The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-05-23
ORIGINATOR Or
THE RECALL
r. w. JACOBS PROPOSED 1T IN
CoNSTlTUTiNAL CONVENTION
NOT ADOPTED.

Oklahoma City, May 23.-Now
comes an Oklahoman, a resident of
Sapulpa, home of Carl Morris, and
metropolis of Creek county who
takes from T. Roosevelt Esq. and
other noteworthies in the ring of
politics a well bound bundle of glory.
The individual thus robbng certain
would-Oe progressive politicians is F..
W. Jacobs, lawyer, author, old-time
populist and character Of this boom
ing east side oil town.
His glory, which literally is thrust
upon him, is the distinction of be-
ing the originator, initial promulga-
tor and by every rule of justice the
proper patentee of that automatic
self-destroying machine knows as
"the recall Of the judiciary" 1t was
Jacobs WHO originally entertained
the idea of making judges behave
by holding over them not only the
threat of certain defeat at the next
election. but an absolute discharge
when they, the judges get too free
and easy with the public and too
friendly with the interests.
A Supreme Court Judge Champion
Peculiarly enough Attorney Jacobs
has not come forward with his
His champion, however, is no less a
parsonage than Justice Robert l.. Will
liams of the Oklahoma state SUI
preme court. OF late the recall of
the judiciary has occasioned justices
some concern, it is said and those
possessed of researching inclina-
tion have undertaken to locate the
author of this plan. Justice Williams
states unqualifiedly that to Jacobs
belongs the authorship.
In 1906 when the committee on
judiciary of the Oklahoma constitu-
tional convention was chosen the
plan was first evolved. This commit
tee was composed of Justice Will
liams. Justice NJ. ]. Cane, Justice SAM
Hayes, Attorney w. A. Ledbetter, AS
sistant Attorney General Moore.
Judge Liedke, Flowers Nelson and
several others.
During either December, 1906, or
January, 1907, says Justice Williams,
Attorney Williams journey from his
home in Sapulpa to Guthrie. He
appeared before the judiciary commit
tee and spread before them for their
inspection his typewriter copy OF
"the recall" He talked long and
earnestly to that committee.
Feared the Recall.
That committee was composed ot
men who. history has proved, had
designs on certin fat political
Judges, and they foresaw what
might happen if the Jacobs plan were
incorporated into the state constl'u-
ton. 1t looked 'full of dynamite"
to them and they did not give the
author any encouragement, In fact
he was turned down unanimously and
returned to Sapulpa sad, sad man.
But "the recall" received much
publicity at that time. Keen ncsed
newspaper men were snooplng
around the committee rooms and
thev saw a story in the JACOBS re-
call plan and they 'played it up
Since then this doctrine has been
appropriated by a great many states
men. In the hurry and shuttle the
originator of the idea received but
little attention and, not pushing his
claims to authorship, he dropped out
of sight. On the contrary Jacobs
has remained silent, even morose and
silent, allowing the public pensioners
who court glory to appropriate his
own contribution to state c,aft.
Jacobs has gone his own inoffen-
sive way, changing only from pop
ulist to a Republican. practicing law
in a modest way and devoti'g his
spare tame to writing a book.
Justice Williams declares that ia
cobs contributed the recall of the
judiciary scheme to Oklahoma poll
tics, after the populists had advo-
Gated a more elaborate and wild-eyed
plan to some extent, and that the va
rious recall schemes now being ad-
vocated by certain reformers do not
vary one whit from the basic prln-
ciple laid down by Jacobs in the
original manuscript which he placed
before the Judiciary committee OF
the Oklahoma constitutional conven-
tion.
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