The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-07-30
The Seven Sisters
Validity Of Petitions Sworn to. The
Count being Watched With
Eaeerness. Sufficient
Names on Lists.

The count on the Seven Sisters
Direct Legislation Measures is still
going on at Olympia and it is ex
pected that Secretary Howell ant
his squad of money squanderer
will have finished by next Monday
when the secretary's report will b
made. From present appearances
the report will endeavor to show
that the petitions have not suf-
ficient bona-fide signatures to per-
init of these measures being sub.
mitted to a vote of the people ii
the polls in November.
Ever since these petitions began
to be circulated the vested interests
who in the past through subservien'
legislators and well-paid lobbyists
have played fast and loose with
the peoples affairs, and who have
caused the tax-rate in this state tO
become almost unbearable, have
set their machine in motion to pre-
vent the people. who by right
should own and control this state,
from expressing their views at the
ballot box.
We have in this office the copy
of an affidavit made by Harry
Carroll, Seattle's city comptroller
in which he deposes AS to the
number of names each of these
petitions was shown TO have had,
after it had run the gauntlet OF
checking in his office. And another
by Robin Adair, formerly statisti-
clan of the workmen's compensation
commission, in which he swears as
| to the number of names obtained
and certified to as valid outside OF
Seattle.
| An addition of the lists OF Car
| roll and of Adair shows that each
of the seven petitions has in ex-
cess of $4,000 signatures, while
the total number required by law
is 81, 1886.
"T,,,e work of these two experts,
both beyond question: writes Miss
Case, secretary of the Direct Leg
islation League. lis the basis for
| our claim that the Seven Sisters
have enough valid signatures to de-
serve place on the ballot. and
that if they are kept off. it will
be for other reasons than any valid
lack of signatures"
Each of the sisters. as checked
by Adair and Carroll. had approx
mately $4,000 names outside of
Sesttle, and from 5000 to 1000
within the city.
The battle royal for and a
gainst the Seven Sisters" is on
at the state capital and the scene
of action is in the secretary of
states office, where, II there is
any possibility of garroting and
strangling these seven direct legis-
lation bills the deed will be done.
Howell, an official creature of
Tip Hays, appointed by the acting
governor soon after he was elevated
to the executive position which
people never wanted him to fill.
and after Sam Nichols, the then
secretary OF state had got in bad,
is however being watched by the
representatives of determined tax
payers who have proposed the meas
ures. Had they supposed that such
n determined effort would be made
by the Stop-LoOk-Listen crowd of
predatory interests, these measures
would have been fortified with suf-
ficient signatures to admit of no
strangling operatives.
While the registration officials in
the various parts of the state have
certified to the required total num-
ber of signatures. and even more
than the necessary number. Howell
has already issued statements to
the effect that in his opinion all
Of the Seven Sisters" will be found
deficient.
Referring to Zealotist HowelFs
devotion to the Standpat Cause as
against that of the taxpayers of
this state. the Seattle Star hands
the over-officious secretary the fol-
lowing brick-bat:
Ichabod NJ Howell appears like
so much clay in the hands of those
masters of political strategy, Ed
Sims. l.. ID. McArdle, E. j. Koors,
ct al.
lcbabod would never have risen to
anything higher than bookkeeper' S
job except for the resignation of a
former secretary of state under
fire. When Gov. Hay looked "a
round for a successor to that Of
ficial, and saw Howell, he clapped
his hands with joy. The former
secretary and Hay were at logger
heads.
Howell, who worked in the secre-
tary of states office, the governor
felt sure would be plant servitor
So Howell was named.
When the enemies of the Seven
Sisters" congregated in Olympia TO
plan their attack, they buzzed a
round Howell, Their words were
honeyed, and on the 1916 horizon
there arose in 1chabod's vision a
picture of lchabod leading the re-
publican forces in the race for
governor.
Ichabod Howell for governor.
How sweet the words,
ICHABoD HOWELL. A COVER
NOR.
ED SIMS, STANDPAT FLOOR
LEADER OF THE HOUSE AND
HEAD OF THE FISH TRUST,
WASN'T BORN YESTRDAY, YOU
KNOW.
So Ichabod's gubernational dream
will get its hearing in 1916. In the
meantime, there's work to be done.
The Seven Sisters" must be as