"THE PEOPLE MUST HAVE RESULTS"
"The People Must Have Results" WHAT the people of the United States demanded in the November elections in the way of popular government found renewed expression last week in governors' messages. In...
...as at present, more complete control over purity of food products, and extension of the civil service to all state departments...
...In Massachusetts, Governor Foss delivered a brief and notable address demanding, among other things, the direct primary, initiative, referendum and recall...
...Monopolies and trusts have displaced the small manufacturer...
...In Indiana, Governor Marshall urged the adoption of direct primaries and a referendum act giving the voters the right to approve or reject measures passed by the State legislature...
...Too often in recent years special business interests have entered political life, not from patriotic or disinterested motives, but for private gain at whatever cost to free institutions...
...We are in the midst of one of the great epochs in the history of our country...
...protection of the public health...
...In other years, and largely by other hands, the ground was broken and the grain planted from which has sprung the abundant legislative harvest which now waits to be garnered by you It is a high privilege to have been called to the service of the state at this time and under these circumstances...
...sequent growth of monopoly, a new industrial and political order has arisen...
...Following is a brief summary of Governor McGovern's recommendations with regard to the most important measures of state wide interest...
...In Maine, Governor Plaisted demanded the enactment of a direct primary law and the election of United States Senators by direct vote of the people...
...Recommends the passage of a joint resolution by this legislature for the submission to the people of an amendment to the Constitution making these three measures part of the fundamental law of the state...
...In Michigan, Governor Osborn came out strongly for progressive reforms, urging the legislature to enact legislation along the following lines: initiative, referendum and recall, income tax on corporations to meet all state expenses, place express companies under control of state rairoad commission, creation of workingmen's insurance fund, bi-partisan tax commission to devise reforms...
...PRIMARY ELECTION LAW To strengthen the primary law, second choice, or majority nominations, are urged...
...In California, Governor Johnson urged the initiative, referendum and recall, primary election reforms, and railroad regulation...
...the creation of a state commission, consisting of the governor, the president of the state university, the secretary of state, the chairmen of the claims committees of the Senate and Assembly, and others representing the laboring, industrial and agricultural interests, to serve ex-officio, without salary, to "co-ordinate the statistical and economic investigations of the state in all of its departments," with special stress upon efficiency and economy, the cost of living and co-operation among producers and laborers...
...They are both political and economic in nature...
...Its utilization should be brought within the jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission to be regulated and controlled in the interest of all the people the same as other public utilities...
...amendment to the stock and bond law that will enable the railroad commission to prohibit "watering" and other evils...
...INCOME TAX Recommends that the proposed Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States be approved and that a state law taxing incomes be enacted...
...ness and politics has gone on now for almost a quarter of a century until it has in many ways revolutionized industry and in some respects transformed government...
...There is seed time and harvest...
...So far as it has quickened and systematized industry, thus increasing the production of wealth, the change has been beneficial...
...The people now want action...
...To the extent that it has put arbitrary power in the hands of a few who have used this power to oppress the people and debauch their government, it is dangerous, and the evils it has introduced should be promptly checked...
...In all governmental affairs the newly awakened public conscience demands a square deal...
...Novel as are many of the conditions thus introduced, this development should not be sweepingly or dogmatically condemned...
...This is the result of a number of causes...
...Thus by the aggregation of capital, the organization of giant corporations, and the con...
...Government must be made representative of all the people, and economic forces must be so regulated as to secure a fair chance for all in every walk of life...
...In Illinois, Governor Deneen recommended the enactment of an effective corrupt practices act, employers' liability laws, the continuance of the commission appointed to study occupational diseases, application of the initiative and referendum upon important public measures, the recall (in commission form of government) on petition of 25 per cent...
...To remedy this evil, an effective corrupt practices act is urged...
...It is the heritage of the whole people...
...McGovern Reads Strong Message BUT no message thus far submitted to a 1911 state legislature expresses the will of the people more vigorously, more clearly, more intelligently or more fearlessly than the message of Governor Francis E. McGovern of Wisconsin...
...Many legislative matters of the very highest importance concerning which men of every shade of political opinion are agreed, have been fully considered and await only enactment into law at your hands...
