Democracy of the Constitution, and other Addresses and Essays-Henry Cabot Lodge

The Public Opinion Bill which had been proposed was as follows.

Public Opinion Bill as reported to the House of Representatives of Massachusetts at the last session of the legislature.

An act to authorize the submission to voters on official ballots at state elections of questions of public policy.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in general court assembled and by the authority of the same as follows.

Section 1.

On a request signed by 1,000 voters asking for the submission of any question for an expression of opinion and stating the substance thereof, the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall transmit such request to the State Ballot Law Commission, who shall determine if such question is one of public policy, and if they so determine, shall draft it in such simple, unequivocal, and adequate form as they may deem best suited to secure a fair expression of opinion.

Thereupon the Secretary shall prepare and furnish suitable forms, each to contain spaces for not more than 100 signatures, and if such forms shall be signed by 5,000 voters, he shall, upon the fulfillment of the requirements of this act, place such question on the official ballot to be used at the next state election.

Forms shall bear the date on which they are issued, and no applications made on forms issued more than 12 months before the election concerned shall be received.

Section 2.

Signers of requests for the issuance of forms and signers of applications shall append to their signatures their residence with street and number, if any, and shall be certified as registered voters by the proper registrars of voters.

One of the signers to each paper shall make oath of the genuineness of the signatures thereto, and a notary public, justice of the peace, or other magistrate, when taking such oath, shall satisfy himself that the person to whom the oath is administered is the person signing such paper, and shall also state in his attestation of such oath.

All provisions of law relating to nomination papers shall apply to such requests and applications as far as may be consistent.

Section 3.

Applications shall be filed with the Secretary 60 days before the election at which the questions are to be submitted.

Not more than four questions under this act shall be placed upon the ballot at one election, and they shall be submitted in the order in which the applications are filed.

No question negatived and no question substantially the same shall be submitted again in less than three years.

End of footnote.

Mr.

President and gentlemen, I am much indebted to you for your kindness in asking me to address you upon a public question which seems to me to be of the gravest importance.

You are the representatives of the great labor organizations of Boston, but let me say at the outset that the measure which I am about to discuss is in no sense what is usually called a labor measure any more than it is a party measure.

It is one which affects the entire community, every man and woman alike, without regard to their occupation or position, for it involves a change not in our laws but in the fundamental principles of our government.

What I am about to say to you was prepared some months ago before I left Washington because I thought that I might desire to discuss this question after I had come home, and I wished to speak whenever the opportunity occurred with care and deliberation.

This argument was not designed for a special audience but for any audience of any kind that might care to listen to it because it concerns equally all citizens of Massachusetts.

I therefore do not address you merely in your capacity as representatives of our great labor organizations, but in your larger capacity as American citizens, interested above all in the welfare of the community and in the safety and permanence of the Republic.

There was reported to the legislature during its last session an act known as the Public Opinion Bill.

The Public Opinion Bill which had been proposed was as follows.

Public Opinion Bill as reported to the House of Representatives of Massachusetts at the last session of the legislature.

An act to authorize the submission to voters on official ballots at state elections of questions of public policy.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in general court assembled and by the authority of the same as follows.

Section 1.

On a request signed by 1,000 voters asking for the submission of any question for an expression of opinion and stating the substance thereof, the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall transmit such request to the State Ballot Law Commission, who shall determine if such question is one of public policy, and if they so determine, shall draft it in such simple, unequivocal, and adequate form as they may deem best suited to secure a fair expression of opinion.

Thereupon the Secretary shall prepare and furnish suitable forms, each to contain spaces for not more than 100 signatures, and if such forms shall be signed by 5,000 voters, he shall, upon the fulfillment of the requirements of this act, place such question on the official ballot to be used at the next state election.

Forms shall bear the date on which they are issued, and no applications made on forms issued more than 12 months before the election concerned shall be received.

Section 2.

Signers of requests for the issuance of forms and signers of applications shall append to their signatures their residence with street and number, if any, and shall be certified as registered voters by the proper registrars of voters.

One of the signers to each paper shall make oath of the genuineness of the signatures thereto, and a notary public, justice of the peace, or other magistrate, when taking such oath, shall satisfy himself that the person to whom the oath is administered is the person signing such paper, and shall also state in his attestation of such oath.

All provisions of law relating to nomination papers shall apply to such requests and applications as far as may be consistent.

Section 3.

Applications shall be filed with the Secretary 60 days before the election at which the questions are to be submitted.

Not more than four questions under this act shall be placed upon the ballot at one election, and they shall be submitted in the order in which the applications are filed.

No question negatived and no question substantially the same shall be submitted again in less than three years.

End of footnote.

Mr.

President and gentlemen, I am much indebted to you for your kindness in asking me to address you upon a public question which seems to me to be of the gravest importance.

You are the representatives of the great labor organizations of Boston, but let me say at the outset that the measure which I am about to discuss is in no sense what is usually called a labor measure any more than it is a party measure.

It is one which affects the entire community, every man and woman alike, without regard to their occupation or position, for it involves a change not in our laws but in the fundamental principles of our government.

What I am about to say to you was prepared some months ago before I left Washington because I thought that I might desire to discuss this question after I had come home, and I wished to speak whenever the opportunity occurred with care and deliberation.

This argument was not designed for a special audience but for any audience of any kind that might care to listen to it because it concerns equally all citizens of Massachusetts.

I therefore do not address you merely in your capacity as representatives of our great labor organizations, but in your larger capacity as American citizens, interested above all in the welfare of the community and in the safety and permanence of the Republic.

There was reported to the legislature during its last session an act known as the Public Opinion Bill.