rr
i
V
V
VOL. VU.
SO MOVES THE WORLD.
"We ilMp and waks and sleep, bat alt th-uts
non;
The Bnn DIm forward to bit brother Boo ;
The dark Eartb oli ws, whselstl In hsr alllpst;
And human thing, ittorumg- on themselves.
Hot onward, leading up to guldau year."
The revolution in Ecuador is reported
growing,
Pern and Bolivia are engaged in a
Dlun game,
The New York railroads are conspir-
ing to kill off tbe trie canal,
The big wholesale notion house of C.
M. Liinington of Chicago baa failed,
S. B. Morse & Co., the largest retail
dry goods house in Umaba has tailed
England has endorsed the French
method system of weights and measures,
now in use in most nations,
The bursting of the boilers in the Gum'
ry hotel at Denver, killed seventeen in
mates August 19. Mrs. G. it. Wolt and
little girl of Lincoln were among the
killed,
The Ohio girl who stampeded a congre
gation (in part) by appearing at prayer
meeting: witb bloomers on, has received
more than 1,000 letters approving her
course.
Germany is celebrating her victory
over France, and the French are getting
greatly excited over it, especially on tbe
frontier between them wben tbe celebra
tion is going on
Crops the world over are reported
short. America has fallen on oo.uuu,-
000 bushels. Russia 80,000,000. France
40,000,000. Germany about tbe same.
India 18,500,000.
Rev. Father Wilson, Catholic priest of
Terre Haute, Ind., has preached against
the ladies of his congregation wearing
bicycle bloomers, and warns them that
he will not recognize them on tbe street
in such garb.
The premier of England has spoken in
threatening tones and unmistakable tan
guage to the Sultan of Turkey to the ef
fect that the persecution of American
Christians must be stopped or Turkey
would be carved, by the powers,
The paper mills of the United States
have a capacity of 14,102,580 pounds a
day. They are not run on full capacity
however. Chanical fiber and wood pulp
mow furnish over half tbe raw material
for paper making. Spruce wood is large
ly used,
Rev. M. II. Lockwood, pastor of the
First Baptist Church of Cincinnati, for
merly Prohibition candidate for gover
nor, has back salary amounting to $2,-
-500 due him, and before retiring not only
demanded notes, but also that they be
secured by mortgage, before leaving.
Nebraska has suffered more than any
other state from drouth, twenty-five
counties reporting that the corn crop
would not yield more than one-fourth or
one-half an average harvest. Southeast
Iowa is in the same condition and tbe
Ohio Valley states and Michigan are
damaged by dry weather,
The New York tailors' strike to abolish
the "task system which 8,250 strikers
engaged in has been won. It will do
much to check the sweat shop system.
It secured the 59-hour week and a slight
increase in wages. It cost $130,000 in
wages lost and $7,500 out of the treas
ury of the brotherhood for Incidental ex
cuses. It was entirely free from exhibi
tions of violence of any kind.
Dr. C. R. Drysdale, in the Report of
Industrial Remuneration Conference
page 130 says: "The average age at
death among the nobility, gentry and
professional classes of England and
Wales is fifty-five years. Among the
artisan classes of Larnhnth it, in rnontr.
.nine.
vr. flay fair says: ".highteen per
Cent Of the nhiMrttn nf t.hn llnnur nlnaa
thirty-six per cent of the tradesman
5!ass, and fifty-five per cent of the work
ing class die before they reach five years."
These figures are figures to think about.
We wish to all the attention of the
readers of The Wealth Makers
to the principles upon which we
do business. First, we aim to carry the
most complete assortment of dry goods
in the state of Nebraska. Second, we
sell for cash only. Third, we sell at the
same price to all customers, giving no
discount to any person or class of per
sons except in cases of charity. Fourth,
we will take back and refund the money
.for any article not satisfactory to the
purchaser, provided of course it is re
turned within a reasonable time. Our
fall and winter catalogue will be mailed
free to all who send their addresses. Send
us a trial order and we will make every
effort to please you, when you visit Lin
coln come to the store and see how we
do business. Miller & Paine, Lincoln,
Nebraska.
Holt County Populists
The Holt county Populists held their
Convention Augustl7,and nominated J.
LP. Mullen treasurer, H.R. Henry clerk of
the district eourh, C. W. Hamilton Bheriff
W. W. Bethea clerk, G. W. McCutcheon
judge, W. R. Jackson superintendent, B.
