,w&"f",y
12
The Commoner.
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 2J
M
d-"
Wi-
:
I Ift . : I
ll(ur NE t i1"
now onEaoN "stood pat"
(Continued from Pago 7.)
homc-rulo bill, by initiative, promis
ing strict regulation. Prohibition
was rojoctod by 17,681 and tho
homo-rule bill carried by 2,542. This
is taken as an order from the peoplo
to tho liquor men to "clean house" or
prohibition will bo tho next order of
tho day. Already tho Portland city
PATENTS
WfUaen E. Colemaa,
I'alcnt Jjtwyer.WiwhlnKton,
r f ' Arli'loA anil twinl-n frrxt.
JUtea rcMonabl. Highest references. Bestscrvlcca
jp a Tin nts ggjs&sss.
Trto report n to Patentability JIlnitrAtcd Oulda
Hook, anil l.lsl of Inventions Wanted. tent free.
VIUTOlt J. KVANS & CO., WashlnKton, D. a
I 1
1.1 nfri.-fc. 1. &i
! mmtm
tt
mtmtm,i)
48IH.rf?ocdE25c
Best hljrli enrbon coiled steel
r wire. Hasy to stretch over
T ' ' ' f i - bills nnd hollows. FREE
ft""; '-"'1 ' ;-" u CnUiloe fences, tools, lluy
.1 ZZ ZZZ ZH - from factory nt wholesale
prices. Write today to Box 20
aUHOH VESCti CO, LBESBtm0,O.
aKr? . -i-J
rma wffy
I Drrol
'"'4 rSsEtk.
aHf4lkaBi
JBBmimimm .ixit''jciS&f
Don't Wear a Truss
111 a? SrHAHTSPl,ASTRPAPSfrvt
b IJIi w 5J ;v ,rum ,lj0 painful tnui. being made
I fl lV'P 4VtN, Mlf adhrtlf purpow iy U hold tlie
I in-" jf 61 plfa In l' wllbeat ttrane,
PaC,l0tf rrT I buckle or epflnet eaanot slip.
o eaanot chafe or comprtu
ajralnit (be pelTle bone. Tb
noitobiMnalocatci curtd In the prl
Taercftbe home. Thotuandi hire
aefull treated themstlree without
hladranoe from work. Soft at Tflnt eair le
ftSv. ISA I PP'Jr laeipeailre, rrnccuof eurali natural,
TkT-LJ no further uie for trunwi. We prate what we
Ifilil AV aef ADmMTlBdlBir7ouTrlalorriatao
coupon and mall TOIUY. Addrtaa
.PLAPAO LABORATORIES, Block 54, St, LouU, Ho.
N ..
AdJM . .......A....
letura aiall will brtac Tree trial Plapao ,
MEUMAUSM
Ilcmarltable Mlchlgran External
Itemed' vrhlch 1m curliiK tltoim-
aadn Kent TO TRY FREE.
Sign and Mail My Coupon
Don't tako mcdlclno to draw out Im
purities but help Naturo expel them
through tho pores In her own simple
way.
send my
coupon today.
Itoturn mall
will bring you
a rogular $1.00
pair o Muglo
Foot Draf m,
tho groat
Michigan rom
edy -which is
curing thous
ands, TO TRY
FREE. Then if
you aro satis
fied with tho
b o n o fl t re
ceived send us
One Dollar. If
s; not. send noth-
? Ing. You dr-
duo and wo
K.OT. occy Foot Drafts
aro curing IlhcumatlMan In ovory form
lluscular, Sciatic, Liumbugo, Gout,
etc., no matter in what stage of
pxogrosa or
how many
physicians
havo failed.
The simple
principles un
derlying this
wonder f ul
treatment aro
fully explained In our Illustrated free
book. Don't delay, but sond tho coupon
now today while you can. Sond no
money just tho coupon.
-This $1.00 Coupon FREE,
Good for a rorulnr $1.00 pair of Magic Foot
DrnttR-to bo sent Freo to Try (as oxplalnod
abovo) to
council has under consideration a
most drastic regulatory ordinance. It
is backed by tho liquor men, who
pledge assistance in enforcement.
