The events of the past week, like those of its
predecessor, show clearly that the idea of the exercise of veto power by the people on Bills referred to them is steadily gaining adherents. It would indeed be difficult to find any thinking Unionist who is not willing to accept such an addition to our Constitution, and who does not also regard it as likely to prove the salvation of representative government from the evil influences of the party spirit carried to extremes, and from the dangers of minority legislation which are the outcome of legislative log-rolling. No doubt an occasional grumble is to be heard in the Unionist ranks over the idea of letting the people have the right to express their wishes directly on measures of great importance, but such grumbles are not serious. The real opposition to the Referendum comes from the Jacobins of the Liberal Party, who do not want the will of the people to prevail, but wish instead to force upon the people reforms which would never obtain their free assent. It is a most remarkable and significant fact, but one which increases the hatred of the Referendum among Liberals, that there is no example of a country once having adopted it in its true form—i.e., of a reference of specific measures to the popular will—and then abandoning it. No doubt the Socialists in Switzerland would like to get rid of the Referendum, but they would no more dare to propose it than they would dare to suggest the direct disfranchisement of all non.-Socialists.
