Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-05

majority believe will prove detrlmen.
tai to public interests.
By the recall it is hoped to provide
a system by which they can emo
an executive and legislative officer
elected by them who has proven in.
competent or u%nfaithful.
Senator Bourne of Oregon. points
out that the boss, chosen not by the
whole people, but by a mere faction,
holding an office not known to the
law, and exercising powers not legally
conferred upon him, nevertheless. X.
cept in short periods of revolution,
controls both the executive and legis-
lative departments of the municipal
ity or state over which he rules. and
III some instances, his malign influ.
ence has extended ever into the ju!i.
cial department.
Washington foresaw the possibility
Of such a condition arising under our
system Of party government, and in
his farewell address warned the PEG.
pie that an excess of party spirit would
have a tendency to put In the place
of the delegated will Of the nation the
will of a party; often a small, but
artful and 'enterDrising minority and
would be "likely, in the course Of time
and things to become potent engines
by which cunning, ambitious and un.
principled men will be enabled to sub.
vert the power Of the people and to
usurp for themselves the reins of gov.
eminent" 1.'
1t is claimed ty some that we now
confront this very condition.
Some object to a certain part of tht
law which does not allow a bill to be
amended after it has been filed. This
is exactly n Of the loose features
which have been covered. 1t prevents
tiAkering and shuts out any POSSIBLE.
ityN of what is commonly known as
jokers. Ellis in the initiative are gen.
orally drawn very carefully and con.
sidered by many heads before it is
filed. There is plenty of time to do so,
hense there really is no demand for
amendments, as this can be looked
out Tor before filing.
Regarding the recall, it is held that
the people have the right to hire and
discharge their servants, and in sup.
port of this it Is commended that none
would be SO foolish as to claim that
to reverse the conditions would be
c~ountenanced. 1t is argued that the
voice Of the people is the law of the
land, and that the initiative. ,referen.
dunn and recall are in accord with
the principles OF which our govern.
lei was founded.
the recall of executive and legislative
officers al there. is to the judiciary,
for it is considered a very serious
matter when restraint is placed upon
that branch of our government. 1t
is held that the fear of recall might
have a tendency to intimidate judges
when about to render opinions of very
grave Importance. 1t is argued, how.
ever, that the system is intended to
be more of an admonitory than penal
provision; that it Is not the intention
to punish for wrong.doing, but as a
reservation on the part of the people
to correct wrongs on the part OF, their
servants.
However, let it be said that the
question is by far too extensive to be
treated intelligently in the brief space
of these columns, and is one which
requires much research, thought and
deliberation. It is a progressive meas.
ure in the true sense of the word, one
which is attracting the attention of
the people and one which requires
careful consideration before action is
taken. 1t is a popular subject; the
resolution passed the last Legislature
and it looks like it will pass thu
present body. If so it will then go to
the people for approval in 1914. when
in all probability it will carry.