Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/748

 732 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

Hon. William J. Bryan ; Hon. George F. Williams ; Rev. B. Fay Mills (evangelist); Professor George D. Herron; ex-Governor Thomas, of Colorado; Professor E. W. Bemis; Hon. John G. Woolley; Hon. Sam M. Jones, of Toledo; Eugene V. Debs; Miss Margaret Haley; etc.

There still remains the stock claim that experience here and in Switzerland has proved the measureless value of direct legis- lation and the utter futility of all objections raised against it. This constant reference to Switzerland imposes the necessity of examining carefully in that direction.

THE INITIATIVE IN SWITZERLAND TRUTHS AND UNTRUTHS

CONCERNING IT

The authorities who have written most fervently upon the beneficent effects of the initiative usually speaking of it as "the referendum" in Switzerland are W. D. McCracken; Boyd Winchester, ex-United States minister to Switzerland; Francis O. Adams, ex-minister from Great Britain there; J. W. Sullivan; and Professor Vincent, of Johns Hopkins University. All of these writers appear to have entered upon their task with a feeling of joy at having discovered a scheme of political redemp- tion for a fallen nation. Quoting them with exultation and approval follows Professor Parsons, who expresses his feelings thus:

Fifty years ago Switzerland was more under the heels of class-rule than we are today; political turmoil, rioting, civil war, monopoly, aristocracy, and oppression this was the history of a large portion of the Swiss until within a few decades. Today the country is the freest and most peaceful in the world. What has wrought the change? Simply union and the referendum.

Following this, the writer enters upon a glowing description of the many reforms that have been brought about in Switzerland, and while having given, in answer to his leading question, first credit to the union and second to " the referendum," he practically ignores the union thereafter, and attributes the whole political regeneration of the European republic to the referendum and the initiative. This may almost be said, without injustice, of the writings on the subject of the other authors mentioned. They seem to have undertaken more the laudation of the initiative than