Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-22
APPEAL TO PEOPLE


I" HILE steps are being taken to
wv carry out the wishes Of the
Symphony hall mass meeting
and put in circulation petitions for
the recall of Mayor Harper, it is well
to remember Los Angeles is giving an
example of zeal for good government
Which Will be commented on in every
part of the civilized world. In apply
ing to such an important office as that
of mayor of a great city the Demo-
cratic principle of popular control of
popular government Los Angeles is
again proving she has a just claim to
be considered one of the foremost mu-
inequalities in civilization.
The use of the recall marks an in
telligent appreciation of the true mean
ing Of popular self government, and
shows the people value the rights and
privileges of American citizenship. A
form Of popular government may be
almost perfect, may be almost ideal,
but if it is not properly safeguarded,
neither its ideality nor its perfection
will save it from possible misuse, and
the recall is Democracy's safeguard of
Democracy's rights.
What will probably be a fertile sub
ject Of comment throughout the CIV
ilized world is the astonishing reluc-
tance Of a public servant to submit
to one of the conditions which for the
public protection and welfare are i'm
posed on public officeholding in Los
An !
community knows full we'll he is sub
ject to recall" Why, therefore, does
he oppose the will of the people
Why should he and his friends threaten
to flight to the bitter end" one of the
most admirable safeguards with which
the modern science Of government
has surrounded the citadel of admin
istrative power?
Why should not a public servant be
recalled as soon as it becomes evident
he is working at cross purposes with
his electorate, or, in plain English, is
falling to give satisfaction to his en-
ployers, the people?
When the integrity or the ability of
a public official is called in question
nothing is more natural and logical
than that the matter should be sub
mitted to the people. Logically it is
the duty of the citizens of Los Angeles
to demand the recall. Nay, more, log
ically it is the duty Of Mayor Harper
to bow cheerfully to the will Of the
people and to acquiesce both in the
demand for the recall and in the recall
proceedings. Some voters who are
squeamish over the word recall are not
squeamish over the word referendum.
ence be 'twixt tweedledum and twee-
dledee. The referendum is an estab-
lished and accepted concomitant Of the
conditions regulating modern popular
government.
1t is used for the purpose Of en-
abling the people to approve or dis
approve measures. Since measures are
the expression of policies the referen-
dunn may be said to include approval
or disapproval of the policies of which
the submitted measure is an express
sion. A recall is a valuable variant
Of the referendum principle.
BY the recall Mayor Harpers ad-
ministration is placed on trial, and
since the integrity of that administra-
ton has been called in question, surely
| it is only reasonable, natural, just and
right that to the people, the source of
all power, should be submitted the
question of the expediency of permit
ting a public official to continue a
course of action which by many tax
payers we'll qualified to weigh the evil
dence is believed and pronounced to
be contrary to public policy, inlmlcal
to the best interests of Los Angeles
and contra bonos mores. Since by
representatives of the people his ad-
ministrative conduct is called in ques-
ton no one should be more eager than
Mayor Harper to appeal unto Caesar .
and, in the United States, Caesar" is
the People.