THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT.
5
DIRECT LEGISLATION
1
Mr. Bride Presents a Thoughtful Discos
ion of the Referendum and
Inltiatlre
Editor Independent: At this time
When there is much discussion as to
the probability of securing needed leg
islation on the trusts and other im
portant issues, all of us can see how
easily the end could be 'reached
through the initiative and referendum
as demanded by all of the leaders for
reform. However intensely patriotic
we may be, however our confidence in
our legislatures, no one can deny that
there arc evils in our system of legis
lation and that these evils must ue
cured.
Those of us who favor the scheme
lay down a cardinal, and we believe
self-evident, truth that man is capa
ble of self-government. We do nut
Btate this as a partisan doctrine, but
as a simple axiomatic truth. It is
democratic doctrine. We of the Jeffer
sonian belief find many such expres
sions in the words of our eloquent and
distinguished leader, Col. William J.
Bryan. You of the republican belief
can read John Hay, who in his work
called "Castillian Days" states as a
fundamental truth that "No people are
fit for anything else." We reaffirm
that governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned. 'i aese are the foundation stones
of our creed. Our orators have pro
claimed them, our parents have taught
them and our unconquerable love for
liberty has instilled into our souls our
most precious thoughts. We believe
that the best governments then are
those in closest touch with their peo
ple. America is said to be the best
government on earth, and why, simply
because it is our system that brings
the masses in closest proximity to
legislation. This is a cure for anarchy.
As long as a man believes that there
' is a way open to remedy his ills, he
will fight-for them peaceably; but
when he finds that there is no outlet,
then anarchy breeds.
Ve propose a system that will link
more closely the now adverse elements
of citizen .and state. We advance a
system, not new, but one perfectly in
accord with our doctrines of equal
ity. We demand the adoption of the
initiative, whereby the citizen may
propose his ideas to the state and have
them heard. There can be no evil in
Tin vine' ideas of government presented.
We do not believe in the autocratic
spirit of legislatures. We believe tnat
measures that are adverse to the pub
lic interest are often passed and the
people must submit. We propose to
this bv the adoption of the
referendum, by which measures having
TssfiH roneress. shall be submitted
to popular vote on demand of a cer-
tain percentage oi ciuzen&. il
idea is a good one and a majority of
the people accept it, the measure be
comes a law. If it fails to secure a
majority of the citizens, then the
mMsnrfi is lost. We are told then
that this would destroy the "balance"
f0ni-ori hv the founders of the repub
lic and that the larger states would
thus crowd the smaller ones, a sys
hp arranged like the elec
toral college giving a vote similar to
that In this way "state's rights,
ofinAd. could exist. Thus the
check of the state would still be left
on the people. .
This argument about "balance is
always the first sprung ana now niv
that this could be ar
ranged, we recur again to our original
proposition that man is capable of
1 .Tit a i. : s ri nm inn
self-government, u una i nu,
we do not believe that it shall be op
0orf fnr nn- government rests upon
v r.'h nf this assertion, we advance
- that the people are capable of acting
directly on public questions m ;"j
f t-hia union, with the single
BLHtc v L v. i i ?
exception of Delaware, all amendments
to the state constitutions aic
fnr their acceptance or
rejection. If the people are capable
of judging on couauiuuuua, -that
tilace limits on all
ctatute laws, questions of foresight and
questions of far-reaching influence and
importance, they are surely capable to
judge on questions of a less compre
An amendment to
the state constitution of Nebraska was
proposed at the recent eiecuun, lu
f Wisconsin has recently pre
sented to its electors the question as
to the suffrage of women and other
also presented other im
portant questions thus proving their
confidence in tne yeuyic .j
fact that many states provide that
vital measures must first be submitted
to the votes of the electors ieura
wh thft instice and the safety of a
measure that would give to them the
power to legislate by direct action.
Every question of great import such
as large budgets, removal of state cap-
itols, the chartering of national 'banks,
are all referred to the people before
their effect can be realized.
We believe that if the people are
capable of acting directly that it fol
lows that when they speak for them
selves that their Interests will be bet
ter protected than when they speak
through those who may have per
sonal interests at stake. We have seen
instances, which the opposition will
not deny, that prove only too conclu
sively the truth of our observations.
