Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-23
SAY REFERENDUM
MAY Be ADOPTED
Acting Attorney General Among These
Holding BaseIess Assertions Of
Addison c. Harris.

/ Springfield, ILL.,, July 23.-There is
no existing reason why the initiative
and referendum cannot be legally
adopted in Illinois in the opinion of
L. H. Strawn. acting attorney general
Of Illinois, and who is generally con
coded about the state house to be At
/ torney General Lucey's right hand
man in the preparation OF weighty
/ opinions.
At the concluding business session
Of the Wisconsin Bar association at
Superior, Wis, July IS, Addison c.
Harris of Indianapolis delivered an
address in which he declared the init
alive and referendum could not be
legally adopted in Illinois, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Indiana and Michigan, the
five states formed out of the original
Northwestern territory. He based his
contention on the fact that Virginia,
in turning the territory over to the
union provided that the area always
should have a strict republican form
Of government"
There is nothing antagonisttc to
phrase strict republican form Of gov
eminent so some other points must
have been made in the address that
are not carried in the published ut
terances Of the man" said Acting At
torney General Strawn.
Other state officials said they could
see nothing in the Harris address
which might threaten the initiative
and referendum in Illinois. These
chaps who speak at bar association
conventions always feel that they have
to startle their audiences" said one
state official, so they spend long
hours trying to dig up something suf-
ficiently startling This looks like it
was intended for just such a pur-
pose"
The referendum, in a modified form,
is a part of the constitution OF I1li-
nois, and has been for many years.
The constitution OF Illinois invested
the people with power finally to de-
termine as to the sale or lease Of the
Illinois and Michigan canal. The leg
islature passed an act in 1882 ceding
the canal to the United States, ito be
maintained as a national waterway
for commercial purposes" The PEG
pie voted for and against the propo-
sitfon and it was ratified by the neces- |
sary majority OF the votes cast.
The appropriation of money for the
erection Of capitol buildings also is
matter for referendum in Illinois. /
The people of Illinois voted twice be-
fore they finally ratified, In 1884. the
appropriation of balance of $531,712
TO complete the state house; and it |
was not until they had ratified the ap-
preparation that the funds were made |
available to the legislature
BY an act passed by the Illinois leg |
fslature in 1895 the people of any city /
in the state were given the right to |
adopt the provisions of a general law /
regulating and reforming civil ser
vice.
A sort Of financial referendum pro- /
vision was adopted in 184S. This pro-
vfded for referendum which the legis- |
lature contemplated contracting debt |
exceeding $50 .00o In 1870 this was /
changed. increasing the amount TO /
$3.50, 1000 =.
At another stage Of its history I'LL |
nots experimental with an advisory /
referendum which consisted Of sub
Knitting questions to the people with a
viaw TO advising the Legislature on