The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1915-04-30

ON tine Referendum Amendment
April Is, 1915.
To the Editor of the Democratic
Advocate":-
IA further consideration on the Ire
ferendum amendment I'd b. submitted
To the voters or Maryland this com
ing fall, justifies a brief review Of
some of the deeper principles con-
nected with it. Our form Of govern
ment and the theory On which it is
founded, differ materially from those
or practically Ill prior governments.
We do not Pccept the idea that human
government Is handed down from
superior human beings to inferior
ones. We repudiate the idea that
there can be a king or an aristocracy
wise enough Oh honest enough to
control the lives and fortunes or
every day human beings. IL ls not
necessary for us to believe that every
man is equal In intelligence, moral
qualities or usefulness to the COM
munity with every other man. We
can believe that they are all endowed
with 20 equal right to life, property
and the pursuit or happiness. Our
theory Is that being SO endowed they
all have an equal right whether rich
or poor, learned or unlearned, to de-
termine what Is good for themselves.
We do mot surrender this right alb
solutely even to any legislature, be
cause back OF the legislature is the
Constitution, which has been created
by the vote or possible vote OF every
citizen in the State. In its formation,
we have had the broadcast, the most
important kind Of direct legislation.
Usually a constitutional convention,
Oh as to amendments, legislature
initiates the propositiCas which are
put before the people. This Is In its
way a true initiative, but after being
initiated these most important propo-
sitions are referred to the people for
their action.
The Referendum upon which We
are to vote, extends the principle 20
that when a proposition passes the
Legislature, obnoxious to ten thou
sand voters in this State, that ten
thousand may demand that the prop
osition b. submitted to everybody.
we, therefore, essentially have no
new idea in the Referendum, but an
extension Of an old idea, and we in
sist that the people whom we con-
slider competent to vote upon the i'm
portant questions of Constitution
and constitutional amendments, must
b. regarded as equally competent
and equally interested, i'm reviewing
Objectionable acts or Legislature.
Back Of our whole system of gov
eminent rests sound principle. A
king or an aristocracy can impose
upon the people measures which are
in their interest and the people have
no voice Oh veto. "a legislature may
be persuaded by interested parties to
pass laws which are not beneficial to
the great mass of people, but pecul-
iarly beneficial to a few. The ma
jority of the people have no interest
superior to that of the whole. Law
yers, Doctors Oh Blacksmiths, or any
other special class OF the community
may by organization or threats, or
secret appeals to personal interest,
obtain special legislation in their re-
spective interests, but NO class is
sufficiently strong in our State to i'm
pose it, selfish interests upon the
whole community, when the whole
community has the right to vote up
on the proposition. 1t Is always
easier to cajole or intimidate or be-
fool one hundred and thirty lawmak-
ers than il is to control a majority
OF 100000 voters of the State OF
Maryland.
The Referendum once adopted In
Maryland will have great educa-
tional force. Every measure import
ant enough to come before the peo-
pie will be the subject Of discussion.
This has been the case particularly
in such great Referendum states o.
Oregon, California and Oklahoma
The people through this debate will
learn to know better their own inter
ests.
We have had much over a hundred
years OF schools, colleges and news
papers. The citizen OF today knows
more about his rights and duties than
did the citizen Of one hundred years
ago, and yet politically our form Of
government has remained the same.
tt is time that though the Referen-
dunn and later through the Initiative,
the average citizen should take
more active part In politics, a. he j.
prepared to take more intelligent
part than was taken by the citizens
of century past. You cannot in
other words, keep on training men
and at the same time deny them a
chance to put their training in prac-
tice, and this IL the fundamental
reason perhaps for the great general
for the Referendum and the
Initiative throughout the United
States.
Mere voting for officers to fill posi-
lions no longer satisfies the people
politically. They are beginning TO
realize that their thought and intel
ligence must directly deal with the
great problems of government.
When the intelligent thought of
the whole people of the State ia di-
rectly critically to the measures
which are passed by the Legislature,
W. shall expect better work by the
Legislature, and therefore govern
ment in the interest Of the whole peo-
pie instead of in the interest Of the
classes. We shall expect govern
ment to b. more economical, when
the whole people have 1t in their
power, a. they will through the Re
ferendum, to enforce economy.
l should not be so rash as to say
that the people will wisely decide
every proposition which may be re-
ferred to them, at least the first time.
They will gain wisdom by e3ercis-
linz their powers OF thought and
whether they act wisely or not, they
will at least strive as rule to act