We have seen a republican industrial
commission, a body appointed at their
own hands, report that the rebate sys
tem operated in restraint of trade, yet
with- a republican majority in both
houses of congress and a republican
president, no action has been taken in
the premises. It is simply because
the halls of congress are crowded with
men ready and willing to obey tin
crack of the master's whin and sup
port or negative measures antagonistic
to their own interests. Trusts and
their capitalists can and so fluctuate
the market to reward those whose
work has been well done. Under exist
ing conditions the people are not asked
what thev desire, but corporations and
monopolies reaching for additional
franchises of incalculable value receive
immediate attention in consideration
of their contributions to campaign
funds, for their wrath means defeat for
re-election. We have seen the mayor
of PhiladelDhia refuse an offer of $2,-
500,000 for a railway franchise and yet
give it free to other parties. Would
the people have done this? The an
swer to this last question bears out
our proposition that the people aetfcj
directly are their own best master3.
But would the referendum cure this?
The order would be reversed if the
electors had the power to legislate di
rectly, as it would be useless to bribe
legislatures to enact objectionable
laws or grant objectionable franchises
when the people could veto them, n
there were no courts of law, there
would be less honesty. As there are
no courts of popular will to which to
refer legislative bills, there Is no dam
ner to Drotect the people's safety from
the insatiable love of gold and the
willingness of legislators to succuniD
to bribery.
(Hold! This vellow slave
Will knit and break religions, bless
the accurs'd,
Make the hoar leprosy ador'n. Place
thieves
And give them title, knee and appro
bation
With senators on the bench."
Wft are told that the system is too
radical. We believe the present sys
tem radical and the application of a
check to it by holding up its hastily
passed measures would rather con
serve than make more radical the pass
age of laws. During the last several
days of cefngress numbers of import
ant measures are passed and deteatea
with little or no debate. The New
York World, describing the last days
of the sessions, said: "The lower leg
islative body has been working like
a huge threshing machine grinding out
thousands of bills without considera
tion." Can a y&tem which will hold
up a measure until it can be care
fully and maturely considered radi
calize a system which allows meas
ures of import to be acted on at the
instant? We think not. We offer a
remedy that will say "No! Gentle
men, this bill is wrong! You can go
so -far, but when you block the will
of the people, you must prepare for
their charge." Of course this rests
upon the truth of the assertion that,
the sole object of political machinery
should be, and we believe is, to as
certain and carry out the will of the
people. We believe that our system
will conserve legislation, for we have
seen the people of Switzerland refuse
such laws as .we are toid the people
would pass because of their radical-
L
IAMS' October, 1002. importation of black Percheroni, Iielf isos and Cos chert was the Urges!
eter made west of the Missouri Hiver. His stallions of big size, quality, finish and extremely
low prices are prvixttiUUim that will make you bis buyer. If you can pay cash or give bankable
note, you will sure buy stallions of lams. Only man in the United States that imported only
black or bay stallions, lie bas just imported
63 STALLIONS 63
Shipped to New Tork by fast boat, then by Fargo Express, special train from New York to St
Paul, Nebraska, lams' biff barus are full of big, black, ton stallions. He is just finishing a
new barn 36x100 feet. Iam s horses are the semalUm of the town. Visitors throng bis barn and
ay: "Never saw so many big black stallions together:" "They are larger, bigger bone, more
finish than ever before;" 'iiut lams is progressive:" "He buys them larger and better each
year;" "He makes prices that makes the people buy his horses;" "lams has a horse show
every day, better than State Fairs." He has on band over
100 BLACK PERCH ERONS, BELGIANS and COACHERS 100
2 to 6 years old, weight 1,6C0 to 2,500 lbs. More black Percherons, ton stallions, largest French
horse, show winners, more government firjr(wed and Htnmjted stallions of anv one importer in tbe
wqst. lams speaks French and Qr,rmenx: pays no interpreter, no buyer, no aatesman ; no two to
ten men as partners to share profits. His buyers get middlemen' h jrrofits and salaries, lams
buys direct from breeders. This with bis twenty years' experience secures the best. All the
above facts gave his buyers $500 to $:,(XX) on a first-class stallion and you get a first-class horse, as
only seeond rate stallions are peddled by sleek salesmen to be sold. Uoodones sell themitelvet.
It costs $600 to $800 to have a salesman form a company and sell a second rate stallion. Form
jour own companies. Go direct to lams barns. He will sell you a better stallion for $1,000 and
11,200 than others are selling at 2,000 aud (4,000. lami pay horse's freight and Lis buyer's fara.
