| Show TINGED WITH SOCIALISM there is much to be said in favor of the principle couched in the phrase initiative and referendum that Is the suggestion and determination of legislation by the people themselves themselves provided means for putting such a system into iDrac practical operation could be so devised as to separate it from the evils that threaten to accompany it should it t ever be adopted A new charter is being prepared for san francisco and it is proposed to embrace within it the following provision for the initiation of legislation by the people direct and its passage or rejection at the polls instead of in some legisla tive body whenever there shall be presented to the board of election a petition signed by a number of voters equal to fifteen per of the votes cast at the preceding state or city and county election asking that an ordinance to be set forth in such petition be submitted to a vote of the electors of the city and county the board of election commissioners must submit such proposed ordinance to the vote of the electors at the next election if a majority of the votes cast upon such ordinance shall be in favor of the adoption thereof the board of election commissioners shall within thirty days from the time of such election proclaim such fact and upon such proclamation such ordinance shall have the same game force and effect as an ordinance passed by the supervisors and approved by the mayor and the same shall not be repealed by the supervisors but the supervisors may sub mit a proposition for the repeal of such ordinance or for amendments thereto for vote at any succeeding election and should such proposition so submitted receive a majority of the votes cast thereon at such election such ordinance shall be repealed or amended accordingly at a cursory reading this provision seems a simple and harmless means of ascertaining the wishes of the voters in respect to some proposed ordinance whether or not they desire it to become law but the san francisco chronicle points out that under such a section of the city charter bonds to an indefinite amount could be issued and the proceeds expended in response to a popular demand for public improvements or for employment ton idle labor the chronicle reasons as follows the chronicle believes that there are many improvements which san francisco might profitably make and does not hesitate to express the opinion that the cost of them should not devolve wholly upon the generation making them but we think it would be a fatal mistake to make it too easy to initiate such ouch improvements this the proposed charter does by providing that an ordinance must be submitted to the people upon the demand of fifteen per of the voters under this thie provision all sorts of fantastic projects may be suggested and entertained it if the privilege would cease with the acquisition of certain utilities the trouble might not prove so grave but there is no assurance whatever that having once entered upon a comprehensive system of public improvement the illusory temporary prosperity which follows the expenditure pend iture of borrowed money would not be taken for something permanent and induce the piling up of a big municipal debt the constitution of bf the state of california forbids the incurring of any municipal indebtedness above a certain limit without the consent of two thirds of the voters of the municipality but the chronicle denies that the restriction would be availing under such a provision as that above quoted and strongly opposes its adoption here is a case in which it Is deemed unwise and unsafe to permit the wishes of the majority to become law to allow the majority to rule that Is the chronicle takes this view were the provi provision slon under consideration actually the law in a city like san francisco were times to become hard and many men to be thrown out of employment and were an agitation to be started in favor of borrowing money for public improvements it is easy to see that grievous burdens might be placed upon taxpayers for in such a community the owners of taxable property are always in the minority such a use of the initiative and referendum might easily produce that disease of the body politic which has been facetiously called and it Is very obvious that the minority who own the property and pay the taxes ought to be protected from possible rapacity on the part of a majority which does neither how to enlarge mans liberty without increasing the danger that he will plunder his fellow man continues to be the same old problem |
