Arizona republican., 1911-02-28
Colonel Roosevclt's Error

Colonel Roosevelt. in his books state papers and speeches. has always shown a close familiarity with the history of our country. It R sur prising. therefore. to fh1d that he made a serious error ir his1 Chi cago speech the other day wien ne stated that the recall provision sof the Arizona constitution is "preciscl. the same as" a provision put into the constitution of Massachusetts in I'So- As d matter of fact. the prowIsioR oi the Massachusetts constitution which the former president had in mind did not provide at all for the re- call But let us first quote what Colonel Roosevelt said:
 T saw it stated in the press the other day that certain Eood- people in Washington were against the admis sion of Arizona as state because it had adopted in it's constitution the recall In l7SO the state of Massa- chusctts put into its constitution pre- cisely that provision for a recall Now. understand me. l am not argu- ing for or against the recall. l am merely saving that if the people of Arizona or any other community wish to try it. or if they do not wish tO try it, it is their own affair"
 In the constitution framed for the commonwealth of Massachusetts in 17SO appeared this provision-the provision to which the former prrsi- dent referred:
 ARTICLE VIII In order to pre- vent those who are vested with au- thority from becoming oppressors. the people have d right at such periots and in such manner as they shall es- tablish by their frame of government to cause their public officers to re- turn to private life and to fill upI vacant places by certain and regular elections and appointments"
 Pointing out that there is no simi larity whatsoever between the Mass achusetts provision and the "Ari- zona recall" the New York Sun cor rectly says of the section we have quoted:
 This is merely the statement of a general principle common to repre- sentative government in every state of the union. It is nothing more than declaration that office hold ing is not to be perpetual: that the office holder is to come before the people or the appointing authority
 
 which he was elected. and if he is q candidate for reelection or reap pointmcnt, to subject himself to the judgment of his fellow citizens at the polls. or. in the case of appointment. to the judgment of the higher officer upon whom the choice of the success sor devolves.
 "In this plain declaration of fun damental principle of republican gov crnment there is not trace of the idea of the arbitrary curtailment of the regular term of office at any time by popular vote: not germ of the idea now known as the recall"
 The Sun is again correct when it says:
 'Thc Arizona recall is specific | provision for the interruption of the l stated term of any elected officer atI the pleasure of q popular majority: for dragging from the bench at any | time after six months any judge or an the judges of any state court-not | for malfeasance or neglect in office. 1 but for whatever reason may be al- i legged by One-quartcr of the electo- | rate and deemed sufficient by mere i at the polls"
 As bearing on the obvious faults of | the recall as provided in our con or as related to any merits | which the advocates of .ho recall | nay think it possesses. it is per Laps ret important whether Massa. clusctts cnCc provided for tie recall Df it's officers. But it is important, in the interest of historical accuracy. that the error made by Colonel | Roosevelt should bc noticed In a possibly nasty preparation of his speech. he doubtless relied upon in- formation given him by others rather than upon the Massachusetts docu- nent itself