Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-04-11
MORE SPECIFIC CHARGES IN THE
RECALL PETITION DEMANDED
Formal Answer to Charges Against Them Filed
With City Council by Mayor Robinson
and Councilman Eichelberger

dent to the change from Boise wet to
Boise dry the police force is smaller
than it has been for years; the monthly
police salary roll for April, 1916, is
smaller by s270 than for the same month
in 1915, and smaller by about s637 than
for April of 1914. The expenditure in
the police department for the fiscal
year ending April 80, 1916, is about
$4,000 including disputed warrants
for detectives; for the year ending
April so. 1915, the expenditure was
about $24,0 900; for the year ending April
so, 1914. about $4,000, while in the
year ending in April of 1913, over
$27 900 was required. Slot machines
and punch boards have been elimi-
mated: other forms of gambling have
been vigorously prosecuted and re-
duced. Many other efficient con-
structive policies have been thought-
fully proposed and diligently worked
out with view to keeping our city
clean, decent and prosperous We have
neither the space nor inclination de-
tail all of them here. We have mem
toned these few because we are per-
fectly willing to stand upon our rec
ords. And If we can learn what partic-
ular acts are complained of as ineffi-
cient, incompetent or eXtravagant we
are ready to meet any and all such
charges. We insist, however, that we
do have the right to know just what
are the acts complained of and main
tain that the blanket statement In
competence, inefficiency and eXtrava-
gance, is not just to the people at
| large nor to the officers whose re-
moval Is sought and win not satisfy
the demands of the law.
Other Purported Reasons.
The other purported reasons are
open to the same objections. 'Arbi-
trary use of power" may mean some
thing or nothing. What it probably
means is that we have refused to take
orders from certain indictments who
now resent their inability to control
\ and attempt. to ruin instead. What
ever this may mean we insist that the
law requires its meaning to be stated.
What criminal prosecutions have been
groundless? What unrest and alarm
has been created except among vio-
lators of the law? The court records
are open to the petitioners, let them
state to which case or prosecution they
police officers. contrary to law" COM
mon report has 1t that this innuendo
was largely used to secure sgners 10
the petition. Anyone acquainted with
the facts knows that private homes
have not been invaded contrary to
law. and we have never directly or in
directly sanctioned or approved of any
such invasion. Let the petitioners but
b. inc 10 no
been violated and the charges will
Iappear in their real nature, false and
untrue. We contend that the reasons
required by law have not been given
and that the purported reasons are
obscure and indefinite-are like q
eowardly stab III the dark and legally
insufficient.
Not only do the petitions fail in thai
reasons are not given; we do not men
ton what appears from common re.
: port to be the fact. that many signer.
We're secured by false statements ant
misrepresentation, or that some who's,
names appear are neither legal voter.
nor residents of the city; further
: defect appears in the fact that ther,
are no affidavits declaring that tn,
signers We're legal voters OF the cit,
and specifying the number of signer
I at the time such affidavits were made
; OBI session laws, at page 31D. Thi
2 is. no mere technical requirement, bu
: Is evidently designed by the legislator
l to prevent the padding of the petition
except for this safeguard unlimite,
I names might be improperly added il
blank spaces or on new sheets to tn
petition, and with little danger Of de
: lection.
We have called attention to thes
defects because they seemed to us t
: be vital and fundamental: because W
believe we have right to know wha
are the specific reasons, if there ar
any, for demanding our recall an
because we wish to be certain tina
the election called will be no mer
farce but have binding legal effect.
a legal election can be now called W
earnestly ask that this may be don.
We can then speedily proceed to sub
nit the issues to the people on the
merits with full confidence that jus
tiee will prevail.
JEREMIAH w. ROBINSON.
ALBERT v EIcHELBERGER
Dated this 18th day of April, 1911
Boise, Idaho.