The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1914-05-29

in MObridge the last week started
rs OH Il quiet hunt to find out
whether other cities hat are under
a form Of government similar to
ours ale under the same handicap.
\ city officer Fan he kept continue
ally on his guard to keep his honor
and standing in the community
safeguarded against the designs OF
disgruntled citizens or other people
that are after SOME OF the gifts
that the people place IN the hands
OF their officers to dispense
concessions that none have a d.
vine right holding the recall
over their heads a. a club TO force
them to do their bidding regardless
Of whether their demands are in
accord with the views OF the people
or not. We find that other cities
are in the same predicameut. and
in Sioux Falls the didos OF the dis,
gruntied have become scandalouS
The tax payers Of Mobrldge can
thank their lucky stars that the
personnel Of this city is such that
IA recall petition acts As boomh-
rang against the authors instead
of doing the injury it is created
for. The following clippings from
the Los Angeles Times and the
Keokuk Constitution Democrat
will show how wide spread this
evil is becoming.
1t is no trouble to start Il re.
call. No real facts detrimental to
the efficiency Of an official are re-
CURED. No one brings specific
charges. The animus is yelled by
the petition. \ few persons are
hired to go out and get signatures,
and it is a disgraceful reflection
on the citizens of this country that
no petition, no matter against
whom directed or by whom imsti-
gated, seldom fails to get enough
signers to force the election
Los AngIese Times.
No doubt, there are officials oc-
casionally who ought to be recall
ed and it may serve a good pur-
pose for others inclined to be I'M
scrupulouS to know that they are
liable to be recalled. But the
dangers of the system are found in
the opportunities it offers for dis
appointed partisans and malicious
persons to keep an official contin-
ually defending his title instead Of
attending to the public business
and to impose expensive elections
unpon the people. If matters keep
up the way they are going it is
said that Los Angeles tax payers
in ten years will have to pay ST.
90, 900 in election expenses.
One of the horrible examples of
the evil of indiScriminate appeal to
the recall may be found in the ex-
hibition periodically given by the
city of Sioux Falls, ;. ID. In that
metropolis in the middle northwest
a few constitutionally and contin-
ually disgruntled factors in the
electorate take delight III making
life miserable for commissioners
who strive to do their duty as it
w tlitlll ACCOUNTING W llltl
lights, and with a regularity
worthy Of II better cause saddle the
city with debts of several hundreds
Of dollars in efforts to get some
official who does not suit then
particular idea as to what SHOULD
or should not be done. 1t wOulC
be an interesting exposition were
tabulated statement published o
the cost and results of the various
Sioux Falls recall elections. An'
then, as Il supplementary paragraph
Il short exposition might he Offered
of the reasons actuatlng those be
hind the recall elections and tn
visible results in good to the city
keokuk Democrat
We can hardly make mp on
mind rs To whether the spring al