F. Trueblood coroner, M. Norton survey
or. All named but one are present Popu
Jist officials in the places named.
teucacce bac.5 Gi:t Miles w jn ?:Zla. j
NO AID FROM HOJUCOMB.
Nebraska's Governor Refuses to Give
Comfort to Republican.
Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 16.- Congress
man Hunter of Bowling Green, Ky.
recently addressed a letcer to Gov. Hoi
comb in which he requested the governor
to assist in raising a fund in Nebraska to
aid in the election of a Republican gov
ernor in Kentucky and ihus break the
"solid eouth."
Gov. Holcomb, who is a Populist, re
plied: "it would please me very much to
witness a breaking up of tbe 'solid south'
in the interests of the masses, but I
would regret to see the People of Dixie
throw off the yoke of Cleveland Democ
racy only to assume tbe bonds of a
party pledged to class legislation, advo
cating a prohibitive tariff for the benefit
of tbe wealtby eastern manufacturers, a
single gold standard to enhance the fort
unes of wall street millionaires and
British syndicates and an antipathy to
all reforms demanded by tbe people.
Your letter was doubtless addressed to
me because the news of the partial re
demption of Nebraska from Republican
misrule had not yet reached the head
quarters of the Republican executive
committee of Kentucky. Therefore I re
turn the communication as you would
doubtless not desire to have it given
publicity.
They Preach to The Rich
In the Homilectic Review, Ernest H
Crosby, president of the Social Reform
club of New York, tells some wholesome
truths that should provoke earnest
thought:
It seems to me that the great mistake
that the church makes is in supposing
that the spiritual life of a community
may be Christian without showing its
effect in the social life. It is a fact which
no one can deny that the moral standard
of certain bodies outside the church is
higher than within the church. We know
by the law of supply and demand, that
,tne churches go where they are wanted,
and the necessary inference, from the
geographical position occupied in our
cities by protestant churches, is tbat
they are preaching glad tidings to the
rich and not to tbe poor. And this is
the case; they permit men to collect ex
cessive rents for unhealthy lodgings, to
pay wages too low to support properly
the workingmen they employ, and in
many ways, directly or indirectly, to
"grind the faces of the poor." and vet if
they are regular attendants at church, if
they keep Sunday, if they give a certain
amount of money to the ordinary chari
ties, they are looked upon as Christians
in good standing. My attention is call
ed to the fact that the church cares for
the poor in its mission work, in the erec
tion of parish houses, etc. I would say
that so long as church work of this kind
takes the form of almsgiving by the rich
to the poor, it will never produce the
effect that is intended. The early church
was a mission from the poor to the rich,
and so long as the church today contin
ues to be a mission from the rich to the
poor, it can never accomplish the same
results.
DIXON ARRESTED.
He and Hike Leonard Fought To - Fast
to Solt the Police.
New Yobk, Aug. 21. Parson Davies
of Chicago and Tom O'Rourke of Bos
ton brought off an athletic exhibition
at the Academy of Music here last
night
The first round between Dixon and
Leonard was fast and furious, with
Dixon getting slightly the better of it,
his left doing good execution on
Leonard's face.
In the second round it was fairlv
mixed up, and when Yank Sullivan of
Syracuse, who was referee, tried to
separate the men, it was found to be
almost an impossibility.
inspector Cortright, with Captain
Smith and a number of officers in uni
form and citizens' clothes jumped into
the ring and arrested the pugilists and
u itourice ana mvies.
Dr. P. Reed Madden, diseases of the
Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat, 1041 0
street, over R. 1. ticket office.
For Currency Keform.
London, Aug. 19. A meeting of the
members of parliament favorable to
currency reform was held in the house
of commons yesterday. It was re
solved to form a parliamentary com
mittee, its members being pledged to
promote an international conference
for the purpose of considering what
measure can be taken "to remove or
mitigate the evils resulting from the
fluctuations growing out of the diver
gence in the relative value of gold and
silver."
Your cough was occasioned by care
less exposure to draft. Cure it at once
with Ayer's Cherry Pectoral.
Test Makers Strike, i
New York, Aug. 21 . Two thousand
five hundred union vest makers, in
cluding 700 women and girls, are on a
strike for a renewal of their agree
ment Get up a club for The Wealth Makers.
Only 80c from now until November 1st.
