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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL- 9, NO. 17
Lincoln, Nebraska, May 7, 1909
Whole Number 433
Direct Legislation
In this issue The Commoner presents a re
View of the progress made by the popular re
form known as the initiative and referendum.
It is sometimes called direct legislation, but by
whatever name it may be described, it means
the bringing of the government nearer to the
people the making of the government more
responsive to the will of the people. The initia
tive, as its name implies, describes the govern
mental process by which the voters compel the
submission of a question upon which they de
sire to vote; while the referendum, true to its
name, describes the machinery by which a meas
ure is referred to the people for their decision.
The initiative and referendum do not overthrow
representative government, they merely bring
the representative under the control of his con
stituents. The people will not resort to the in
itiative and referendum so long as the legisla
tors do their duty, and give voice to public sen
timent. The initiative and referendum are, as
it were, a club held over the representatives to
i compel them to recognize their responsibility
and give expression to the wishes of those who
Ifelect them. Representatives will be more apt
to vote for needed laws when they know that
the people can secure these laws in spite of the
legislature, and will secure them; and repre
sentatives will be restrained from voting for
bad laws when they know that the voters them
selves have the right of veto.
p It is perfectly natural that sentiment in favor
pf the initiative and referendum should grow
indlby education. They iriaVbe deceived for a
rwhile by the special interests, but they can not
pe deceived always. As soon as they understand
;what the initiative and referendum are, and why
they are proposed, they at once become advo
cates of them.
The sentiment in favor of the initiative and
itrfiffirendum is far stronger than anv nartv. and
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could be taken among the people of any state,
after a thorough discussion of the subject, no
Ifother reform now before the country would re-
I ceive so large a percentage of the total vote.
In Missouri, for instance, the initiative and.
Referendum were adopted by a large majority
peven though the state went republican, and
republican states, like Oregon, South Dakota
and Maine have adopted It, as well as a demo
cratic state like Oklahoma. Even in Ohio the
Ifriends of the initiative and referendum came
Pwithin a' vote or two of securing the submission
tot the amendment, while it is impossible to fix
with accuracy the date upon which any reform,
I" however meritorious, will be secured, no one
CONTENTS
DIRECT LEGISLATION
A TIMELY REBUKE
BEFORE AND AFTER ELECTION DAY
BRANDENBURG AND HIS REPUBLICAN
SPONSORS
MOTHERS DAY ON MAY 9
EDUCATIONAL SERIES THE FIGHT FOR
DIRECT LEGISLATION
A GOOD AMENDMENT
THE TAX IS STILL THERE
NEBRASKA'S DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATURE
THE TARIFF AND THE COST OF LIVING
WATCH THE FISH
HUMORS OF THE TARIFF
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE
COLLEGE CLUBS
COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
HOME-DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
OF
who understands the trend of events will doubt
that the initiativo and referendum will spread
until all the states have adopted it. Enough
states have already acted favorably to prove
that It is not limited by latitude or longitude.
Maine in the east, Oregon in the west, South
Dakota in the north, Oklahoma In tho south and
Missouri in tho centor these states represent
extremes in every sense, and yet they are one
in recognizing the strength of tho argument in
favor of direct legislation.
The recall is in the same lino, and yet less
attention 'has been given to it. It Is merely a
recognition of the fact that tho right of the peo
ple to be faithfully represented is higher than
tho right of an unfaithful official to draw a sal
ary for a fixed term. An official is given an
office upon the assumption that ho is worthy, and
to be worthy ho must discharge his duties to
the satisfaction of those who as voters employ
him. It. Is absurd to say that ho ought to have
tho legal right to draw his salary after he has
betrayed those who elected him. Tho conserva
tism in the human mind and tho sense of justico
in tho human heart will prevent the improper
use of the recall. Tho chances are that it will
not bo used even when It ought to be, rather
than that It will bo used when it ought not to
bo. The recall, like tho initiative and referen
dum, recognizes tho state as the sovereign and
tho official as tho public servant, bound upon
every legal and moral ground to discharge his
duties with fidelity and singleness of purpose.
If the people have a right to rule, who will dis
pute the value of such amendments, as may bo
necessary to make that rule effective?
A"TIMEIfT REBUKE
The Cincinnati Enquirer contains an Item of
news which will doubtless interest tho readers
of The Commoner. In Cincinnati it is the. busi
ness of the common pleas court to appoint mem
bers of the jury commission and, according to
custom, if not according to law, the appoint
ments aTe from both of the leading parties. The
court appointed among the jury commission
General Michael Ryan, he being appointed
as a democrat. Judge Gorman, one of the ap
pointing judges, dissented from the action of his
associates in the following words:
"In the matter of the appointment of com
missioners of jurors. Gorman, J.: I dissent from
the action of my associates in the matter of
the appointment of the commissioners of jurors
for the following reasons:
"1. I am of the opinion that some of the com
missioners now appointed did not, during tho
year last past, while acting as such commission
ers of jurors, perform their whole duty in the
manner prescribed by law and, therefore, a re
appointment of them Is to my mind an approval
of their conduct during the past year.
