Evening star., 1917-01-06
TE[[SHOW VOTERS
RULE POLITICIANS
Mr.. Dill Chief Speaker at Con.
ference of Popular Gov
eminent League.
when PEOPLE SAID "NO''


was the leading speaker at today's con-
ference of the National Popular Gov
ernment League. at the New Ebbitt
Hotel. telling how the people OF the
state Of Washington said mo" to
measures designed to kill the initiative.
referendum and recall in that state.
TO law passed by the Washington
legislature. which was vetoed by 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 nomina-
ton plan. the people said No by q vote
of zoe. 900 to 10000" Representative Dill
said
Fight for Popular Government.
He told some Of the history Of the
fight for popular government in WASH
ington. adding:
ITO the law prohibiting the granting
OF franchise to any competitive
public service corporation. whether
out a certificate of necessity from the
public service commission, passed by
the legislature and signed by the gov
ernor, the people said No by 100000
to $4,000. To the law preventing fur
ther public development Of the public
eventually most of the exports Of the
northwest will move. passed by the
legislature and signed by the governor.
the people said No by 1sb. 900 to $4,000.
passed a prohibition amendment by
$4,000 majority. In 1915. when the
liquor forces proposed two bills by the
initiative for the purpose Of bringing
tnao IL he 6nx arlA t1rSy hA aA1
the people said No by ma5orittes OF
263, 900 to $4,000 and 2l5,O00 to $4,000.
"Such maJorities were not accidental.
They were the evidence of the unmis-
taxable protest by the people against
efforts to restrict and sap that power
which they had reserved to themselves.
By their votes on these bills the people
declared most emphatfcally that they
propose to retain their present control
over politicians. public servants and
their own affairs"
Other Speakers and Themes.
Ray McKaig of Mandan. N. D.. master
Of the Farmers State Grange. told how
the non-partisan political league OF
that state captured all the offices In re-
cent elections from coroner to Judge OF
the state supreme court; Farley p
Christensen, president OF the Popular
Government League Of Utah. told what
is happening in the fight for popular
government in that state. and other
speakers were Mrs. William Kent OF
California and DR.. John r. Haynes
president of the Direct Legislation
League Of California.
Abolition of direct primaries and sub
stitution of the preferential ballot sys-
tenn was advocated by Prof. Lewis J.
johnson Of Harvard in an address be-
fore the League. Primaries, ne SAID
than the voter without an Ak to grind
cares to put up with"
Benefits Of System Explained.
By using the Bucklin system OF pref
erential voting. Prof. johnson contfn-
ued, 'the usual regular election can be
made to do the work Of both the pri-
mary and the regular election COM
bined and to do it better. We can dis
pense root and branch with the pri-
mary, and the turmoil. expense and
danger which it involves"
The conference, which fs continuing
this afternoon, and which is open to
the public, will conclude with session
R. NJ wanamaker of the Ohio supreme
court will speak. with others.
Cheated" Says Mrs. Gait.
At last nights session of the confer
ence Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, presi-
dent of the National American Wom-
ans Suffrage Association, charged that
the suffrage cause had been cheated
of Ave and perhaps more states by will
full fraud or fraud perpetrated within
the law"
I'm twenty-five states" said Mrs.
Gait, mo provision has been made by
the election law for any form Of con-
test or recount on q referendum. Po-
litical corrupters may. in these states.
bribe voters. colonise voters and repeat
them to their hearts content and re-
dress Of any kind is practically impos-
sible. A case might be brought to the
but the election would stand"