same paper to have said tina
the scene is not working we'll wher'
l. now on trial" This is absolutely in
O correct. Let Mr.. Lowell, or any othel
t. man, go into any State which now ha-
the Initiative and Referendum ant
1T their repeal, and see h
? will happen. He will find q few "sor'
is heads among professional politician
Ie and agents of corporations and othe
al large interests who would be very g1a'
e to see the rights M privileges of tn
is people curtailed: but let him get al
expression from the people themsel
re YES, and he will learn that the above
Re quoted statement cannot be substan
&c tiated.