LINCOLN, NEB., THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1895.
CONDENSED DISPATCHES.
Out of the 247,000 Indians in the
United States statistios show that 189,
000 are self-supporting.
An old soldier died at the Washing
ton soldiers' home the other day who,
out of a pension of 930 a month, had
saved 90,800.
Labor unions are preparing to fight
the tobacco trust
It Louis capitalists have leased and
propose to reopen the old Wilton lead
mines in Boone county.
General Gomes is said to have died
on July 81 in Cuba. Reports as to the
oause of death are conflicting.
Charles Wear, indloted for murder,
was released from jail at Poplar Bluff,
Mo., on a writ of habeas corpus.
At Coney Island a burial service over
a museum baby was repeated through
a phonograph, a deputy eoroner's wife
grinding it out
A South Dakota company has eon
traoted to build and operate a steam
ship line for the Nicaraguan govern
ment The Nicaraguan government has
completed a telegraph line to Rama, at
the head of navigation on the Blue
fields river.
Charles Zimmer of St Joseph com
mitted suicide at Excelsior Springs,
Mo.
W. EL Risley was sentenced to 40
rears in the pen for murder at West
Point, Mo.
It is reported from the City of Mexico
that Cuban revolutionists have secured
the services of retired Mexican officers
to lead and drill them.
The Bank of Taooma, formerly the
Taco'ma Trust and Savings company,
has made an assignment to its cred
itors. The statement shows cash on
hand $444, and total liabilities $379,
000, of which 9339,000 is city money.
George W. Seymour, a resident of
Leavenworth county since 1857, and
for the past eighteen years postmaster
at Boling and justice of the peace for
High rrairie township, is dead, aged
c years.
A Priest Accused of Assault.
St. Joseph, Mo., Aug. 20. Father
Baker, a Catholic priest doing mission
ary work in Northwest Missouri, was
arrested here to-day charged with
criminal assault in Harrison county
last Thursday. He denies the charge
and is confident he can clear himself
of the charges.
At Excelsior Springs, Mo., Charles
Zimmer of St Joseph committed eui
oide by shooting himself through the
head while in a bath room. It is sup
posed that his mind was temporarily
unbalanced. Three years ago ne shot
and killed a negro in 6t Joseph.
FEUD OF DOCTORS.
Portland, Oregon, Physicians Use Re-
Tolrers In an Office.
Portland, Ore.. Aug. 19. At nnnn
several shots in rapid succession were
heard in the office of Dr. H.
in the Dekum buildinc The tenant..
rushed In and found the prostrate
Doaieaoiur. .Holmes and Dr. Robert
K. Ansplund, each of whom was hold
ing a smoking pistol In his hand. There
were no other persons in the room.
Ausplund had a hole in his horlxr and
one in his head, another in his breast,
another In his right wrist. Holmes
was wounded in two places, one ball
having entered an arm nrl h mi.
the body, just below the left nipple.
Auspiuau was laiten to the hospital
and Hnl
- omouuc. amir
lunds wounds will undoubtedly result
fnfallir nl.il. i ,..
j , wlo puysicmu minus
Holmes will recover.
It is not known what was the cause
of the shooting, but it is thought it
was due to a criticism by Holmes of
Ausplund's method of treating a pa
tient in the Portland hospital and that
Ausplund called at Holmes office to
make him retract.
A. C. SHERWOOD.
The Missouri Democratic Committeeman
Killed by a Fall In St. Louis.
St. Louis, Ma, Aug. 20. Alex a
Sherwood, member of the state Demo
cratic executive committee from the
Thirteenth district, died this morning
from the effects of an accident at the
Jockey club house at the fair grounds
late last night.
In company with C. C Maffitt, presi
dent of the Jockey club and chairman
of the state executive committee, Sher
wood went to the fair grounds on bus
iness. When about to return home at
10:45 o'clock he fell over a low railing
on the club house steps to the fleor,
thirty feet below, fracturing his left
arm in two places and breaking his
shoulder in addition, end sustaining
internal injuries. He was removed to
St. John's hospital, where he died at
1 o'clock. It is believed that the fall
was occasioned by a sudden attack of
vertigo.
