Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-11-13
Illogical Logic Of Arguments
of Adherents of Present
Ward Plan
PRESENT RECALL is JOKE
The Allen Law May Not Be
Perfect, But 1t Is Better
Than We Have.

Editor Herald
Was the Allen law framed by graft
ers and illiterates? In spite of the
assumptions of the conservative
councilmanic logicians, we do not
believe so. Skepticism has found de-
fects in almost every section of this
act Defects that spring from pre-
sumptions an dnot from facts. The
conservative has sought to appeal to
the popular fears, the progressive to
address the popular reason. The re-
call being most pliable, has been
most distasteful to many and has
brought forth the most strenuous OBJ
jectiOnS.
In the outset the logician of ward
government assumes that the people
are dotards and that these dotards
elect into office two willy and corrupt
politicians. For the first six months
these public servants prove them
selves most honest and efficient
Then the game begins. The first poll
tician having 80 per cent cf the ycters
as friends and that 80 per cent be-
ing perfectly willing to perjure them
selves by signing recall petition they
do not believe in, recall election is
held. The recall is defeated. The
politician is now entrenched in power
This is the logician's first possibility
possibility, not probability, under
stand.
But since all legislation even the
regulation of departments, is governed
by a majority vote of the commission,
the enthroned politician is powerless,
so the game proceeds. The second
politician having 80 per cent of the
voters as friends, and these friends
all being corrupt, he starts a recall
election. The recall is defeated. Now
the two corrupt commissioners are in
absolute and irrevocable power. They
may do whatever they please un-
check ed-save by those minor details
(Which the councilmanic logician neg
lected to mention.) The initiative,
referendum and the courts of the
country. So the advocates of the
ward have laid before you possibili-
Responsibilities that We're planned
to arouse your fears and not appeal
to your reason.
But did you ever stop to consider,
gentle reader, that right where these
possibilities end and the two commits
sioners are enthroned in irrevocable
power the present system has always
been. Under the present law there
is no way beneath a living God that
we may recall our councilmen. Yes,
indeed, but when 60 per cent of the
voters of any ward will make their
way over the present strets to the
tition, it must be a time of eminent
peril Nor is this all that the law
provides, for the voter must make
his way over these streets within
ten days. And then be it furthermore
provided that the office hours of the
clerk shall be from 5 a. NJ. until 5
p. m. and that the working day of
rs per cent of the voters in the ward
shall extend from a. m. until 6 p. m.
This is the conservative ideal of a
perfect reacll. perfect because it can
not be used as weapon of popular
sovereignty.
The Allen law is not perfection.
For what law, what system of govern
ment ever sprung full fledged and in
fallible into existence? But the real
question in government today is not
so much what is absolutely GOOD as
that which is BEST. The proposed
recall nay, even the law itself, has
it's defects and shortcomings. But
with all it's defects, with all it's
shortcomings, it is far, very far in
deed, ahead of the present decayed
and outgrown system which is retard-
ing the growth of this city.
Nov. 8, 1911. A SPECTATOR.