The first referendum league in the United States was organized in New jersey in 1892 but South Dakota was the first State to adopt the optional or facultative referendum, the neces sary amendment to the constitution being adopted in 1898. Her example was followed by Oregon (1902), Nevada (1905 and 1912), Mon tana (1906) , Oklahoma (1907), Maine (1908) , Missouri (1908), Arkansas (1910) Colorado (1910), Arizona (1911), New Mexico (1911), California (1911), Idaho (1912), Nebraska (1912), Ohio (1912), Washington (1912), Michi gan (1908 and 1913), Massachusetts in a limited form (1913), North Dakota (1914), Maryland (1915) and Mississippi (1916). In 1900 Utah and in 1912 Idaho adopted amendments provid ing for the initiative and referendum, but the legislatures have not passed enabling acts; New jersey is experimenting with the referendum in cities and in 1916 Minnesota rejected the plan. The -Oregon amendment was bitterly at tacked by its opponents who took the matter to court, where a minor judge declared the measure unconstitutional and not in accord with the provisions of the Federal Constitution.
Appeal was taken Supreme Court of the State which tribunal not only reversed the de cision of the lower court, but held that the referendum not abolish or destroy the representative form of government or sub stitute another in its place. The representative character of the government still remains.° In 1897 the Nebraska legislature enacted a law permitting the cities of that State, upon the vote of a majority of their citizens, to adopt direct legislation methods in the conduct of their affairs. In the same year Iowa ex tended the initiative to all questions of fran chise save those of public ownership. Many Western cities have adopted the direct legisla tion reform, beginning with Seattle, Wash., in 1892, this city being quickly followed by Buck ley, Wash., Alameda, Vallejo, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Pasadena and many of the smaller cities of California; Portland, Ore., Grand Rapids and Detroit, Mich., Denver, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Nash ville and others. Altogether the initiative, referendum and recall are used more or less completely in about 300 municipalities, some under general State laws and some under special charters. See INITIATIVE; RECALL.
Beard, C. A.,
Experience with the Initiative and Referendum' (in American Political Science Review, Vol. X, pp. 532-539, Baltimore 1916) ; Carey, C. H., 'Limitations on the Use of the Initiative and Referendum' (in Case and Comment, Vol. XXIII, pp. 353-357, Rochester, N. Y., 1916) ; Eaton, A. H., 'The Oregon System> (Chicago 1912) ; Galbreath, C. B., (Provisions for State wide Initiative and Referendum' (in (Annals of the American Academy,' Vol. XLIII, pp. 81-109, September 1912; gives results of votes on various measures in the several States); Galbreath, C.
'Initiative and Referendum' (Columbus, Ohio, 1911); Gardner, C. O., 'Problems of Percentages in Direct Govern ment' (in American Political Science Review, Vol. X, pp. 500-514, Baltimore 1916) ; Gove, F. E., 'The Initiative and Referendum> (Wash ington 1912) ; Hendrick, B. J.,
Initiative and Referendum> and