Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-11-20
IS THf REAL ISSUE TODAY
BEFORE ABERDEEN PEOPLE
the OPPOSITION TO The ALLEN LAW IS LARGELY MANUFACTURED
THE TRUE OPPOSITION, HOWEVER CRAFTIlY CONCEALED IS
THE POWER GIVEN THE PEOPLE OVER CITY OFFICIALS
AND CITY LEGISLATION

The publication OF this issue OF
the Herald is advanced to this morn
morning stead of evening in order
to refute as far it can the numerous
misstatements of the opposition to
the Allen law and with that purpose
it is delivered in the city this morn
ing before the polls open. If you are
going to vote against the adoption OF
the commission form, do so for reas-
ons that you know and can explain,
at least to yourself, not because of
the bugaboos raised by parties who
are in opposition either through real
or imaginary self interest, who do not
approve of the direct legislation pro
visions of the law or are in ignOr-
ance of it's terms and real meaning.
This opposition, that has deafened
Aberdeen in the last few days with
loud posters, circular letters and print
ed opinions may be classified in some
what the following manner:
First-The standpatters who resent
the authority given to what they term
the "Mobocracy" under the initiative,
referendum and recall. Some of them
honestly dread the power of the peo.
pie, and others fear that power may
interfere with contemplated special
privileges. This class is furnishing
the sinews of war for the opposition,
and has maintained an extensive man
ufactory of alleged faults in the AL
len law, while, in reality, they would
oppose with equal vigor any change
that gave the right of initiative and
veto to the people.
Second-A number of we'll meaning
people, too busy to read the law and
compare it with our present system,
who take their opinion second hand
from the misstatement factory. Their
number will be revealed tonight when
the votes are counted.
Third-A few Office holders and
their friends, who care more for a
petty office and it's salary than the
welfare of the city. They by no
means comprise the entire city adj
ministration. Almost if not quite one
half of the council, and a number of
appointees favor the change.
That the misstatement factory
working overtime, as it has, should
produce some confusion in the minds
of the voters is not surprising, when
one considers the large percentage OF
good" citizens who prefer to accept
second hand views of public questions
rather than take the time requisite
for the intelligent formation of their
own, yet if they go wrong on this i'm
portant question it will not be the
fault of the Herald or the advocates
of the adoption of an improved sys-
TEN of government
Another class might be added, the
timid who fear any change and would
rather endure anything than chance
something new. They usually mean
for the new system, when it proves
successful-after being forced upon
them. They are not new in the his
tory of this country. One hundred
and thirty-tive years ago this coun-
try was filled with them, and the So
called business interests We're not
ably among the most timid. just as
they appear in the calamity circu-
lar letter that appeared last week.
Had they been able to scare the fore
fathers this country would be a pro
vince of Great Britain today
All this leads up to another sympos-
ium of views published in the Grays
Harbor Post on Saturday. in which
nearly a score of Aberdeen's citizens,
and some from abroad air either their
own opinions, or those of the mislead-
ing factory Some are amusing, some
absurd. all of them totally wrong and
most of them showing they are bas-
ed upon what somebody told them
rather than a study of the Allen law
1t is observed that majority of
the contributors to the Post are of
the opinion that the present law is
good enough. They are F. E. Hite,
Rev. r. E. Cooper. Z. B. Crary, S. X.
Bowes, J. w. Sheridan, A. J. Stewart,
E. C. Miller, F. NJ Wylie, NJ. H. Leon
ard, A. P. Stockwell, G. w. Makurath.
H. L. Green and F. o. Dole Well
the Herald is willing to rest the con-
test today on that issue. Those con-
tent with the present state of affairs,
vote against commission, and those
who desire at least so cents on the
dollar for their tax money-and have
no private axes to sharpen on the city
stone-vote for commission. If full
vote is polled, it would show three to
one for the business system.
A few of the objections raised show
clearly their source. For instance, c..
NJ. WeatherwaX falls into the error