Evening star., 1916-04-04
Referendum Benefits.

Referendum Benefits.
One does not need to become a rad.
ical progressive and q thoroughgoing
advocate of the referendum as panacea
everywhere to favor a District refer
endum
The most reasonable criticisms of the
referendum allege that the scope of Its
useful application has been exaggerated; /;
that the device is of the greatest value
in the smallest political subdivisions as
in town or city, less in the state and,
except possibly for the adoption of con-
stitutional amendments, Of no value in
national legislation. It is objected that
the referendum tends to increase un-
duly the number Of elections, and
that interjected into a representative
government it tends to belittle and to
weaken injuriously the prestige and au-
thority of the elected representative
legislature.
None of these objections applies to a
and hurtfully increase the number Of
local elections. for there are no others.
1t cannot weaken the authority of the
regularly constituted local legislature,
because outside of Congress the Dis
trict has no such legislature to be weak
ened.
The referendum finds its most valua.
bic and unobjectionable application as
= supplement of representative govern
nent in special cases where public
opinion should be taken into account in
legislation and where the securing of
that expression of public sentiment
through the ordinary forms of repre-
sentative government is denied by the
Constitution-for example, in the Dis
triet of Columbia, where Congress in
acting for the people under the Consti-
tuition should heed and give effect in
local concerns to local sentiment and
yet is deprived of power to learn this
public sentiment in any conclusive way
by absence from the District of all rep
resentative elections and all elections
Of any kind The referendum will serve
in the District very useful purpose in
securing reliable expressions of local
public sentiment concerning important
legislative issues to which Congress, as
exclusive legislature, may wisely and
equitably respond.
The proposed referendum, thus free
locally from objections urged against it
elsewhere, will benefit the District {D
by Strengthening in congressional recog-
milton and favor the sound principle of
due consideration for local sentiment
upon which all wise District legislation
is based; (2) by expediting the enact
ment of a constitutional amendment
which shall give to the 100000 Wash
ingtonians all the political and judicial
rights of Americans which are consistent
with national control of the nations
city: (3) by increasing congressional ap-
probation of the strength, intelligence
and character of the District electorate
with the result of greater legislative
consideration by Congress both before
and after the adoption of the eonstitu-
tional amendment; and ~ by framing
the Districts anti-liquor law in con-
formity with local public opinion on the
wise principle of local option legislation
which prevails elsewhere in the United
States and in the other progressive COM
munities of the world like New Zealand.
1t would seem that everybody in
Washington, men and women, progress
sives and conservatives, pro-saloon and
anti-saioon people alike, should in the
broad general interest of the capital
unite in favor of the District referen-
dunn.