TEE STRUGGLE FOE EQUALITY 379 



constitutional conventions without any higher sanction. 25 The federal 

 constitution was ratified by representatives of the people and not by 

 popular vote. To-day, however, the ratification of amendments to the 

 constitution by the legislatures of the several states is an anachronism. 

 As applied to legislative acts, the referendum can have only a negative 

 effect. As already noted, it frequently makes for things as they are 

 rather than for needless change. A serious objection is that it may em- 

 barrass the conduct of public affairs by withholding necessary appropria- 

 tions. The voters are sometimes penurious in voting the public money. 

 On two occasions, appropriations for the state university in Oregon have 

 been held up until approved by a referendum, the teaching staff in the 

 meantime performing its duties without pay. Such experiences tend to 

 repel efficient teachers. The educational advantage to the voters hardly 

 compensates for the interference with efficiency. Such occurrences are, 

 however, not a necessary feature of the referendum. In Ohio, "laws 

 providing for tax levies, appropriations for the current expenses of the 

 state government and state institutions," are not subject to the referen- 

 dum. The legislature is also empowered to exempt "emergency laws 

 necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or 

 safety" from a referendum by a two-thirds vote. Similar provisions 

 exist in many other states. 



The small vote polled on constitutional and legislative referenda as 

 compared with the vote for candidates often excites remark. Probably 

 it indicates that many voters are more interested in men than measures. 

 It also points to the fact that our political canvasses are largely contests 

 between individuals seeking the emoluments of public office. Election- 

 eering is so conducted as to arouse partisan zeal. The appetite of hun- 

 gry spoilsmen aided by automobiles gets out a vote that is not particu- 

 larly well informed. Moreover, referenda seldom get much newspaper 

 notice. Except in Oregon, the voter is usually left entirely to his own 

 devices to inform himself. Finally, referenda are overlooked by many 

 voters because they occupy an inconspicuous place on the ballot. The 

 vote cast upon such questions in Illinois has been greatly increased by 

 placing them upon a separate ballot. A similar plan in Idaho has 

 almost doubled the percentage of the total vote cast on constitutional 

 amendments. 26 



In the opinion of some writers, the initiative is nothing less than 

 revolutionary. " Of all the proposals that have been brought forward 

 in the name of direct democracy, the initiative is the most preposterous 



25 Charles A. Beard and Birl E. Shultz, ' ' Documents on the State-wide Initi- 

 ative, Referendum and Recall, " pp. 15-19. 



26 W. F. Dodd, ' ' Some Considerations upon the State-wide Initiative and 

 Referendum," Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 

 Vol. 43, 1912, p. 213. 