Taxation reform is given much
attention in Oregon. It has been so
for some years. This election tho
legislature submitted two amend
ments paving tho way for the "classi
fied property" plan, and cutting the
constitutional strings providing for
tho old "uniform rate" system. In
addition, an initiative amendment
was up providing for county local op
tion in taxation methods. The latter
carried, and tho counties aro left
freo to work out their own salvation.
Wo may expect them to become ex
periment stations on this vexed
question.
For many years the legislature has
failed to provide a law giving ade
quate protection to men employed at
hazardous occupations; the employ
ers' lobby having successfully stopped
any liability bill and refused any
compromise. This year tho working
men took their cauBO to the people,
and a bill was enacted.
Some Oregon counties are as large
as eastern states. Men have to go
150 miles to reach tho county seat.
The legislature failed to provide a
method by which the matter could
be settled by tho communities in
terested. At tho election of 1908
Hood county was created by a vote
of the people on initiative petition.
This year a whole crop of hopefuls
popped up, but the peoplo resented
this wholesale intrusion of local
questions into a state election and
turned down the whole group by a
four to ono vote. Normal school ap
propriations havo long caused trouble
in Oregon. There are three schools
located in different sections of the
state, and the partisans of each
formed groups in the legislature and
procegded to "log-roll" with a- ven
geance. "IrnpoHaiit legislation would
bo held up pending the settlement of
these appropriations. It grew to be
a disgrace and a scandal. It con
sumed much of the time of every
session. At tho last session the legis
lature "side-stepped" responsibility
and no appropriations were made.
ready the railroads are busy on ex
tensions long neglected,
Tho amendment providing for a
three-fourths jury verdict in civil
cases was aimed at the old evil of
tampering with Juries, one member
of which if "reached" could prevent
a verdict. Also tho upper courts aTe
not to send back cases for retrial on
trivial technical errors when it shall
appear that substantial justice has
been reached in the lower courts.
Transcripts of testimony, the judge's
instructions to the Jury, etc., may be
passed up with tho bill of exceptions
on appeal. Much venerable red tape
is no doubt endangered by these
changes, but their object is to speed
the wheels of justice, clear the
dockets and deprive Tich litigants of
advantage over poorer ones, by for
ever staying off decisions on techni
calities, and so wearing them out
Good roads are favored, a new in
sane asylum ordered built, and a
private fishing monopoly on a public
stream Is abolished.
Woman's suffrage is rejected, as is
proportional representation and a
proposition for a free state official
gazette to be mailed bi-monthly to
the voters.
However much individuals may
differ as to the wisdom of these de
cisions, it is generally admitted that
the people on the whole exhibited
good judgment. "As well as any
legislature would have done," is a
frequent comment. In fact it is a
curious thing to hear strong oppo
nents of the initiative and referen
dum state that the "people don't do
any worse than the legislature, any
how." I have not found a single
man but would admit this. In short,
the mind of the state is represented
in the verdict, which is I suppose what
governments are intended to do in
free America.
"Will the people act rashly, be sub
ject to waves of passion and pass
anything proposed?
Twenty-three measures were re-
I jected; nine were adopted. Curiously
enougn, the only "socialistic" meas
ure on the ballot was the proposal
of the business men for state rail
roads, which was defeated. The
a-IMDCUARK
M tssm
Naino....
Addross,,
Mall this coupon to Majrlc Foot Draft Com
pany, X O 23 Oliver Bldf., Jackson, Mich.
The schools appealed to tho people, whole is a conservative showing,
with the result that the people Will they take an interest and
selected the best school, allowed the
appropriation, and turned down the
other two. The judgment has given
satisfaction to all save the interested
parties.
A distinct innovation is the presi
dential primary bill. Hereafter there
will appear at tho great national con
ventions delegates from Oregon
chosen by the voters of the respective
political parties, and bearing instruc
tions as to whom tho rank and file
desire nominated for president of tre
United States. This measure was
fathered by United States Senator
Jonathan Bourne. It is ridiculed by
the old politicians as foolishness; it
is justified by its friends on the
ground that no one can now go to
these conventions but wealthy men,
and under this plan the poorer
peoplo may be represented as the
state pays the expense. And there
you are.