Neglect of the hair often destroys its
vitality and natural hue, aud causes it
to fall out. Before it is too late, apply
Hall's Hair Renewer, a sure remedy,
GOVERNMENT
SAVING
Tbo Bailroadi Should be Owned aad Oper
ated by the Governnwit
E0050MY PLAINLY REQUIPS8 IT
ome Practical Thoughts on the Nation
alisation of Railroads Facts and
Figures on the Saving to the
People
PROF. FRANK PARSONS, IN ARENA.
(Contlausd from last wsek.)
In the United States the average cost
of moving a passenger train one mile
80 cents, or about 14 cents a car mile
according to the railway reports.
moderate train of ordinary coaches will
carry 400 to 600 passengers, so that
with well-filled trains the cost is not
more than 1-5 of a cent a passenger per
mile. All the expenses of railway traffic
are taken into account in figuring the 80
cent cost per train mile (every train mile
has to bear its proportion of rebates,
corruption money and innumerable
wastes); and as I have shown that these
expenses will be reduced 1-3 at least by
public ownership, the cost per train mile
will fall to 50 cents, and the cost of carry
ing a passenger 1 mile in a full train will
be .15 to .1 of a cent.
Excursion trains can now be run from
New York to Philadelphia at a cost not
exceeding $600, including the pro-rata
train share of waste and corruption inci
dent to the present railway system. Tbat
is, tbe railways could take euu people on
one train from Philadelphia to Chicago
for 91 each, and bring them back for
another 91 each, and cover all expenses,
labor, wear and tear, taxes, rebates,
lobby fees; and all prorata. Two dollars
for the single trip and $4 for the round
trip would give the roads 100 per cent
profit, according to their own published
estimates ol the cost or moving trains,
which are not too low, we may be sure.
Yet during the Columbian Exposition,
when it was of the highest importance
that every American citizen should see
tbe City of Beauty, the railroads charged
from $17 to $26 for the trip-600 to 1,-
200 per cent profit if tbe trains were full,
and most of them were. Such a charge
at such a time was a crime against civili
zation and progress. If the government
had owned the roads, our people would
have gone to the White City from the
coast and back again in excursion trains
for $2 a head. And if the nation had
been in possession of the roads a suflici
ent length of time to consolidate and
systematize the railway business, the
cost would have been reduced to $1 for
the round trip. Think of going from
New York to San Francisco and back
again for a five-dollar billl Does it sound
too much like Arabian nights? Well.
take this little fact and digest it: the
German state railway at Berlin sells
yearly tickets, good for a five mile ride in
and out of the city as many times a day
as you please, and on any train, for the
sum of $4.50. This means 3650 miles
for $4.60 if you live miles out, and go in
and out once each day; if you go home
to dinner or go back to the city after
supper it means over 7,000 miles for
$4.50; and if you do both it meaus over
10,000 miles for less than a five-dollar
bill; now it doesn't look bo much like
Arabia, does it? And what an incalcula
ble benefit it would be to this country to
have cheap transportation, especially for
workingmen and children in our schools!
Commutation tickets at an average of
ten miles for a cent, like the German
yearly tickets, would enable the poor of
the city to live in the fresh, wholesome
atmosphere of the country, would tend
to depopulate the slums, expand the city
and would go very far toward solving
some of the most difficult problems of
municipal life. It ought to be the aim of
every statesman to facilitate in everv
possible way the movement of the peo
ple; the policy of the railways is to nar
now the margin on freights, but to make
heavy profits on passenger traffic a
policy exactly the opposite of the true
one.
Great as will be the benefits arising
from the economies and lowrate incident
to national ownership, there are others
even greater. Justice demands public
ownership quite as emphatically as eco
nomy. Let us follow tbe trail of a typi
cal railway scheme. A few men who like
to make money by rigging a press that
will squeeze it out ol their brothers, plan
a new road. They issue stock, and take
it up till they sell four or five hundred
thousand dollars worth. Then thev
make oath that twenty to ninety times
as m uch stock has been paid in as is really
the case the report of the United States
Pacific railway commission of 1888 shows
that the Central Patiflc made affidavit
that $54,183,000 of stock was paid, in,
when only $760,000 had been really paid
and the Union Pacific swore that $36,
761,100 was paid in, when only $400-,
650 had been actually paid, etc. They
do this to make a good appearance in
asking for government aid, which is the
next step. A little lobbying and promis
cuous presents of stock are generally suf
ficient (with congress, legislatures and
- ... f - ,
Sf
council. Town meetings are easily co
erced into gifts by threat of running
the road on another route and leaving
the town out in the cold.
