Word: referendum
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Dates: during 1910-1919
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...negative side for the Princeton freshmen was opened as follows: the initiative and referendum will not prove effective remedies of the evils in our government. They fail to reach the evils because while the faults of our government are largely within the legislature, the suggested reforms contemplate a remedy which operates outside of the legislature. Then, too, they will introduce new evils in our government. They accomplish this by stripping the legislature of responsibility and authority, and make the representative no longer a man of brains and conscience...
...initiative and referendum are correct in theory and also in practice for it has been shown that they have remedied the evil conditions found in legislatures of today. In Oregon, South Dakota, Missouri and other states where they have been adopted they have prevented bad legislation and at the same time insured good laws. A contrast of conditions in these states before and after the adoption of the initiative and referendum shows the great benefit which has resulted in the adoption. The legislative conditions of today are real and serious. The initiative and referendum have a record of proved success...
...initiative and referendum must in- evitably lead up to minority control with all its attending evils. Through their introduction another efficient instrument is given to the machine and special interests whereby they may strengthen their tyrannical hold. As a result we will have crude, thoughtless and ineffective legislation...
...minority votes mean minority rule, we have minority rule under the present system. For only a small minority of the people vote, since women and children are barred. The theory is that those who do vote represent the people as a whole. So it is with the initiative and referendum; those who do vote represent the whole people. The initiative and referendum do not introduce the evil of minority rule. But they do introduce positive benefits. They raise the calibre of the legislators. When corruption is taken away from our legislatures, better men will seek to enter them. Moreover...
...negative in their rebuttals showed how ineffective the initiative and the referendum are in the eight states that have them. In these states they have never been used for reforms. It was pointed out how foolish it was to think of each voter pondering over a ballot of over four feet in length, filled with bills printed in small type and giving each careful thought before casting his ballot