Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-07
TELLS HOW VOTERS
RULE POLITICIANS
Mr. mn CHIEF Speaker nt Conference
of Popular Government
League.

W ASHlNGTtN. January G.-E.prc.
sentative piil. Of Washington. WAS the
leading speaker at to-day's conference.
I of the National Popular Government
League. telling how the people Of the
state III Washington said No" Ia
ensures designed To kill the initiative.
referendum and recall in that state.
To a law passed by the WaShiugtoii
Legislature. which was vetoed 10y the
, Governor and passed over his veto,
which would have provided for a re
turn to political convention politics and
the Strangling Of the primary uomn..-
tton plan. the people said No by a vote
Of 100000 L" $4,000" Representative
Din said.
lie told some of the history Of the
night for popular government in NASH
iuston. adding:
'To the law prohibiting tho granting
Of franchise to amy competitive pub
lice service corporation. whether mu-
n1cipaitN or privately owned. without
q certificate of necessity from tho
Public Service Commission. passed by
The legislature and signed by the Gov
crnor. the people said No by "a! 900
IL $1,000. To the Law preventive: FUR
;her public development CT tho public
port OIL Scdttl., u port through which
eventually most of the exports OF the
Northwest viii move. passed hv the
Legislature and signed by the Cover
i5."oQ
In 1914 the people OF Washington
passed prohibition amendment BY
$4,000 majority. In 1915 when TIE
liquor forces proposed two bills by the
INITIATIVE tor the purpose OF bringing
back tho hreweries without tho saloons.
the people said No by ma ;oriticS Of
263.oo" 70 $4,000 and ai5.0o0 to aS."oo
such majorities were not accidental
lneE were the evidence 81 tn. uumiS-
takaole protest by the people against
EFFORTS 10 restrict and sap that power
winch they had reserved 10 themselves.
BY their votes on these bills the pco-
pic declared most cmphatically that
they propose to retain their present
control over politicians. public servants
and their own affairs"
Ray Mckaig. of Mandan, y. D., mas
ter u the Farmers State Grange. told
how the nonpartisan political league
OF that state captured all tho offices
IN recent elections from coroner 10
judge Of tho state supreme Court.
FARLEY J.. christensen president OF the
Popular Government League Of Utah,
told what is happening in thr fight for
popular government in that State, and
other speakers were Mrs. William
Kent. OF California. and DIR. John r.
Haynes. president ri the Direct Legis-
lation League OF California
Abolition of direct primaries and
substitution OF the preferential ballot
system Was advocated by Professor
Lewis j. johnson. OF Harvard in AN
address before the league. Primaries
he said are just one more dose Of
politics than the voter without an az
to grind cares 70 put UP with.
BY using the Bucklin system OF pref.
ercntial voting, Professor Johnson con-
tinucd. the usual regular election can
be made TO do the work OF both the
primary and the regular election COM
bined and 10 do il better. We can dis
pensc root and branch with the pri-
mary. and the turmoil, expense and
danger which il involves"
The conference concluded with q srs-
sion at o'clock tonight. a, which
Justice u, NJ. WanaInakcr. OF the ohio
Supreme Court. spoke.