But how would such specific legislative proposals originate?  Before answering this question let us consider how important bills actually originate under the existing system.  They are in almost every case imposed upon the legislature by some outside influence.  Sometimes they are prepared by corporation lawyers and are introduced by the special corporation representatives.  Sometimes they originate with the party “bosses,” and are intended to promote some more or less important partisan purpose.  Sometimes they are drawn by associations of reformers, and go to the legislature with whatever support from public opinion the association can collect.  Finally, they are frequently introduced at the suggestion of the governor; and of late years during the growth of the reform movement, the executive has in point of fact become more and more responsible for imposing on the legislature laws desired or supposed to be desired by the electorate.  Of these different sources of existing legislation, the last suggests a manner of initiating legislation, which is most likely to make for the efficient concentration of governmental responsibility.  The governor should be empowered not merely to suggest legislation to the council, but to introduce it into the council.  His right to introduce legislation need not be exclusive, but bills introduced by him should have a certain precedence and their consideration should claim a definite amount of the council’s time.  The council would possess, of course, full right of rejection or amendment.  In the case of rejection or an amendment not acceptable to the governor the question at issue would be submitted to popular vote.

The method of originating legislation suggested above is, of course, entirely different from that ordinarily associated with the referendum.  According to the usual methods of direct legislation, any body of electors of a certain size can effect the introduction of a bill and its submission to popular vote; but a method of this kind is really no method at all.  It allows the electorate to be bombarded with a succession of legislative proposals, turning perhaps on radical questions of public policy like the single tax, which may be well or ill drawn, which may or may not be living questions of the day, which may or may not have received sufficient preparatory discussion, and which would keep public opinion in a wholly unnecessary condition of ferment.  Some organized control over the legislative proposals submitted to popular approval is absolutely necessary; and the sort of control suggested above merely conforms to the existing unofficial practice of those states wherein public opinion has been aroused.  The best reform legislation now enacted usually originates in executive mansions.  Why should not the practice be made official?  If it were so, every candidate for governor would have to announce either a definite legislative policy or the lack of one; and the various items composing this policy would be fully discussed during the campaign.