Texas Proposition 1, Initiative and Referendum Process Amendment (1914)

Texas Proposition 1
Election date November 3, 1914
Topic Initiative and referendum process
Status Defeated
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Texas Proposition 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Texas on November 3, 1914. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported establishing a state initiative and referendum process in Texas.

A "no" vote opposed establishing a state initiative and referendum process in Texas.

Election results

Texas Proposition 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		62,371	48.29%
No		66,785	51.71%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Measure design

The amendment would have adopted the initiative and referendum process into the state constitution. Initiative petitions would have had to contain signatures from 20% of the qualified voters of the state. The amendment would also allow voters to repeal laws enacted by the Texas State Legislature.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 1 was as follows:

“

To amend Section 1, of Article 3, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, so a to give to the people, or reserve to them, the power to propose laws and to enact or reject the same at the polls and to approve or reject at the polls any act of the Legislature.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

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Arguments

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Opposition

Arguments

• El Paso Morning Times: "That there is no demand for this class of freak legislation is proven by the fact that the people generally have overlooked the fact that it is to be submitted, and there is consequently grave danger that the votes of the comparatively few cranks and ultra radicals may be sufficient to write it into the constitution, where it may be used as a weapon for endless turmoil such as has invariably afflicted states where it has been tried."
• Gov. Oscar Branch Colquitt (D): "The initiative and referendum is the dream of theoretical politicians, and as Madison tells us, It has ever been found incompatible with personal security of the rights of property. ... I assert that the initiative, referendum and recall is in no sense a part of the principle of local self-government. It strikes at the very vitality of our republican system and is antagonistic to representative government. The initiative, referendum, and recall is socialistic and a complete departure from the system of government established by the fathers of the Republic. It is antagonistic to the theory that the Government itself shall be divided into three separate parts, each acting as a check upon the other."
• Waco Semi-Weekly Tribune: "It is too much to say (especially by one who believes in the value of the initiative, referendum, and recall as whole-some features of municipal government) that the proposal is devoid of merit or holds menace to good government. But we are not ready yet to accept such a radical departure from the representative government unless fully persuaded of the need and value of the change."
• Judson King, field secretary of the National Referendum League, which supported the adoption of the initiative and referendum process but did not support the specifics of this amendment: "I sincerely hope that this abortion will be defeated, as its effect would be to tie up the initiative and referendum in Texas for the Lord knows how many years. You perhaps know that an amendment of this kind was adopted by the people of Utah in 1900, but the state legislature has not been able to find it in the constitution yet. A similar amendment was adopted by the people of Idaho in 1912; the 1913 legislature failed to pass a statute putting it into operation. A 20 percent petition for either, the initiative or the referendum, destroys the purpose of the amendment, even if the legislature should enact a law favorable In every other particular."

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Texas Constitution

A two-thirds vote was needed in each chamber of the Texas State Legislature to refer the constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.

The constitutional amendment was introduced into the Texas State Legislature as Senate Joint Resolution 12 during the 33rd regular legislative session in 1913. In the Senate, the vote was 23-0. In the House, the vote was 84-36.

See also

1914 Measures

• 1914 Measures
• Initiative and referendum process on the ballot
• 1914 legislative sessions

Texas

• Texas ballot measures
• Texas ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Legislative Reference Library of Texas, Constitutional Amendments