The Jasper news., 1910-11-03


No one did, and ! am the candidate,
[apd this is the reason.
Practical Questions
/ come now to the discussion of
the questions. which, in my opinion,
are the practical ones, and going
back to the assessment, the question
is asked, How can we prevent re-
currence of this?"
First. 1t occurs to me that we
could pass law authorizing the
county court to remove the county
assessor who fails to do his duty or
who unjustly increases the assess
ment of the citizens beyond the
amount which they should pay But
suppose the court wanted an ASSESS
ment of this character. Suppose it
encouraged the assessor to make the
increase. Suppose the highest officer
in the state should ask that it be
done. it would be useless to attempt
to remove an assessor by any Of the
officers of the state. 1t could be
done only by the people, and that
through the agency of the recall
law" Oregon has this law, and
some of the lsrger cities in other
states have, by which an officer, IL
he betrays his trust, if he fails to
discharge his duty honestly, If he is
a judge and decides case corrupt
ly in the interest of one sutton and
against another, II he is a sheritf
and packs jury, If he is a city
marshal and fails to do his duty, re-
fuses to arrest violators of the law,
petition can be filed charging
these things, and If he does not re-
sign within five days the people vote
upon the question of turning him
out of Office. 1 am in favor of that
law. If 1 am elected to the Legis-
lature l will introduce, and believe
there will pass constitutional
amendment authorizing this to be
done. Some say it is socialism. 1t
may be and II it Is, am a socialist.
1t giving the people the power to
remove an officer who is faithless is
socialism, then count me a socialist.
Initiative and Referendum
We now have initiative and refer
endum under which the people can
pass law which the Legislature re-
fuses to pass. If the Legislature
passes a law that the people do not
want, they can repeal it at the polls,
then with the initiative and the ref
erendum and the recall, it seems to
me that all power is in the hands of
the people, where it can safely rest.
Candidacy and the Railroads
1t is claimed that am still in the
service of the railroad company, and
want to go to the Legislature for
the purpose of assisting 1t in some
legislation. Others say that am
offended on account of some differ
enees with the railroad company and
want to "get even" Neither state
ment is true. 1 served the railroad
company for more than twenty years
and was paid a salary which l re-
gard as sufficient and which, had 1
not considered it sufficient, / would
not have accepted. This salary was
paid for my services, and If the ser
vices were not satisfactory they
would have been disposed with years
ago. I owe the railroad companies
nothing and the railroad companies
owe nae nothing.
Republics Attack
No sooner was 1t known that
was candidate for the Legislature
than an attack was made upon me
by one of the railroad companies of
this state. through the st. Louis Re-
public, in an editorial entitled mot
Available. Why It was dore it is
not necessary to discuss. Why the
st. Louis Republic should, join in the
attack l am unable to say. However,
this editorial has been mailed and is
being mailed first from Joplin and
then from st. Louis, to every voter
In the district. When our people
commissioned the st. Louis Repub-
lie to- select Its candidates is I'M
known to me. think the people
are abundaptly able In this district.