Good guarantees. Varus in town. Don't be a clam. Write for an eye opener and finest horse
catalogue on earth.
ANKIAM
St. PauL, Howard Co., Neb. On U. P. and B. &. M. Rys.
References: St. Paul State Bank, First State Bank, Citizens National Bank,
DEAFNESS CANNOT BE CURED
by local applications as they cannot
reach the diseased portion of the ear.
There is only one way to cure deaf
ness, and that is by constitutional
remedies. Deafness is caused by an
inflamed condition of the mucous lin
ing of the Eustachian Tube. When
this tube is inflamed you have a rum
bling sound or imperfect hearing, and
when it Is entirely closed, Deafness is
the result, and unless the inflammation
can be taken out and this tube restored
to its normal condition, hearing will
be destroyed forever; nine cases out
of ten are caused by Catarrh, which
is nothing but an inflamed condition
of the mucous surfaces.
We vill give One Hundred Dollars
for any case of Deafness (caused by
catarrh) that cannot be cured by
Hall's Catarrh Cure. Send for cir
culars, free. F. J. CHENEY & Co.,
Toledo, O.
Sold by Druggists, 75c.
Hall's Family Pills are the best.
Best
50 lbs
Granulated Sugar $1.00
Delivered at Your Door
Upon receipt of 5 dollars in draft, express or money order
we will ship the following bill of goods, freight prepaid.
Write for a price list:
EXTRA COMBINATION.
(Every article warranted first class.)
50 lbs. best granulated sugar.... $1 00
1 keg table syrup 1 00
25 bars laundry soap 1 00
3 10c pkgs. corn starch.. 25
3 10c pkgs. gloss starch 25
2 lbs. 50c Japan tea 1 00
2 lbs. best baking powder. GO
?5 00
All above packed securely and delivered to your Rail Road
station for 5 dollars. Everything the best.
Largest retail distributors of groceries in the west.
FARMERS GROCERY COMPANY
226-228-230-232-234-236 North I Oth Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.
ism. Not so long ago the question of
governmental cwneishjp of railroads
wts presented to them and their re
fusal was overwhelming. We believe
that the people are much more con
servative than their representatives.
In fact wt shall lay it down as a
truth that the largest percentage of
defects in our government is due to
tu.i represent alive and party systems
now in vogue. The infidelity of our
representatives is too well known to
admit ol riiscussior and the absence of
ways in which the minority can make
their wants known all add to the
strength of our system. We are told
that the system would be a weapon
in the hands of the minority in which
to harrass the majority in power. On
the other hand, it makes the majority
more toleraLt and the object of govern
ment after all is to protect the minor
ity for "majorities can take care of
themselves," says Ingalls.
We have seen, for instance, the state
of Maryland giving a majority of i
bare few hundred votes and returning
a solid delegation of one party. While
the minority a few hundred votes be
hind bad no way in which to make
their wants known to the legislative
branch. To the evils of the party
system. Mind, I do not think that
the initiative and referendum would
destroy parties, nor do I wish It. They
are the necessary instruments of a
people desiring liberty and as long as
we are a free people I do not think
that they will retire. Today the voter
must support the man to get the prin
ciple. In this day of bossism, it is
not always the best man nominated,
but the one most flexible to the mas
ter's order. If the man is bad, we
must support a bad man to get good
principle, or vice versa. But take an
ideal case. Both candidates are good
men, both of them standing squarely
on their party's platform. Imagine
the man who favors the imperial pol
icy of our late lamneted president and
is heartily opposed to his protective
and financial policies. Imagine .the
man who, though opposed to the an
nexation of the Philippines, yet favors
the policy of the republican party on
the trust question. How can this man
vote? He must either swallow the
financial policy of McKinley to keep
the Philippine policy or he must sacri
fice his ideas of manifest destiny of
empire to express his views on the
money question. What a travesty on
legislation! Under our system the
vote can be cast for the best man and
when the time comes to vote on the
question directly he may express his
views on each separately. . What a
Utopia to the party-laden voter oT to
day. Then, and not until then, will
this be a popular government one
deriving its authority from the con
sent of the governed.
Today the people's word is not tak
en. I have seen petitions with a hun
dred thousand signatures presented to
congress and no action taken. As one
writer on the subject says: "Today
a word spoken at some hotel bar, or a
low jest in the lobby, a little transac
ts
