The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-07-24

AZ Olympia. n royal battle In on
for tho life or death OF the Seven
Sisters"
IL thero II any possibility. by
however remote n route, OF CARROT
Ing and strnngling into eternity
these seven initiative bills. the
deed win be done with great gusto
by Secretary OF State Howell and
his 100000 specially recruited 20
litical office force.
but. step by step. he viii en-
counter determined and unyielding
opposition from the joint commit
tee representing the labor, farmers,
and direct legislation leagues who
have proposed these measures.
Tho count on the universal eight
hour bill has been completed.
Howcirs count shows $500 valid
signatures. or 1893 more than
required. The measure will
20 on tho ballot for decision
by tho voters. Hundreds OF
names had been ruled off on tho
flimsiest of technicaiities. but the
bill had no large n surplus that Il
could bear tho secretAry's inroads.
With the Seven Sisters" Il viii
bc moro difficult travel. These
measures we're not so strongly for.
titled In surplus signatures.
While the registration officials
In the various parts OF the state
have certified TO the required total
number Of signatures. and even
moro than the necessary number.
Howell has already issued state
mcnts TO the effect that IN his
opinion all OF tho Seven Sisters
will be found deficient.
According 20 affidaviss by Robin
Adsir. formerly state statlstlcian.
appointed by ex-Gov. Hay. and by
Harry Carroll. city comptroller of
Seattle. there were moro than
1000 names on each OF the seven
bills. and some bills had 2.oo0
names 20 spare.
ichabod NJ. Howell appears like
40 much clay In the hands OF those
masters Of political strategy. I'D
Sims. l.. ID. McArdle. r. J. koors,
at al.
These willy politicians have q a.
rect. personal interest IN defeating
the Seven Sisters Ia addition %
their general antipathy 20 direct
legislation. And they've found ia
rchabod Howell an ideal subject tc
work on.
tehabod would never hsvs
risen TO anything higher than
. book~eeper's Job except for
the resignation Of former
secretary Of state under fire.
When Gov. Hay looked around
for a successor 20 that official.
and saw Howell. he ciapped
his hands with Joy. The former
secretary and Hay vera ~ log.
osrhesds.
| Howell. who worked In the
secretary Of states office, the
governor felt sure would be
II . plant ssrvisor. % Howell
wac named.
4 When the enemies os the
~esven Sisters eonoreustsd In
Olympia 70 plan their attack.
they burned sroOnd howsIl.
Their words were horsysd.
and on the tote horizon there
| arose In iehsbod's vision . ple-
| turs Of Ichabod leading tho re-
publican forces In the race for
| governor.
| Ichsbod Howell for gov
srnor! How sweet the wordsi
| IcAADOO HOWELL. A
| GOVERNOR!
40 SIMS. srAMppAr
| FLOOR LEADER OF THE
| HOUSE AND HEAD or the
| FISH TRUST, WANT eoRN
| vgeTERDAv. YOU KNOW.
| % iehabo6s oubsrnatoriaI
dream Will get 10 hearing In
| 1919. In tire meantime. there's
work 10 BE- done. The "0sven
Sisters" must BE- asssssInsted.
Ichabod has declared invalid
hundreds and hundreds OF sigma
lures where the signers are boni
fide voters and entirely qualified
Howell rules that whether a sig
nature Is genuine or not. II Will bs
declared invalid where a deput,
registration official initiated hi
10. X. alongside II, and the chic
registration official made out thu
formal certificate. In other words
Howell II requiring the Same reg
istration official. in tho variou
; counties and cities. 10 take charg'
OF the entire check himself How
ell says this In the law. His inter
probation means that n any regis
tration official. either through if
norance or deliberately. fails to oh
serve Howell's ruling, then hun
dreds and thousands OF voters ma,
be arbitrarily disfranchised.
Besides the business Of
sticking the stIIstto Into the
"ssvsn Sisters" tehsbod also
10 making . noble effort TO
spend 5000 needIessIy.
The Initiative petitions have
been checked up-svsry name
on thsm-by duly qualified Of.
flcisIs In the various counties
where the signatures were OBJ
tanned. Ichabod 10 going over
the same ground, and recheck-
ing the check.
The requirements Of the law
would have supplied only three
or four extra clerks In the sec
retarys office. But Ichabod
psthered. ~ the recommends
tIon Of the ward hseIers In the
state, $50 clerks 20 do thIs
work.