The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-04-05
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
7r. Jackson H. Ralston Continues A
Discussion of The Tax Laws OF
Maryland.

To the Editor of The Republican,
Oakland, Nd.
Mr.. Editor:
For eighteen wears, in one or more of
the states of the Union, laws have
been passed by direct pupular vote,
under the Initiative. A small percent
age Of the voting population has by
petition caused to be presented to the
entire electorate laws or constitutional
amendments believed to be IN the pub
lie interest and these propositions have
been accepted and rejected. From
this experience useful lessons have
been learned with reference to popular
government, some of which l shall en-
deavor to point out, in the hope that
the citizens of the State may be the
more ready to adopt the Initiative.
Laws to be passed upon by the people
are more carefully drawn as rule than
laws passed by legislatures. This
statement is so different from the i'm
preston sought to be created by those
opposed to popular government as to
deserve an explanation. Before any
important Initiative proposition is
placed upon a petition it is usually
thrashed over by committee of men
interested in its presentation to the
public in the best possible form. This
done, its friends have not trusted to
their own judgment, but have circu-
lated the proposed law widely among
groups of men Of like mode of thought,
to the end that every possible objection
to phraseology should be eliminated and
the utmost clearness Of expression OBJ
tanned. Many such propositions have
been printed and reprinted a score of
times before completion. The farmers
have understood that, once brought be-
fore the public eye, the text would be
criticised by thousands of men, view
ing it from every possible standpoint.
Perfection, therefore. becomes the
ideal in preparing an Initiative law.
Bills prepared for submission to the
legislature are usually the product of
the minds of interested persons know
ing exactly what they want, and not
always desiring the interest of the
people. So prepared they may be
gwen an examination, usually hasty,
| h., tho lacy;ela+iva cOy,roittaaS 70 ,,,L; II
they are referred. and generally no ex-
animation whatsoever by the great
mass of the legislators, who accept
without question whatever Is reported
from committees. An act, therefore,
gong through the legislature. does not
receive the careful detailed attention
given an act to be passed upon by the
people.
We are told that the people are not
sufficiently intelligent to themselves
to enact laws. Those who say this for
get that our constitutions are adopted
by the people, and this body. which is
intelligent enough to pass upon the fun
damental law, ought surely to be re-
garded as sufficiently intelligent to pass
upon any amendment it. In so doing
the people act upon the Initiative of
the Constitutional Convention which
proposes the Constitution to them.
There is no difference in principle be-
tween the whole mass acting upon a
constitution proposed by a constitution
al convention and acting upon an
amendment thereto presented by five
per cent. of their own number. The
same grade of public intelligence is de-
manded in the one case as in the other.
Greater efficiency, however, is secured
under the popular Initiative because
the attention of the people is concen-
trated upon the narrow propositions In