The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-11-30
PILING UP ARGUMENT.
More UnansWerable Reasons Why We
Should MOI Reorsanile.
OPINIONS OF LAWYER and TAXPAYER.
The Motives Of Tho kickers Laid
Bare-The Smallest Taxpayers and
Those who Have No Interest Are
the Most Aggressive.

| ASh"tcf JOHu a. bTOWU. on ASK
me for an expression in relation to reor
ganization. FOR one do not favor the
scheme, and my objections to it are both
from a legal standpoint and from matters
Of general political policy. Had We the
same assurance that the general charter
for cities OF the third class, as 1t now
stands, would remain unchanged, as we
have that the old charter will so remain,
many Of the objections that have been
urged against reorganizs ton would be
nntenable. | cannot agree with much
that has been said through your paper
and upon the street in relation to such
dire calamities-loss Of vested rights, &c,
AS might follow reorganization at pres
ent. Neither do think 1t necessary to
answer such fragrant statements as have
been uttered and published by the friends
OF reorganization to the effect that we are
without a legal government that our
charter has been decided invalid that
We are 'powerless to levy aud collect
taxes etc. These were fully and fairly
met and answered by much ADLER author
ity IN your last issue. 1t seems that the
reorganizers are also mistaken in assum-
ing that we could legally vote upon the
proposition at a special election called for
some other purpose. Section 10, Article
ri, state constitution, says that cities
heretofore incorporated may become or
ganized under the general law at qsn-
eral election Is the legislature empow-
cred to say that it may be done otherwise
But as you have truly said, our peculiar
conditions and situation, similar to no
other city OF equal importance in the
state, make it important to North Yak
lima that our present charter, framed
especially to foster and protect these
peculiar interests. and perpetuated by the
state constitution, should be preserved to
her citizens. Should her voters OF today
voluntarily surrender up this special char
ter, they can never again hope for an
organic law that is not subject to the
continuing changes of each succeeding
legislature-and this, to my mind, is a
most serious question. Asa city of the
third class, We know where we start, but
no one can tell where We will be at in
the future, any more than he can predict
what the school law or road law will be
two years from today. 1t has been the
experience Of other states that each legis-
lature has generally assumed to change
the law In relation to the last mentioned
subjects at each session thereof according
to its peculiar fancy; and in our own
brief history as state, cities of the third
class have been placed in the same cate
cory and treated in the same manner.
Should misfortune overtake us, and our
'solons' at Olympia fall under the ban OF
corporate influence, who can say that
cities of the third class would then have
as good charters as the interchangeable one
under which we now rest, secure from
any legislative tampering, or that their
charters would be what they are today?
In this possible dilemma, cities Of the
first class, whose representation in the
legislature is considerable factor, would
have no personal interest as under the
constitution they are permitted to do what
we have already done-frame their own
charters. (See above section OF constitu-
tion.) When Sut Lovengood's father
permitted himself to he yoked up with a
calf, he did an apparently innocent act |;
he saw no immediate damage; but when
his bovine mate started to run off he was
unable to extricate himself and soon came
to grief. do not favor that North Yak
ina should woke herself up with cities Of
the third class at present.. particularly 80
since our constitution inhibits the un.
yoking."