THE FARMER AND THE REFERENDUM. 417 



being disturbed about matters upon which the majority had 

 no wish to vote. 



The "referendum " is a far more important matter, and is 

 certain, as I think, to be employed more and more. The 

 people of the United States are no strangers to this proceeding, 

 which is frequently employed in the adoption of state constitu- 

 tions, and municipal charters, and in voting upon special taxes 

 and tlie incurring of public debt, change in political subdi- 

 visions, and the like. It is proposed to extend the application 

 of the principle, by requiring the submission of certain classes 

 of laws to a vote of the people. There has been, so far as I 

 know, no definite statement from any authoritative source, as 

 to the exact classes of questions which should be submitted to 

 the i)eo[)le, but in the main I suppose they would be such as 

 would affect the public burdens. There is no doubt, I think, 

 tliat the initiative and tlie referendum are most ardently 

 supported by those who believe that their use would soon 

 result in great modifications of the social order, involving in 

 many cases the sequestration of what are now considered 

 equitable property rights, but which some believe to have 

 little or no foundation in equity. As already stated, I do not 

 believe this would be the case, and I do believe that it is 

 desirable to submit to the peortle all important questions of 

 public policy, which in their own interest the people do not 

 prefer to have decided by tlieir representatives. It is necessary 

 to use common sense in matters of government, as well as in 

 other things. There is no more exacting task than the exercise 

 of wise statesmanship, nor any other which requires so long 

 and careful preparation. That our people are competent to 

 govern themselves wisely in all matters I do not doubt, but in 

 order to do so they could hardly do anything else. The 

 voters of Athens attended to very little serious work exce[)t 

 politics, but then the freemen of the city had a plenty of 

 slaves to support them, while we have not. For the most part 

 the voters of these times have to earn their own bread and 

 butter, which most of us find a quite sufficient task upon our 

 energies, and we are glad to commit the making and the 

 execution of laws to representatives who are paid to attend to 

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