Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-11-02
Published Articles of Attorney
Bridges and Hogan Are
Discussed
CONVENTIONS FAULTY
Arguments Of Opposition To
Commission Plan Full
of Blowholes

In reviewing the arguments made
against the adoption of the commits
sion plan of government in Aberdeen
by Attorneys j. B. Bridges and John
c. Hogan, in the Post of last week,
one at all conversant with that law
is forced to the conclusion that the
consideration of the Allen law. Both
these gentlement are busy lawyers,
and their letters bear the evidence
of haste. The Herald ventures to
say that neither of them would per
nit such crude epistles to go to a
court over their signatures, and the
only charitable conclusion the writer
has been able to reach is that they
were written in haste entirely for lay
man consumption.
People Distrusted
The keynote of both the opinions
under consideration is that the deep
seated fear of the initiative, refer
endum and recall, and the leading OBJ
lection of Mr. Bridges is the possible
difficulties that may be thrown in the
way of securing franchises. From
the viewpoint of railway Gt.o~,, -
some merit must be admitted in this
contention. But, from the stand
point of the pubic good, the Herald
sees nothing calculated to hamper
the development of the city.
Mr. Bridges is too familiar with the
spirit of Aberdeen to believe that its
people will deny a proper use of its
streets for any legitimate industrial
or commercial enterprise. The adopt
ion of the Allen law is not apt to de
troy the public spirit that has so lib
orally given sites and franchises in
the past, as we'll as coin to induce
the location of labor employing in
dustries. No industry of sufficient
magnitude to require franchise
could erect it's plant in the time re
quired to secure the necessary right
and it is decided reflection upon the
intelligence of this community to as
Sert that they will be disposed tC
hold up any enterprise that will ait
the city-and play fair with the city
The Herald can see where the loca
ton of legitimate enterprises nigh
be accelerated by the commission
form of city government. 1t is
scarcely as wild an imagination a.
that which Mr.. Bridges INDUCES in
to suppose crooked city counci
that would hold up franchises for pri
vate gain. The country is filled will
the record of such transactions, ant
that it might be repeated in Aber
deem is fully as likely as that ma
jority of its people would be 81
blind to their interests as to do so
when there could be no hope of per
sonal profit. To the Herald this
position is untenable unless one ha!
in mind the sort of franchise tina
ought not to be granted
Protests Against Recall.
Mr.. Bridges also displays feal
that the recall will tend to diminisl
the interest of the commissioners il
their work, and says:
IF we are to have a commission
form of government, let us elect mel
whom We believe to be honest ant
competent and let us permit them t,
believe they are elected because w
have confidence in them, and tha
they are elected to use their owl
judgment"
This paragraph reads nice, but
has utterly failed in practice. Will
Aberdeen has been fairly fortunat
in its selection of officials. officer
HAVE acted contrary to the will G
the people in many sections of th
country-some of them not so man
miles from Aberdeen-and laws ar
made to last long time, and to co,
er all shades of humanity. If Abe
deem can be underwrtten to alway
elect such men as Mr.. Bridges pic
lures, the Herald will go even farthe
than that gentleman. 1t will not onl
consent to abolish the recall. but wi