The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-01

|
day centered very largely around the Pc
/ titions gotten up under William voigt' 9
/ auspices for submitting the three proposed
| amendments to a popular vote. These are
the amendments looking to the abolish
/ ment of the civil service features
/ OF the city charter. As everybody
| who has read the new charter knows.
| 1t provides two methods OF .naugu-
| rating amendments-one by direct petition
| from the people, the other by order Of the
/ city council. II the people elect to take
/ the initiative, 1t is necessary that the Pc
I titfons must receive the signatures of %
/ per cent. Of the voters in the last election.
| This was the method elected by the pres
ent opponents OF the civil service system
/ They began their>movement at first secret
| ~. and al a coneiave held In the Michigan
| house laid their plans for securing large
| number of signatures before the friends OF
j civil service should know what they were
/ about. This plan. however was disclosed.
| Then came the necessity for fling the pro-
I posed amendments in the comptroiler's
/ office and submitting them TO the corpora
/ ton counsel for an opinion as to their
/ proper legal form. This unmasked the bat
! teries Of the enemies of civil service, and
! the PostIntellgencer at once gave fun
| statement OF their plans, and at the same
/ time published series of interviews with
/ prominent citizens as TO the merits of the
| system as applied toe municipal affairs in
| Seattle.
| The opponents of the system. that is to
| say the advocates of the proposed amend
| ments. went steadily and resolutely 10 work.
/ For three months they used every effort to
ct
! They failed. Then. the people having re-
! fused to take the initiative. they asked the
city council to take it. This request the
| council now has under advIsement and
/ will consider the matter in committee of
/ the whole on next Monday afternoon. This
| committee was 10 have met last Thursday
/ night, but only six members were present,
| and there was quorum, the matter
/ Went over until Monday. Even If the
council should see fit TO vote for submit
/ ting the amendments, this will leave only
| three days in which, according TO the time
| limit fixed in the charter, the new amend
| ments could be put into shape. As they
| Will involve practically a remodeling of the
! entire charter, grave doubts have been ex
| pressed to whether that length of time
would be sufficient for remodellng an in
| strument which it took the charter COM
| mission three months to construct
Petitions We're Padded.
| Meanwhile various people have been
| looking over the petitions which were the
/ outgrowth of Mr.. Voigt's abortive effort.
| The further they looked. the less they
| have been satisfied with the petitions. The
plain fact is that a large number OF names
| appear more than once on the petitions.
| and were accordingly counted more than
| once in making up the total. In one or two
| instances &he same name appears as often
| as three times This can be chartably ae-
counted for from the fact that there were
several separate petitions, and the Jealous
1 collector of autographs, having learned
| that certain man was In favor of the
amendments put the name down on his
list without stopping to inquire whether Il
| was on any other list. 1t would hardly he
| charitable 10 suppose thar the same indi-
| vidual actually signed his name in three
| different places. Yet this is precisely the
| effect Of the repetition Of names. and so
| far as counting OF noses is concerned, the
| signatures might as well have been run on
| the tissue ballot plan.
| Without making an exhaustive examina-
| ton. the following names are found in
duplicate among the signatures 10 the pc
| titions: T. H. Clancy, John Clancy, Joe
| Pincus. Ben Pincus, r. +. Bridges. A. G..
| Lanes signature appears three times.
These were detected in one check list OF
ninety names.
| PopuIist. DiscIaim Them.
| One thing is certain with regard to the
Voigt amendments; prominent members
! of the Peoples party are not falling over
one another in an effort to do away with
civil service. Among those present at the
meeting of the council committee of the
whole Thursday night, which failed to
| muster a quorum. was Hon. Richard Win
sor. Sr While most of the visitors were
waiting Idly in the lobby for the absentee
| members Of the council 10 put in an APP
| pearance. Judge Winsor put i'm some time
/ -. 4 s..,~lH H.
| posed in the comptrolleI's office on the
| foor below. A very brief examination
! convinced him that the petitions fell far
! short Of even the total al which they had
been footed up. To a post-inteligencer
| reporter last night ne said:
II examined only three Of the separate
| petitions. hut that was enough to convince
! me that the petitions included macy
I names which mad 10 business on them.
/ For instance. / came across the name of
| J. r. Addieman. who row has charge II
J the guards AT the state prison. He is rot.
! ana was ret when the petitions were cir
! cugated, a citizen Of Seattle. Ills voting
! precinct q across the lake. I had pro-
| ceedcd only 4 little way in checking over
the particular names fer which I vas
! looking when ! found the name 81 " q.
Morris repeated This was enough 20 sat-
/ isfy me. Moreover, from the form Of the
petitions. L am satisfied that when the
signatures were written down Il was done
In many Instances on detached sheets ~
! paper where the sgners 6d not know
/ what they were signing. since 10 petition
whatever appeared AT the top of the page.
With regard 70 the merits If the oueS-
zion Of submitting she amendments. must
say ihat II the council IN the face of ths
/ fact that the people have distinctly re-
fused - order the amendments submitted.
should vote for submission, 7 should re-
+ gard = 4 uSurpati0n Of authority
: The very fact that the promoters 81 ire
/ petitions have failed. and that. too after
/ s}f-n strenuous efforts ~ resulted in this
/ duplication az names and the Incorporation
~ names - people not residents ~ the
/ ety.. - muster the requisite number Of
signatures IS IN my judgment quite SUI
ecieut "a settle the matter 81 t3aiteiy and
positively"
judge Winsnr had very pointed tax
Vtf1 Councilman McAra3e after no had
looked oyer the petitions - which ~
+ Speaks ;9 the foregoing y = stated ~
snot authority that - said - .he member
from the First ward: ~ fae Reathli-sn
ms MIXERS % ths council insist on submit.
+ fi-1E these amendments after the people
! themselves have deliberately refused -
or,is~ sl:~h \ submission the Penn}e'.
!. I party wj}i want no better CAMPAIGN thurs.
! der. Keep you~ hands our ~ iris pIe
. u the Republicans want 70 CT thelr owr
{ throSt~. iet them alone -
The Issue L. Dead
! Dr r. r. Titus saia - reporter laa