Direct Legislation by the People Volume 3 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 edition. Excerpt: ... the community, prevent hasty, crude law making, and give such full power of reconsideration that no law could be enacted under this method unless the public will really favored it. At the same time the political feelings and energies of the electorate would have a free vent and a direct mode of manifesting themselves, that would result in a much wider and more intelligent political action than now exists. It has been remarked that the proceedings in the British House of Commons are watched with far more interest by the voters of Great Britain than are the proceedings of Congress by our people, because the former may result in a vote changing the ministry, and consequently compel an appeal to the electors. The possibility of being called upon to decide a question in debate, and to settle the issue between parties, gives to the voters a sort of personal interest in the proceedings of Parliament, for the result may impose upon them a duty and confer upon them a power respecting the conduct of the government. If all important law making took place either through the direct action of the people or only with their final consent, how much zest would be added to political action; how keenly the public would watch and discuss the proceedings of our legislative bodies It need hardly be observed that any legislature in the Union, possibly also the Congress of the United States, may take the sense of the people touching any matter of legislation whatever, before acting upon it. The matter of a law, its idea, principle, or policy, may be submitted to the electors whenever it is thought desirable to do so, with a view to an expression of the popular will. The sense of the electors is thus often taken with respect to holding a constitutional...