Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/763

 POPULAR INITIATIVE 747

failed to state, however, that in the same year sixteen states in the Union voted by majorities, some of them exceedingly large, for an unlimited issue by the government of a badly depreciated cur- rency, upon the theory that wealth consists of much money, no matter what part of it may be bogus. It is needless to ask what proportion of these same voters would indorse that proposition today. Nor is it necessary to multiply instances where whole communities have been committed to vagaries.

Besides the lack of information which necessarily incapaci- tates the mass of the voters from deciding intelligently about public measures, and prejudices that too often govern them, the venality of large numbers must be taken into account. The alleged virtue of the initiative is based upon the honesty, even more than upon the intelligence, of the masses. Yet it is as true as it is deplorable that time and again results of elections, muni- cipal and state, if not national, have been obtained by the direct bribery of voters. This has occurred repeatedly in states where the average of intelligence and respectability is high, as well as in cities and wards of mixed and less enlightened populations. In Indiana, on the testimony of ex-Governor Durbin (and it has for years been common knowledge among politicians), there are tens of thousands of purchasable voters voters who are in the mar- ket with their wares at every election. Rhode Island is as bad, or worse. That has been shown frequently, last by Lincoln Steffens. The negro vote, in northern cities especially, is always largely purchasable ; but it is not alone the negro, nor the foreigner, but Americans, white and presumably respectable.

If direct legislation (meaning the initiative) is sound in theory and principle, there must be admitted some ground for the doctrine of anarchy i. e., that without any restraint all will do right and crime become obsolete. But he has been a poor student who does not know that whenever a people becomes free from restraint, either of a strict constitutional or of an absolute govern- ment, such a people fails in its political experiment. Maine says : " Democracy is unprogressive, too often given to extortion." To make constitutional revision or amendments possible at any time and to any extent by a bare majority, which may be voting upon