The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1914-07-31

almost wholly Democratic-the aris-
toeTatic element having deserted our
organization. Il is commencing itself,
too, to a large majority Of the Re.
publican party who at heart have
faith in the capacity Of the people
for self government. There are only
two objections that can be honestly
made to the Initiative and Refer
endum. One is the arstocratic OBJ
lection which is based upon the lack
Of confidence in the masses, and the
other the plutocratic which is based
upon the idea that the masses can
not be trusted TO deal Justly with
property interests. Both Of these
objections are groundleSS. The
masses have proven, wherever given
an opportunity, their ability to deal
with questions Of government. The
aristocratic idea Of representative
government is that the people them
selves are not intelligent enough to
decide public questions, but should
select a few superior men to think
for them and act for them. This
reasoning is, Of course, fallacious as
we'll as undemocratie. The people
can act more intelligently upon a
proposed reform Of government than
they can upon an individual because
they can understand a proposed re-
form better than they can a person
and then, too, a proposed reform
does not change after the election
while the individual may.
g"The putocratic argument against
the Initiative and Referendum is
equally unsound. The people are
conservative; they can be trusted
Il
nDt to violate the rights Of property.
| Experience will show that violations
of property rights are more often
haceable TO the avarice Of those who
are able to obtain a monopoly than
tolthe masses who can have no sell
fish interests in the doing oflniustice,
Il have no doubt that a majority
Of those who vote upon the proposed
amendment will vote for it; the only
danger in Mississippi is the danger
that the friends of the Initiative and
Referendum had to encounter in
] Arkansas, namely, the failure to
vote. Your constitution requires that
the amendment shall receive not
merely a majority of the votes cast
upon that subject, but a majority Of
oil votes cast at the election. and eX.
perience shows that a great many
people fail to vote on amendments
unless an active campaign is waged
to bring the amendment clearly tC
the attention Of the people. ! hope
: therefore, that those in favor OF the
: Initiative and Referendum will SCI
2 to it that every voter is reminded o.
the fact that the amendment is to bt
r acted upon, So that it will not b.
( lost by failure of some Of the voter
e to express themselves on this par
: ticuIar subject.
e Il hope, too, that the friends 0
Y the amendment will see to It tina
2 the people are fully informed as t
0 the nearing Of the words lnitiatiy
: Referendum and to the purpose Q
e the amendment. Every new propo
Y sition has to encounter two kinds Q
: opposition-the intelligent oppositio
4 Of those who profit by the evils tha
/ the amendment is INTENDED to rem
{ edy, and those who, ignorant Of tn
subject, ,:either cast their vote wit
/ the opposition or by failing to vol
are counted with the opposition.
IF you will give me your adore:
/ will be pleased to send you or
hundred copies of speech ! mac
before the Constitutional Conver
vention Of Ohio in 1912. II pr
sents an argument in favor Of tt