EDITORIALS
About Insurgency ON THIS QUESTION OF INSURGENCY, the people of Iowa, and the people of Kansas have spoken. The answer has rung clear and true. The reactionaries, the Cannonites, and the...
...There are other measures which will be disposed of by this system of opposing opinions...
...Several are merely the "yea" and "nay" forms of the same questions, and therefore when the voter passes on one he decides on the other...
...But the literature on each question necessary to an intelligent understanding of it is furnished by the state fiee of expense...
...When one of them dodges an opportunity to be quizzed fairly and reasonably in public about the way he has kept the faith, he is virtually inviting the people to put another man on the job—one who is not afraid of being called to the carpet...
...Whedon in a public discussion of Burkett's record in Congress...
...It is more evidence of the kind which was furnished by the election of Democratic Foss from a "rock-ribbed" Republican district of Massachusetts...
...Long in Kansas...
...Principle does not recede...
...Some of them are doubtless very important...
...These are all drawn on the line of extending the principle of control by the masses...
...La Follette's is proud of the credit that is being accorded to it for the defeat of these Kansas reactionaries...
...Perhaps this will be the only election in the nation where the bad citizen will be to some extent automatically disfranchised by his own bad citizenship...
...Its supporters seem to be frankly reactionary...
...And there is a proposal allowing woman-suffrage confined to tax-payers...
...As it is, we must share it with the vigorous mass of fighting, Insurgent Kan?ans, and—Joe Cannon...
...One will say "I believe the law proposed is a good one," and he will vote for the labor bill...
...Rather a large order for the people...
...Fairbanks should be more specific...
...For instance organized labor has before the people an employers' liability law, while the employers have pending a bill for a commission to draft an employers' liability law...
...Dodging SENATOR BURKETT of Nebraska, who is a candidate for re-election, declines to be heckled...
...Insurgency is not a mere wave of sentiment that ebbs and flows...
...Public servants are answerable to their constituents...
...Anyhow, they fee...
...Jenkins in Wisconsin, and others of their kind...
...Mr...
...Give us Names, Mr...
...The Kansas event was made a bit more spectacular by Speaker Cannon's "personal invasion" of "the enemies' country," in a preposterous effort to save Hrs Own...
...but the Oregonians say they suspect that they can become as intelligent as to the merits of thirty-two laws in four months as is the average legislator concerning those he votes upon...
...That in Kansas the growth of Insurgency displaced in a single primary four of six reactionary Congressmen from that state, is but cumulative evidence of the irresistible advance of Principle...
...The "revision" hoped for is the elimination of the new and radical provisions from the constitution, especially the initiative, the referendum and the recall...
...one for inspection of public offices and the publication of a voters' magazine to be sent to every registered voter...
...Many of the bills are ref-erendums on such things as the establishment of normal schools at certain points, merger of counties, creation of new counties, fishery rights in rivers, and salaries of public officers—which may be regarded as formal matters such as new and growing states always have to settle- There are thirteen of these, and therefore only nineteen of the measures are such as we usually have in mind when we speak of really public laws...
...Voters supporting this law are sure to be against the progressive measures for the same reason that the end of the magnetic needle which does not point to the north points south...
...Certain voters will be at a disadvantage in Oregon this fall— the illiterate, the careless, and the imbecile...
...Fairbanks SAID former Vice President Fairbanks in a recent speech at Omaha, "Men who will wantonly and maliciously assail our public servants—no matter what their political faith may be, and who are faithful to public duty—are traitors to the state, no matter how lofty their hypocritical professions may sound...
...The truth is that adherence to principle, as manifested in the form of Insurgency in our current political affairs, is growing apace throughout the nation...
...Hull in Iowa...
...There are many who will perhaps jump to the conclusion that he was censuring Cannon for assailing the Kansas congressmen who have faithfully served their constituents...
...like making their own guesses at their own laws, with such light upon them as the campaign documents printed and furnished by the state may shed, rather than take the guesses of the legislators who often see by the garish glare of the illumination from the corporate lighting plants...
...In order that the average knowledge possessed by the voter be equal to that of the ordinary legislator, he should perhaps do about as much study as is required of an eighth-grade pupil making up a lost semester in history...
...while another will say "I think this law should go to a commission for drafting," and will vote on the opposing measure...
...And these nineteen are not so many quite separate measures...
...the defeat of Boss Aldridge in New York...
...The legislature passes on an average of 500 laws in 40 days, or at the rate of 20 a day...
...The People's Power League has four measures on the ballot: one for proportional representation, increase in the scope of the initiative and referendum, legislative reform in the legislature, and local elections in such local affairs as creating new counties...
...The voters have a chance to put in their leisure tirve for 120 days on the 1910 batch—or about four days to a law...
...And up to date th^ Oregonians have legislated very intelligently...
...Fulton in Oregon...
...Oregon Studies Law THE VOTERS OF OREGON will pass on thirty-two laws at the next election...
...one to reform the legal procedure by enabling three-fourths of the jury in civil cases to find a verdict, and generally to simplify procedure and practice...
...The one is designed to kill the other...
...On the other hand, and standing against all these, is the bill of the standpatters of both political parties to call a convention to revise the Oregon constitution...
...They will soon be the strongest voting people in America, morally and intellectually...
...We wish that we could feel entitled to all the credit that is given to us...
...Insurgency is Principle...
...Interesting, but not easily guaged in importance by the outsiders, are proposals for a separate district for each legislator, one removing restrictions as to bonding of municipal corporations and establishing home rule in road building, one establishing a branch hospital for the insane, one permitting the legislature to pass laws exempting from taxation classes of property recommended to be so freed by the Tax Commission, and also allowing such laws to be enacted by popular vote, an amendment allowing the interested districts to settle local questions—and the like...
...Of course some study is required...
...Oregon exercises her people in civil government...
...A list of those whom he regards as "faithful to public duty" would make his meaning plain...
...There is a pair of measures pending on the ever-present liquor question, one providing for local option, the other for state-wide prohibition...
...Organized labor has a bill for abolishing poll taxes and requiring a vote of the people on all proposed laws which tax the people...
...There is a law proposed permitting railroad building by the state—a tremendously important law...
...Kittredge in South Dakota...
...Exercise is the cure for atrophied organs...
...And the average, good, honest, conscientious voter will come out of the campaign with increased knowledge of public affairs and strengthened by the exercise of his powers as a voter...
...The reactionaries, the Cannonites, and the representatives of Special Privilege, have been deluding themselves with the cry "The wave of Insurgency is receding...
...and one for the extension of direct-primary nominations to presidential-campaign candidates, including delegates to national conventions...
...The voters who favor one will in the main make up their minds favorably to the others by the same process of thinking...
...It is opposed by the grange, the trade unions and the progressive forGes generally...
...Some may think this too many to be mastered by the voters of the state in four months...
...Charles 0. Whedon, his progressive opponent for the nomination at the primaries, writes that Burkett has ignored an invitation to Join with Mr...
...The voter who accepts one will reject the other...
...Really, their problems this fall are not as complex as the reactionary press would have one think...
Vol. 2 • August 1910 • No. 32