Over two hundred millions of acres of
land and hundreds ol millions of money
hare been obtained gratis by the rail
roads in this way from nation, state and
and municipality gifts amounting in
value now to over four billions of dollars
or nearly the actual value of the whole
railway system, and every atom of them
utterly void, and beyond the authority
of congress, legislature or municipality,
according to repeated decisions of our
ablest judges and the clearest principle
of the law, because they were gifts of
public property to private individuals.
If the original projectors still owned tbe
roads the people would not need to pay
for them their gifts and their over
charges they have paid would more
than settle the bill; but unfortunately in
nocent third parties have largely invest
ed in stock and bonds.
to be continued.
Direct Legislation Explained
Direct legislation is a general term re
ferring to a system now in force in Swit
zerland, whereby the people cait irectly
act upon any proposed legislation, and
not, as in this country, be limited to in
direct action through their representa
tives. Initiative and Referendnm are two
terms referring to different processes of
tbe method of securing direct legislation,
The Referendum means the referriug of a
proposed law to the vote of the people
to ascertain their r.iil, much as we do
nowadays in the case of constitutional
amendments. Under the Referendum the
people can prevent the passage of a law
they do not want, by calling for a Kef-
erendutu to be taken, and if the call is
signed by a certain number of voters
the number to be fixed by law the legis
lature must obey and abide by the pop
ular decision. The Initiate gives to the
people tbe additional right of initiating
a bill and by a signed call compelling the
legislators to take a referendum upon
the bill even though tbe subject has not
otherwise beeu before that body. The
one, the referendum, therefore, gives the
people a chance to prevent any legisla
tion they don t want, and tbe other, tbe
initiative, gives them a chance to secure
any legislation they do want.
The Imperative Mandate is another
provision whereby the constituents of
any legislator, finding that be is not
faithfully representing them, may recall
him before his term of office expires aud
elect another representative in his place.
t'roportional representation is a term
that applies to a new system of represen
tation whereby minority parties may se
cure representation in legislatures and in
congress, in proportion to the size of
their vote. That is to say, a party poll
ing one-tenth of the total vote shall have
one-tenth of the representation. The
method for securing this result is simple
in practice, but an explanation requires
too much detail to be given here. We
have given it several times heretofore.
The general principle involved in all
these changes is that not only tbe form
of sovereignty but the sovereignty itself
should reside in tbe people. Theoretically
that is the case now. practically tbat is
not the case. A majority of the people
elect a representative; but when elected,
he can defy their will, break his promises
flout their petitions and there is no re
dress until his term of office expires.
TO CRUSH THE REBELS.
Twenty-Fire Thousand More Men an4
Many Cruisers Will Be Sent to Cuba.
Madrid, Aug. 19. Prime Minister
Canovas del Castillo gave the follow
ing account of the forces to be used In
putting an end to the conflict in Cuba:
"By the end of September or the first
days of October, when the rainy sea
son is over, an additional 23,000 men
will be landed on the Island from
Spain. The naval strength for the
surveillance of the Cuban coast
wilL comprise nineteen cruisers now
building in England, six cruis
ers which are now being built at
Cadiz and fifteen alreadv in rirW a.
total of forty cruisers. These with
41 1 - -. .
me vessels aireaay despatched to our
aid by the United States government,
We trust will be found aiiffinfonr. In
regard to the Mora claim, the con-
ervawve government has proceeded
entirelv on the resnnnsihiliftr m-oafa
for us by our predecessors In power.
.me question oi indemnity once having
been accepted by the Spanish govern
ment, no Other ConrsA than that, to-
solved upon was possible: Immediate
payment, to meet which we have
realized the funds necessary without
having recourse to rjarliamentarir In.
tervention."
Dates of Populist Conventions
Frontier county convention at Stock-
ville Aug. 23.
Cedar county convention at Har ting-
ton Aug. 24.
Otoe county Populist convention will
be held at Nebraska City Aug. 21.
Thirteenth judicial district Populist
convention will be held at Sidney Sept.
lUttl.
Dr. P. Reed Madden, diseases of the
Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat, 1041 0
street, over K. I. ticket omce.