"2. The law provides that not more, than two
of the commissioners of jurors shall be of the
snrae political party, and I am of the opinion
that three of the appointees are of the same
political party, and for that reason the letter
and spirit of the law have not been complied
with."
Judge Gorman was seen regarding his dissent
ing to the appointment, and admitted that he
had reference to General Michael Ryan in his
second obection. Of this Judge Gorman said:
"I do not think that General Ryan Is a dem
ocrat, and, at least, I know that he is not on
national Issues, and has not been for the past
twelve years. He has been an anti-Bryan man,
and voted for Roosevelt, T understand, and he
also worked and voted for Taft at the last elec
tion. I do not consider that he Is a democrat,
in the sense of tho word, though ho may claim
to be one on local matters."
When Mr. Ryan's attention was called to
Judge Gorman's protest, he made the following
comment:
"So you want to know what I have to say in
answer to that? Well, I will say that I am as
good a democrat as Judge Gorman ever was, and,
If 1 am not, then I do not. know myself. No,.
I am not a Bryan democrat, and I have been
opposed to Bryan at all times. I am as good a
democrat as Judgo Gorman ever dared to be, and
while I am not a Bryan domocrat, I am a Jack
son democrat. My whole heart and soul, my
faith and everything else, Is pinned to democ
racy, and I defy any ono to say that I am not a
democrat, simply becauso I am not a Bryanlto.
I do not know how Judgo Gorman knows about
how I voted, and I will ropoat that I am as good
a domocrat as Judgo Gorman Is."
Judge Gorman's opinion and Genoral Ryan's
Interview raise an Interesting question. Judgo
Gorman insets that a man who opposes tho
democratic national ticket ought not to bo ap
pointed as a democrat, while General Ryan con
tends that although he has "been opposed to
Bryan at all times" ho is "as good a democrat
as Judgo Gorman over dared to be." As Mr.
Bryan has been tho democratic candidate in
three national campaigns out of tho last four,
it is evident that General Ryan has only sup
ported the national ticket once in tho last twelve
years, if at all.
How is a man's democracy to bo determined?
Of course, a man can for his own satisfaction
call himself a democrat anil yet support tho re
publican ticket at every opportunity, but while
no ono can legally doprlvo him of tho satisfac
tion ho obtains from the uso of the party name,
ho is certainly not entitled to receive the honors
that come with party service. A law requiring
bi-partisan appointments Is a farce If It permits
tho appointment pf men who represent tho mi
nority in name .only. Lot us suppose, for in
stance, that an elpctipn board must by law bo
composed of representatives of opposite parties.
If tho appointment is made by an official of tho
dominant party, and tho appointees credited to
the minority are in fact supporters of tho prin
ciples and candidates of the dominant party, no
body would consider it a compliance with tho
letter of tho law and much loss with tho spirit.
Tho object of minority representation is to have
ofllcia'ls who will watch tho majority, and there
is no watching when all tho officials are of one
mind and of ono political faith, however much
they agree In party name.
Since 18 9 G tho democratic party has suffered
a great deal by the appointment of so-called
democrats on bi-partisan boards, but in nearly
every case the so-called democrats are as anti
democratic as their republican associates. Tho
selection of Dickinson and MacVeagh as cabinet
officers aTe illustrations of this. Democrats who
bolt their party and lend their influence to tho
republican party can not speak for or represent
loyal democrats.
Judge Gorman has rendered a distinct service
In calling attention to these humbug appoint
ments. Where republican officials reward demo
crats for their apostasy, they not only depriyo
the democratic party of representation, but
make it responsible for the conduct of those who
are neither in the party jior of the party.
-i ' -rg'? -
WHY?
Tho Sioux" City (Iowa) Journal, a republican
paper, says: "If the income tax Is as popular
as some of Its adherents would have us believe
the name of the president of the United States
should bo William Jennings Bryan instead of
William Howard Taft."
But then Mr. Taft said ho favored the In
come tax and tho Sioux City Journal told Its
readers that tho Journal's presidential candidate
could be relied upon.
MY REVEILLE
My reveille! It is a thrush
He sings at morn
A rhapsody that breaks tho hush
When day Is' born
And there Is visible the least
Faint flush low-lying in thceast.
The song he sings ah me, the song!
It is a burst
Of wild,, sweet melody and strong
Tho morning's first
A clear, ecstatic roundelay
,To wakon me my reveille.
Clark McAdams in St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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