IN THE MASSACHUSETTS CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION 1917-1918 VOLUME II THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM BOSTON WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING COMPANY, STATE PRINTERS 32 DERNE STREET 1918 PREFACE. For the benefit of readers not having access to the other volumes of the Debates of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1917-18, it may be explained that their arrangement is by topics. This permitted the publication of the debate relating to the Initiative and Referendum in a volume by itself. The formal record to be found in the Journal has not been here repeated, except as seemed necessary for understanding the bearing and progress of the discussion. It was not deemed that any important purpose would be served by including matter relating to procedure. If occasion to consult such matter should arise, it may be found in the verbatim transcript of the stenographic report that has been deposited in the State Library. In view, however, of the unusual nature of this particular debate, it will not be amiss to explain that the Resolution as reported by the Committee on Initiative and Referendum was taken up in Committee of the Whole August 7, 1917, where the discussion continued (save for a few days on other matters) until September 27, when the Committee of the Whole was discharged from further consideration of the Resolution, the discussion thereafter taking place in the Convention itself, ending November 28. There was debate of the subject on forty-five days. At the outset no limit was put on the length of speeches, and the general discussion, covering about three weeks, was without time restriction until near its close. The amendments offered were for the most part taken up in the order of the sections of the Resolution to which they related, and were discussed under a time schedule, meant to give reasonable opportunity for opposing arguments, forty minutes suitably divided being permitted for most of them. All told there were six drafts of the Resolution. The five that were debated will be found in this volume, inserted as they came under discussion, with the line numbers of the original documents, in order that the bearing of amendments as they were offered may be understood. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Resolution to provide for establishing the Initiative and Referendum (reported by the committee) (see Document No. 335), Views of dissenting members of committee, Speeches favoring and opposing the Initiative and Referendum in the order in which they were delivered: Mr. Washburn of Worcester, 21, 22, 24, 33. Mr. William S. Kinney of Boston, 26. Mr. Montague of Boston, 32, 34. Mr. Brown of Brockton, 57, 58. Mr. Anderson of Brookline, 59. Mr. Bennett of Saugus, 60, 61. JOHN D. W. BODFISH of Barnstable, |