...On important measures like direct nominations, corrupt practices, working-men's compensation, conservation of natural resources, direct legislation and income tax, it touches such advanced ground in the field of constructive, progressive legislation that every line of its fifty pages of printed matter should be read by every citizen of Wisconsin, and could be studied with profit by legislators and voters of every other state...
...Nor should all of its results, without distinction as to their nature or tendency, be approved...
...Concentration of power in the hands of the few in both busi...
...If possible," he says, "this legislation should come to the tax payer of Wisconsin not in the form of an additional burden but in lieu of other taxes now found to be unsatisfactory...
...but the opportunity thus presented for disinterested and patriotic public service is correspondingly rare and enviable...
...Water power has become a public necessity...
...Following is a brief summary of his more important recommendations, with the introduction in full: "Before undertaking to discharge the duty imposed upon me by the Constitution of communicating to you the condition of the state and of making such recommendations as seem to me expedient, I desire sincerely to congratulate you...
...In response to this imperative demand you, gentlemen of the legislature, should accomplish much during this session...
...of voters instead of 75 per cent...
...From week to week La Fol-lette's will give its readers the portions of Governor McGovern's message devoted to measures common to all the states, beginning next week with his discussion of Direct Nominations and Corrupt Practices...
...You now meet after much of this legislation has been fairly tested and at a time of unusual and genuine interest in public affairs on the part of all the people...
...good roads legislation...
...WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACT No particular law is recommended, but emphasis is placed upon the German system of compensation...
...banking and financial institutions have merged to such an extent that for all large enterprises the money supply and commercial credit of the country have passed into the hands of a few...
...thousands of independent railways have combined into a few great systems or groups...
...The work of the special legislative committee that has been working on this subject during the past year is given high praise and the legislature is urged to lose no time in passing a law that will do away with the present unsatisfactory, unjust and wasteful system and substitute "a system of just, prompt, and certain compensation of all wage-earners injured in the course of their employment," CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES Recommends the adoption of a definite general policy of conservation, including the prevention of forest fires, reforestation of the lands at the headwaters of the principal streams, completion of the forest reserve work carried on by the State Forester, water powers, and soils...
...Few legis...
...These evils are now so well understood that description of them is no longer necessary...
...From the first our state has been a leader in the Progressive movement and in carrying forward the work of constructive reform legislation...
...They must have results...
...ing temple of liberty is the problem which now confronts you...
...In conclusion, Governor McGovern says: "In all the affairs of life there is a time of preparation and a time for action...
...OTHER MEASURES Other recommendations are made, including home rule for cities...
...AN EFFECTIVE CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT "The excessive use of money in political campaigns has long been an unmitigated evil...
...may we be fortunate also in the use we make of them...
...Unquestionably your responsibility is grave...
...To restore what has been lost or impaired in this regard and to reconstruct this government into a fairer and more endur...
...increased support to the legislative reference library...
...INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM AND RECALL Urges the initiative, referendum and recall as measures intended to bring the "government closer to the people and make it a more flexible instrument in their hands for the promotion of the public welfare...
...In the years to come it will be great honor indeed to have had part, however humble, in the achievements possible during this legislative session which, in the language of our foremost public man, should 'write in the pages of our history the most important chapters written since the days of the Civil War.' Fellow citizens of the Senate and Assembly, we are indeed fortunate in our opportunities...
...The chief characteristic of the present time is combination...
...In most cases," he says, "this change will result in a majority vote in favor of the successful candidate, thus meeting the objection just made to the present operation of the primary law (that a divided majority within each party is at mercy of a compact minority) and yet to preserve unimpaired the great principle which underlies direct nominations—the right of the people themselves to make the ballot at the primary as well as to cast it on election day...
...The call is for a return to the original, fundamental theory of our government...
...taxation of automobiles...
...and continued support to the schools and the state university...
...By so doing and by the employment of vicious methods they have to an alarming extent undermined popular government and destroyed that equality of opportunity in industry and trade which once was the characteristic of our country and has ever been the inspiring ideal of its people...
...latures have convened in Wisconsin with equal opportunity for doing good...
...appropriation to help support the Conference of Governors...
Vol. 3 • January 1911 • No. 2
