The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-02-02

- - 49, R11f1@ ~
may be to the advantage OF these rep
resentatives not 70 correct these mis-
takes.
Referendum Men Lead.
Now, | do not know TO what extent
you have considered the initiative and
referendum. but, my friends, [ believe
IN the initiative and referendum, and
If you want TO know whether the peo-
pie Of this country are afraid Of the
Initiative and referendum look back
to 1912, when we had three candi-
dates before the people who received
large votes and two of them believed
in the initiative and referendum and
one of them opposed the initiative and
referendum, and the two who believed
IN the initiative and referendum came
first and second and the one who OPP
posed the initiative and referendum
came third in the popular vote.
80 you see the people are not
afraid to trust men who trust IN the
people; and both of the men who be-
lieved in the initiative and referendum
had undergone a change OF opinion on
the subject; they had changed from
opposition to advocacy.
President Wilson's Candor.
Zone Of the first things that attract
ed me to Woodrow Wilson was what
he said on the initiative and refercn-
dunn. If there is IA frank and honest
public man, it is Woodrow Wilson.
(Applause). know of no one WhO
discusses public questions more can
didly or one who discards more openly
and freely anything he finds to DC
wrong. He made a speech before the
teachers at Chattanooga upon one oc-
casiOn and said, For twenty years 1
taught the young men of my college
that the initiative and referendum was
wrong, but I find l was wrong and the
initiative and referendum was right"
Then he began to preach the initiative
and referendum.
1T was only about nine years ago
that President Roosevelt sent his then
secretary, Mr.. Taft, all the way to Ok
lahoma to urge the people to reject
the constitution hat had been written
for them and which was then submit-
ted to them, and one Of the reasons
that was given for the rejection Of it
was that it had the initiative and ref
erendum in it, and yet about four
years ago, nearly five, Mr.. Roosevelt
went all the way to Columbus, O., to
speak to the constitutional convention
! in the very State of the man whom he
sent to Oklahoma, who was then pres
ident. and Mr.. Roosevelt advised the
convention at Columbus to submit the
initiative and referendum to the pee
pie OF Ohio. 1t was done and the
great State Of Ohio adopted the mi
tiative and referendum.
Great States Adopt 1t.
cit is not, therefore,, a doctrine o.
!, obscure people. Here are the two
men who received the highest votes
in the election two years ago. and here
. is the great State of Ohio Chat come:
either third or fourth in the Union
= I think it is third, but I am not sure
. which is ahead, Illinois or Ohio) VIII,
= are submitting it to the people, VIII
accepted it.
: And I will say this to you: I wan
: you to understand hat the initiativ
and referendum depends upon tn
basic principle Of popular government
and opposition to it implies a distrus
of the people, either a questioning o
their intelligence or a denial Of thei
capacity and their right to cover
themselves. Don't be afraid Of let
ting the people make mistakes. The
will never makek as many mistake
against themselves as nave been mao
against them by those who doubte
their capacity or denied them tn
right to govern themselves.
u Attachment For North Carolina.
se pardon me if I speak upon tn:
subject with such earnestness. Their
a is no State in the Union outside {
Id Nebraska for which I feel more a
tachment than I do for North Care
lima. (Applause.) There is 40 othe
tie State whose people nave more attra'
ton for me or in the intelligence
IT, whose people I have more confdenc
I have a proof Of the intelligence
the people of this State, as this WI
the first State Of any size that decide
of to vote for me in the Chicago conve1
ton, and hat ought to be pro-
ur enough. applause and laughter.)
re my friends, I ought not to have al
OF more faith in these people han W
who live among them ave. Let the
to have their way, let them govern then
es, selves. and the fact that they can
ed it will make you more likely to repr
a sent them. Don't distrust their INTEL
CHI gence. The only evidence that tn
can give of lack Of intelligence is
continue in Office men who do not tru
in the people who elected them "a
cy plause). For 1t must pc lack OF l
te1ligence that Will make any Peep
4Haort anu mon as ranreSantatiu