Evening star., 1926-03-06

Americans have heard much of
freedom and equity under a govern
ment of the people. by the people and
for the people" That ideal has long
been contrasted with the supposed
autocracy of "Prussianized mon
archy." Even before the ideal had
ever been fully realized in the land
OF the free and the home OF the
brayet it was actually consummated
In the former empire of the Hohen-
zollerns, through a direct referendum
on rnomentous question involving
hundreds of millions of dollars.
The question of disposition OF the
private" property of the late Kaiser
Wilhelm has long VeNed the states
men Of the German republic. Should
il he confiscated, AS the Communists
demanded? Should it be taken over
| bv the government in consideration OF
| a reasonable annuity to the royal ram
! ily? Should it be turned over TO VII
helm and the other royal claimants!
| II amounts approximately. TO quar-
| Tor of billion dollars, although even
| legal EXPERTS have not definitely de-
| tern,ined all titles as to whether TINS
! "a stle or that estate shall be counted
as private" or government property
y *
Thc referendum has been practiced
in Switzerland since the fourteenth
century. Switzerland is so small that
| its lawmaking functions can easily pc
kept we'll in hand by individual cltl-
zens-a democracy purely, rather than
republic.
In America ii was first practiced by
! Ma chusetts in 177S, in the suDmiS-
sion of the proposed constitution to
popular vote. resulting in vote to
call a conventional representative
republican form rather than a demo-
cratic referendum. subsequent use
of the direct vote of the people was
made in considering other coionial
constitutions and states. In 1890 the
chain was broken when Mississippi
framed new constitution without
submitting it's adoption to the vote
| Of the people.
The referendum has been dream
of farmers and certain progressive
| voters of the United States-or rather
of individual States-since the ne
ginning Of the Farmers Alliance in
The 7Os. and especially by the Popu-
lists in 1890. 1t was one of the out
sta nding issues in the RooseVelt'Pro-
gressive campaign of 1912. 1t mas
been adopted with slight modiflca tlons
in the State governments of the Da,
kotas. Oregon. Utah. Mississippi and
Monta ma. but has never been put into
practice upon major issues in those
States AS TO our Federal Govern
ment il has never been seriously ad-
Vanced.
Several times statuteS-not constl-
tutional amendments-have been sub
mitted for approval of the popular
vote in our States-as in the case OF
New York in 1S49, when the Legis'
lature established free public schools.
conditional upon a vote of the people.
County referendum has long been
familiar in connection with State leg
islation on prohibition, prior to the
eighteenth amendment of the Federal
Constitution.
II has remained, however, for Ger
many. under the republic, to make
first introduction of the principle In
federal constitution. For the first
time IN history that principle is to
be applied by millions of citizens in
passing upon the most vital question
which has effected their former au-
tocratic rulers. the Hohenzollern
dynasty.
The constitution OF the German re-
public provides as follows:
Article lS. a law ciidNlcu uN thO
National Assembly shall be referred
to the people before its promulgation
II the national president so orders.
A law whose promulgation is or
dered at the demand of at least one
third of the National Assembly shall
be submitted to the people, If one
twentieth of the qualified voters so
petition.
A. popular vote shall further be re-
sorted to on a measure initiated by
| the people II one-tenth of the qualified
voters so petition. A fully elaborated
bill must accompany such petition.
The national cabinet shall lay the
| bill. together with a statement. he
fore the National Assembly. The
popular vote does not take place If
the desired bill is enacted without
amendment by the National A.
sembly.