Oregon needs railroads. A promi
nent banker told me how tho de
velopment of the state had been re
tarded, and pointed out huge eastern
sections on the map which the rail
road magnates refused to enter until
"more people move in there." At
the instanco of the business men,
especially tho Portland chamber of
commerce, the legislature submitted
an amendment, permitting the state
to build and own, but not operate,
railroads. Thereat the railroad kings
had a sudden change of heart. New
extensions were suddenly planned.
Surveying parties appeared. High
officials hastened to Oregon to give
assuranco that thoy meant business.
They were taken at their word. The
amendment was not passed, but al-
1,729 to 18,369; rejecting, from
2,533 to 58,342. On twenty-thre
measures the deciding majority waa
above 10,000. It ia difficult to har
monize these cold figures with tho
statements of certain critics, par
ticularly corporation lawyers and
politicians, that "not ten per cent of
the peoplo know what they are vot
ing on."
It Is the habit of the superior In
dividual to distrust the wisdom of
the common mind. Most of us are
sure wo know more about what
should be done in matters of state
than the other fellow. In so funda
mental a Bhift of the center of poli
tical gravity as the initiative and
referendum involves, opposition is
bound to be strong, and criticism of
Its results equally emphatic. The
opponent of the system will point to
its failures, the friends will call atten
tion to its successes. To regard the
initiative and referendum as a sort
of automatic machine which will pre
sent a perfectly governed state to an
amazed world is futile. It is merely
a method by means of which the
voters of Oregon, or any state, may
express whatever of wisdom, virtue
and courage in them lies. It 'is a
very human institution; and whether
the average citizen can represent
himself better than another ,ean do
It for him is a matter for each to
decide for himself. The Oregon
people have decided they can trust
themselves. Associate Justice King,
of the state supreme court, who has
given deep study and observation to
the new system says: "There is no
objection which may be brought
against the initiative and referendum
to which the purely representative
system is not open."
The truth is that the people of
Oregon aTe at school, learning the
lost art of self-government. They
are becoming more familiar year by
year with these democratic tools new,
to their hand; they are learning why
politics are corrupt; new view-points
vote on the measures?
Comparing the vote cast on the
measures with the total vote cast for
candidates In the election, we note
the fact that it varies from 62 to 90.
General average, 71 per cent. Ex
cluding the county division bills,
which were local, the average on
state-wide problems stands at 75 per
cent, which is the general average
on an measures decided since the
introduction of the system In 1902.
But what of the 25 per cent who do
not vote on measures who are they?
They compose the Ignorant, careless,
illiterate class of voters who can be
interested in persons but not in prin
ciples; unless, perchance, the prin
ciple Involves beer, and 10 per cent
will not vote on even beer. The con
clusion is inevitable that it Is the
substantial citizenship which decides
issues the seven or eight men out
of every ten who are most capable of
deciding. The others disfranchise
themselves by their own act.
Can the voters discriminate?
Three liquor measures were pre
sented; two on labor; three on taxa
tion, and in no instance were con
flicting measures enacted. One was
adopted, the others rejected. Con
flicting bills have never been enacted
In Oregon. Can this plcklng-ont
capacity be explained on the grounds
of blind luck? I think not, especially
when it is remembered that the
measures were not grouped by sub
jects on the ballot, hut were scat
tered in order of the filing with the
Btate secretary. Then tho majori
ties by which the measures were en
acted or rejected vary and greatly.
Adopting majorities rango from
vtuc.
A Pleasure
when you have
Post
Toasties
with cream.
A food with snap and
zest that wakes up the
appetite.
Sprinkle crisp "Post
Toasties over a saucer of
fresh strawberries, . add
some cream and a little
sugar
Appetizing
Nourishing
Convenient
'The Memory Lingers"-
Sold by Grocers.
Postum Cereal Company, Ltd.
Battle Creek, Mich.
If 'f I ""
Mm L ' ii . d?
BVaaBaaamtiiMja. iHHtfi LaLaLK li4 t i " tjaa J ifr.d3l wjia .. . J'fji " ta "t JSatt at. 1 it JaffcaV si rtf f J - " b ' at - 'iffti i!1! lUlfr t
