bug#21858: package-initialize: no good in .emacs!

[David Reitter]

X-Debbugs-CC: bruce.connor.am@gmail.com

Emacs 25’s package system liberally modified my ~/.emacs, adding a call do 
`package-initialize’.

What happens when I call emacs from the command line (as opposed to one 
installed elsewhere, like a GUI Emacs in /Applications)?

> An error has occurred while loading `/Users/dr/.emacs':
> 
> Symbol's function definition is void: package-initialize


… because my command-line emacs is an older one, such as the one that comes 
with the latest version of OS X (Emacs 22).

This is not a good state of affairs...