The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-04-23
On the Referendum Amendment

On the Referendum Amendment
To the Editor.
A further consideration of the Re-
ferendum amendment to be submitted
to the voters of Maryland this coming
Fall. justifies brief review of some
of the deeper principles connected
with it. Our form of government and
the theory on which it IS founded,
differ materially from those of practi-
cally all prior governments. We do not
accept the idea that human government
is handed down from superior human
beings to inferior ones. We repudiate
the idea that there can be king or an
aristocracy wise enough or honest
enough to control the lives and fortunes
of every day human beings. 1t is not
necessary for us to believe that every
man is equal in intelligence, moral
qualities or usefulness to the commun-
with every other man. We can believe
that they are all endowed with an
equal rights to life. liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. Our theory is
that being so endowed they all have an
equal right whether rich or poor,
learned or unlearned, to determine
what is good for themselves. We do
not surrended this right absolutely
even to any legislature, because back
Of the legislature is the Constitutions
which has been created by the vote or
possible vote of every citizen in the
State. In its forma ton, we have had
the broadcast. the most important kind
of direct legislation. Usually a con-
stitutional convention, or as to amend
ments, legislature initiates the pro-
positions which are put before the
people. This is in its way a true in
itiative, but after being initiated these
most important propositions are refer
red to the people for their action.
The Referendum upon which we are
| to vote, extends the principle so that
when proposition passes the Legis-
lature, obnoxious to ten thousand
voters in this State, that ten thousand
may demand that the proposition be
submitted to everybody. We, therefore,
essentially have no new idea in the
Referendum, but an extension of an
old idea, aud we insist that the people
whom we consider competent to vote
upon the important questions of Con-
stitution and constitutional amend
ments, must be regarded as equally
competent and equally interested, in
reviewing Objectionable acts of Leg
stature.
Back of our whole system of govern
ment rests a sound principle. A King
or an aristocracy can impose, upon the
people measures which are in their
interest and the people have no voice
or veto. A legislature may be per-
suaded by interested parties to pass
laws which are not beneficial to the
great mass of the people, but peculiar
ly beneficial to few The majority of
people have no interest superior to-
that the VIII ole. Lawyers, Doctors or
Blacksmiths, or any other special class
of the community may by organi zation
or threats, or secret appeals to personal
interest, obtain special legislation in
their respective interests, but no class
is su fl GENTLY strong n our
State to impose its selfish inter ests
upon the whole community, when the
whole community has a right to vote
upon the proposition. 1t is always
easier to csjole or intimidate or hefool
one undred and thirty lawmakers than
it is to control majority of 25000)
voters of the State of Maryland
The Referendum once adopted in
Maryland will havea great educationa
forcer Every measure important
enough to come before the people will
be the subject of discussion. This has
been the case particularly in such great
Referendum states as Oregon, Cali
fornia and Oklahoma. The people
through this debate will learn to know
better their own interests.
We have had much over a hundred
years of schools, colleges and newspap-
ers The citizen of today knows more
about his rights and duties than did the
citlzeu Of one hundred years ago, and
yet politically our form of government
has remained the same. 1t is time that
through the Referendum and later
through the Initiative, the average
citizen should take more active part
IN nnliticS as he is nrpDared tn take a