The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-21
CHECK ON THE RECALL.


The working of the recall al ex-
emplifed in Tacoma is so very
erratic that direct public attention is
called to that work in a forceful way.
The subject is up for discussion also.
and conspicuously, in the contention
| about the recall of the judiciary. Yes.
terday morning the dispatches told of
| the adoption by the Wisconsin Sen.
ate of resolution providing for
constitutional amendment establishing
the recall of all State officers except
! the judiciary. There does not seem to
he any provision for the restraint of
the Judiciary otherwise than by the
recall, so that the Judges are left un.
trammeled as before, condition that
was deplored by Thomas jefferson in
his day, Tacoma seems to be devotino
pretty much all of its attention to
elections. 1T has held two the pres.
ent month, and Others arc in prospect
The recall also is brought into prom
inence, especially so far as the in.
dietary is concerned, by the contention
over the Arizona Constitution, which
contains the recall of the judiciary
the same ms other elective officers
Col. Roosevelt, ii will be remembered
IN his speech in Arizona, denounced the
recall of the judiciary, but this was
immediately offset by his speech when
he went to California, expressly fav.
oring the recall of the judiciary in that
State
1t would seem as though the judiciary
recall will be the pivotal point upon
which the discussion of the recall in
general will turn; and on the general
proposition the New York Sun brings
forward principle which seems 10 MS
to be the sound one in the matter of
recall. Ut is urged that the recall as
applied In practice serves the same
specific purpose as a motion to recon
slider under parliamentary law. But
under parliamentary law the move for
reconsideration may he made only by
one who has voted in the affirmative on
the matter which is sought to be re.
considered. The reason of this is plain.
If It were not so, if any one who had
voted against the measure were al.
lowed to move q reconsideration. that
would amount simply to demand for
another vote on the same question. But
where one voting in the Affirmative
moves for reconsideration, that means
a change in the vote. which the other
would not
Now, applying this Just and sound
principle to the recall, and since the
recall amounts practically TO a motion
given official. the sound principle would
seem TO be that no one ought to he
competent to sign petition for recall,
except one who has voted for the Off
Ger whose recall is sought; and the
form of the recall should recite the
fact that the signers all had voted
for the person whom they now wish
to recall.
The soundness of this principle APP
pears to be just as evident in the mat !
ter of recall as in parliamentary law.
In fact, the principle involved in each
is precisely the same. To throw the
motion TO reconsider open TO the max
ing of any one, would simply prevent
all progress in parliamentary bodies,
and would effect no purpose, except TO
hold the body at precisely the same
place for an indefinite length of time.
So in the popular recall. Those who
voted against an officer would always
be ready to vote TO recall HIM, whether
ne had done anything 10 Justify re
call or not, but, if the recall were |
subject to the parliamentary restric- /
tion that a petition for il could only |
be considered from those who voted |
for the election of the official, then
the recall would be under proper re-
striction. and would be on IA sound ba-
sis. The numerous elections for recall |
in various places where the recall ex
lists. will probably bring in this prin
cipe of parliamentary law to govern
the recall INTO practical operation
Take any community where the di !
vision is very sharp and very earnest, |
and il will be easy all the time TO get |
up recalls upon any officer, whether he
has performed or has not performed |
any given work Those who voted |
against him would always be anxious
to depose him if they could, and the
officer so assailed might Just as well
give up the chance of holding Office at
all! By adhering, however, to the
true parliamentary principle Of limit |
ing reconsideration to those only who |
voted for the candidate, the recall |
might serve a useful purpose, and we
can we'll imagine that, under the JET
fcreonian idea. the recall of a Judge |