The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-03-23
THE SILBERSTEIN RECALL.

Z
pose to recall Bernard Silberstein
commissioner of safety. It is
merely a matter of good business.
They are dissatisfied with his
service and believe that his fur
Their incumbency of that office
will be very harmful to the best
interests of a great majority Of
the people. There need be no
turmoil nor hard feeling. The re-
call election can be held on the
day of the June primaries, there
by keeping the expense at a low
minimum.
Both of Duluth's daily papers
are displeased because they have
not been consulted in the mat
ter. The dear old Herald became
quite hysterical last Tuesday
night over Mr.. Silberstein's dan
ger. The next morning, the dear
old News Tribune, taking it's cue
from the evening sister, ex-
claimed, "Me, too!'' No one
expected anything else from
either paper.
Here is the dictum, or man.
date, as issued by the Herald,
viz:
It is to be hoped that nobody is
taking seriously the rumored pro-
ceeding to recall Commissioner Sill
bernstein. Certainly it is to be hoped
that nobody is taking it seriously
enough to sign the recall petition.
It must be manifest to everybody
that this is no time to plunge the city
needlessly into the excitement and
bitterness of recall election. The
community is too busy with more i'm
rortant matters to be distracted in this
way at the whim of a. few disgrunted
movement aimed to take over the de-
partment of public safety.
If there were real reasons for this
it would be different. But there are
no such reasons, and certainly there
is no such emergency.
These petitions should not be signed.
Only by refusing to sign them can the
citizens head off a recall movement;
for under the charter if enough people
sign such a petition recall election
must be held, no matter how ridtcu-.
lous it is. Furthermore, If the recall
should succeed under such circum-
stances, what citizen deserving the
place could be induced to run when
the same fate might overtake him
later?
This movement is untimely and I'M
called for, and it should be sat down
upon HARD. The way to do it Is to
even though ordinarily the temptation
is to sign anything in order to get
rid of the man who presents the
paper.
The recall petitions are being
taken seriously and they are be-
ing signed by business men, pro-
fessional men, mechanics, labor
ers, artizans, and even gentlemen
of leisure. They are being signed
by democrats, republicans, social
lists and men without party. They
are being signed by protestants,
catholics, Jews and, possibly,
Mormons and Mahomedans.
What can be more important
than the careful, conscientious,
economical, efficient and repu-
table administration Of the city's
business? If the editor Of the
Herald became unsatisfactory, the
general manager would discharge
him. If the head of a department
in a wholesale house fell down in
his work, off would come his
head.
This municipality is merely a
big business organization. 1t
handles the peoples money and
administers their affairs. When
any public servant proves un-
satisfactory, the people have the
right and a duty to discharge
him, even if the Herald does not
so wish it.
This recall is not based on the
whim Of a few disgrunt.ed per-
sons. It is actuated by high mo-
tives and a belief in efficiency.
Disgruntled persons were not con-
suited. Their aid has not been
asked, any sane man knowing
that petitions circulated and
signed by malcontents would end
in failure.
But every legal voter, what
ever his objections to Mr.. SLIDER
stein, can and will be given a
chance to sign a petition. A
goodly number are in circulation
md that number will be In
creased from day to day until
more than q sufficient number
IT signers has been secured.
There are ample reasons for
this action by the people and
those reasons can be backed up