The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-03-30

tween the whole mass acting upon
constitution proposed by Cpnstjtu-
tioual convention and acting upon an
amendment thereto presented by five
per cent of their own number. Inc
same grade of public intelligence is de-
handed in the one case as in the other.
Greater eff :iency, however, is secured
under tic popular Initiative because
the attention of the people is concen-
traled upon the barrow propositions
instead Of being confused by multi
tude of subj Cts.
1t is again insisted that the people are
not sufficiently intelligent, and that
under the Intiative the ignorant rule.
Again a mistake. At the present time
the ignorant and indifferent exercise a
tremendous power i'll government
through their influence in the selection
of officers. Under the Initiative they
largely eliminate themselves We have
not then necessarily the rule of the ma
iorily in numbers, but the rule Of the
thoughtful, interested and informed
majority, something we scarcely obtain
III the selection Of officials.
We may illustrate In recent votes
in the State of Mary land upon c"nstl-
tutional amendments, about forty per
cent of the entire electorate have taken
part, but the propositions adopted nave
received heavy majoritics among that
forty per cent and have been PROPOSE
lions of vast importance 10 the citizens
of the State. People have to greater
or less degree Informed themselves as
TO the merits of the different amend
ments and voted accordingly. The uni
formed, the careless and corrupt, have
automatically eliminated themselves.
This is vastly better, therefore, than any
educational OF property qualification
which with a certain measure of justice
might be the subject of criticism. Thus
under the Initiative the real law makers
are the more competent.
Some years ago, fifteen different pro-
positions were submitted by Initiative
and Referendum to the voters of Ore
gon. Before the election the profess
sors in the State University Of Oregon
canvassed the situation among them
selves and comparison was had after
wards between the results or their vote
and the result of The vote IN the State
at large. In fourteen Instances out of
the fifteen, the vote of the State aid of
the college professors agreed. Ins the
fifteenth case disagreement ensued, but
two years later the maj ority Of the
State came over to the views Of the
majority Of The professors We may,
there fore, believe that the people of the
state Of Oregon have an intel igent as
well as a popular government. In these
votes III Oregon Lbe ignorant electors
largely eliminated themselves, fol, as
was snown at the time, the ligntest vote
on pcpu d: questions WAS Cast i'll those
wards of Portland where the average
intelligence Of the people was the low
est.
w hen We consider therefore, that the
more intelligent cOntrol the Initiative
IN Oregon and the other States where
it exists, we may believe that the same
would be true Of the Stae Of Maryland
The intelligent citizens of Maryland,
interested enough to vote on Statewide
questions, are certainly not less inter-
ested and not less informed than those
voting on ike questions in Oregon aud
other States. Cor years {, f education IN
school aud ou', in books and news
papers, have prepared lis for greater
activity in government. We WILL not
make the best use of al of this educa
tlon until we are able 10 make it at the
polls directly bear upon propositions of
general interest
After al the great merit of Direct
Legs alton by the people is that gov
ernmeut is made thing of real interest
to the people. The very acG of voting
directly upon laws raises the standard
of political intelligence. We will nc
longer throw the burden of thought
upon small. easily sWaYed body Of
men, in the General Assembly, but the
best thought of Marylind's quarter mil
lion Of voters will be attrac ed to public
questions, and VIII develop higher IN
tellgence by constantly considering
them Gradually We will rise 10 the
true dignity OF a real democracy.
JACKSON H. RALSToN,
Evansville. Md.