Arizona republican., 1915-01-15
AY MORNING. JANUARY 10, 1915
"Whosoever neither desires to
please men nor fears to dlsDlcasc
them, shall enjoy much peace
The Governor and Direct Legislation

Governor Hunt in his message to the
legislature stands squarcly upon the
direct legislation system in its present
form Perhaps we should say that the
governor suggests no changes III the
system. but he deVOtcs a considerable
part of that section OF his message to
an argument against reported pro
posal to abolish the system.
We do not believe its abolition will
be proposed No doubt there are many
citizens who would like to have it
abolished, but they are in Il hopeless
minority As we have said before, it
is Uncomfortable that the people would
surrender a power when it could mean
onIv confession Of their incompetence
to exercise it; their unfitness for self
government. If they are not COM
potent to vote for measures, they are
not fully competent to vote for men.
Direct legislation is a power which
has not been long employed in any
state in this country. 1t was predict
cd after the first exercise Of it by the
people Of Oregon that it would be soon
surrendered But there is no DISPOSE
ton there to surrender it. The people
have learned to use it properly. At
first they abused it and many neg
lcctcd it. We only have to learn the
lesson that has been learned in Oregon.
The Republican believes. with many
others, and has often stated. that there
are manifest defects in our present
method Of direct legislation. We be-
lieve, however, that the system in the
main is right and the principle true
one The defects in the system should
be promptly remedied. that proposed
laws might go before the people with Il
stronger backing Of sentiment than is
now required; that the percentages OF
signatures to petitions should be i'll
creased that the paid circulator-in
fact, the circulation Of petitions
should be dispensed with, and that
some machinery should be supplied to
test proposed laws as to their form,
sufficiency and constitutionality We
have suggested for that purpose a leg
islative reference bureau modelled after
that Of the state Of Wisconsin. The
governor likewise suggested such a
bureau elsewhere in his message, but
not in his discussion of the initiative
The governor advises greater public
ity and more accuracy. But here we
encounter the difficulty Of saving who
is to be the judge of accuracy The
governor believes that organized gov
ernment, which may always mean the
administration in power, should be
made the Judge Of accuracy and should
be empowered to engage in publicity
But most people will not concede that
membership of an administration rem
ders one infalible, and every private
citizen will still insist that he has the
same right as the administration to try
to impress his views upon his neigh
bors.
Under the system as it now exists
all, presumably, have an equal chance.
The government cannot exercise any
special influence, and it should not be
permitted to do so. Therefore, we
think that the only recommendation
the governor makes in this connection
is not a good one, and that if it were
carried out it would be an Intellectual
remedy. The simple changes in the
system that we have briefly outlined
would afford relief without disturbing