The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-11-02
MASSACHUSETTS and
THE |. &R. AMENDMENT
Do Not Be Deceived by the Camou-
Aage Of Rome, Rum and
Big Business


The constitutional convention Of
the state Of Massachusetts, has sub
mitted nineteen resolutions to the
people to be voted on at the general
election to be held this month.
THE MENACE has q digest Of all
these measures, but hasn't taken the
time to investigate the merit Of all
Of them. In fact there seems to be
no particular controversy over any
Of them except the first and most
important one on the ballot, namely,
the proposed measure for the adop-
ton of the principles Of the initia.
tive and referendum. This measure
we have studied, for the very good
reason that we have, always been In
favor Of the initiative and referen-
dunn as q progressive, democratic
principle in government, and our
study Of this particular measure has
been accentuated by the fact that
number Of supposed patriots and
friends of the patriotic cause, and
supposed friends Of THE MENACE.
have been vigorously opposing 1t and
have circulated tons of literature in
opposition to it. Some of them have
gone so far as to tell US that Car
dinal 0'Connell and the Roman Cath
olic gang in Boston are for it, In an
effort to get us to openly oppose it
in the paper.
We are not sure this Is true, and
If it were true it would not alter the
fact that the initiative and referen-
dunn is one Of the most practical and
progressive forms of legislation ever
devised in the interest of free, demo-
cratic government.
The opponents to the measure
those who are opposing it as patriots
and anti-papists-contend that the
state Of Massachusetts, is now about
forty per cent Catholic, and that it
may at some time be more than fifty
per cent so, and that in that case
the papacy would control the state,
Ye Godsl
Do you suppose, for an instant
that if the state we're over fifty per
cent Catholic that the Catholics could
not elect the senate and the lower
house at every election and control
lust as effectively as they could when
the laws were submitted to the popu.
lace under the initiative and refer
endum?
They are deceiving the people again
by not telling the whole truth about
the measure. Ten men can initiate
measure, but the measure must bt
approved by the attorney general Of
the state and the state legislature
and must be accompanied by argu
ments pro and con and a petition
signed by twenty thousand qualified
voters before it can go on the ballot
and then, after all is said and done
it must be accepted or rejected by th,
whole people at a regular election
where every man in the state, quail
fed, has the right to vote on it.
The enemies Of the measure arr
4 shouting to the tops Of their voice!
that any bunch Of ten men can max,
the laws Of the state If this measur,
is adopted. They falsify when the,
say it.
The initiative and referendum
makes it possible for the people t,
get good laws which q bad legisla
ture fails to enact, and it likewis,
makes it possible to repeal bad laws
and the man who opposes such ,
democratic principle is either an au
tocrat by nature or has an axe :,
grind, that's all there is to it,
The measure proposed in Massa
chusetts requires, in our Judgment
q sufficient number Of signatures t,