J
NO. 11
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
How The Swiss Have Mastered The
Problem of Self-Government
J. A. Lsmckt, In Equity, Santa Barbara, Cal.
Article 89 of the federal constitution
of Switzerland provides as follows:
"Federal laws shall be submitted tor ac
ceptance or rejection by the people if tbe
demand is made by 80,000 voters or by
eight cantons." This provision of the
organic law of the confederation is called
"the referendnm." Before it became in
corporated in the federal constitution it
had been in practice in a number of the
separate cantons, and is therefore not a
novelty to this people. It does not exist
ae far as I know among modern Democ
racies elsewhere. Mr. McCracken.author
of "The Rise of the Swiss Republic, "says:
"It (the referendum) is full of great pos
sibilities. It has already fulfilled many
of its earlier promises. It is rapidly con
verting the Swiss people into a nation
governing itself upon an almost ideal
plan, directly logical and without inter
mediaries. Whereas in
the United States the practice of direct
government such as it is still existslng
the Massachusetts town meeting and
kindred bodies tends yearly to become
obsolete, in Switzerland it flourishes
with renewed vigor." It simply reserves
to the people the power, great and valu
able, in cose where congress passes a law
which is not approved of by the nation,
to say to its representatives: "Thisshall
not be; the country does not want this
law, and it shall not be enacted." For
the time being the people take back the
power delegated and enforce obedience
to their sovereign will in a manner botff"
direct and peremptory.
The exercise of this inherent power of
and by the people has so far only found
disfavor with the politicians whose power
and influeuce it keeps under restraint.
Jean Jacques Rousseau has this to say
in his celebrated "Contrat Social": "At
the instant when a people give them
selves representatives their liberty ends.
Tbe English people think themselves free;
they deceive themselves; they are during
the election of members to parliament.
As soon as the election is over, they are
slaves, and nothing more." This may
be an eccentric theorist's exaggeration,
who always showed aversion towards
representative government. Had he con
templated the possibilities of the referen
dum, however, he would have become re
conciled to parliamentarism or represen
tative government. This string attach
ed to the power delegated, like the sword
of Damocles, holds tbe representative in
wholesome awe of his constituency on
the one hand, while it keeps alert the
watchfulness and fnterest of the con
stituency itself on the other.
Professor Wuarin, of the Geneva Uni
versity, an able national economist and
high authority on Swiss politics, a gentle
man who has honored me with his
friendly regard, says in an article in the
Revue dea Deux Mondes, treating on the
evolution of Democracy in Switzerland,
tbat "the popular voice as propulseur
governmental and volante dirigeante,
stimulated by tbe practice of the referen
dum, has been of more value than has
been anticipated by even the best friends
and supporters of this wholesome meas
ure." As the constitution of Switzerland
however, vests no veto power in the exe
cutive, and consequently leaves the work
of the legislative chambers without con
trol, the institution of this provision be-,
came necessary. The much-needed veto
was adopted, but it was not, as with us,
intrusted to the hands of a single indivi
dual who, no matter how virtuous and
capable, must of necessity be a partisan;
no, it was retained by the people, by
them to be wielded without intermediary
as becomes a monarch who is absolute
and has no account to give except to
himself.
What this little six-hundred-year-old
mountain republic has done, and is doing
in perfecting true Democracy may serve
as a beacon light in tbe dark places of
our own troubled sea of politics.
Mr. Paul Leroy Beaulieu, director of
l'Economiste Francaise, says that in two
cities in France where it is being tried the
referendum has already produced excell
ent results, and that it is especially suit
ed for municipal government. I would
ask my fellowcitizens, where is there a
field where betterment is more ardently
desired by the tax payers aud good citi
zens generally than in the field of muni
cipal politics in the United States and
and where in the world is the rule of the :
lobby and tbe absolutism of the bosses so
great as in the legislation of the large
cities?
Coupled with the referendum, but of
more recent adoption; is what is called
the initiate, by virtue of which the people
by their own volition and in a simple
and direct manuer can call for tbe repeal
or abrogation of a law or a change in
the constitution.
If the voice of the people be truly the
voice of God, then the desire of hearing
the voice (at the ballot box) can't be
gratified too often; if the return to some
of the simple and direct political practi
ces of the forefathers effects tbe weaken
ing of tbe political leadership and the
machine, and if it makes the representa
tive less arbitrary and their constituents
more watchful, then there can't be a
more laudable task to devote ourselves
to in the closing years of the nineteenth
century than tbe agitation for and the
adoption of the referendum.