Arizona republican., 1919-02-10
It's what you are that counts, and not what you think you are.
 -Chas. L. Dering.
Government by Petition

We think two backward steps were taken by the house Saturday when at the same time it made provision for the election of certain city officials who are now in modern municipal governments almost universally appointed. and then provided that in case any municipality prefers the modern system it may so indicate by petitions signed by fiftyone per cent of the voters of that municipality according to the last preceding poll list The bill itself is offense against the short ballot and the amendment creates a government by petition.
 Now. the right Of petition is one of the compara- lively few rights we have guaranteed to by the constitution. We talk of rights when nine times out Of ten we mean privileges which are not rights at all. petition is a right. though it never D intended to be used an engine of government and. SO far know. has until now been proposed Go be SO used. It is quite commonly believed that this use of it would be constitutional. nasmuch superscdes the ballot which. by constitution. designated to perform among it's functions that very one which the house has turned over to the petition.
 The amendment does not provide adequate ma chnery for accomplishing what it has been appointed Co do. We may take the towns, and far know the only two towns, where the change contemplated in the bill is desred-Bisbee and Doug Ias In both Of them thousands of are employed. constituting more less shifting population. In years the period between elections. the personnel, of poll lists, especially in Bisbee. in all other mining towns. is always greatly changed. For in- stance in Bisbee the poll list in 1918 bore little re- that of 1916 It is recalled that between those two dates about 1900 citizens Of Bsbee departed in a body Their places taken by citizens whose names did not appear the poll list of 1916. If such provision had been in force last year in Bisbee tho task of obtaining the signatures or 51 per cent of the who had voted there in 1916 would have been extremely difficult. Probably e1 per cent Of the voters of had removed from the city. In lesser degree such changes con- stauty occurring in the mining towns and easily how it might happen that 51 per cent of inc voters election might be gone the end of two years.
 There varying opinions regarding the short ballot, but progressive opinion everywhere favors it the theory that is better the government small body upon whom the attention of the voters was ccntered at the election which it was chosen, whereas in a long list of candidates voters cannot or do not sve candidates that scrutiny which they give to a small number of
 Moreover. the experience Of most towns has been that there should be and only responsible head, council commission board of aldermen Tucson had experience of several years with two heads a council and elected chief police. There a perpetual and costly conflict. An elected off cal it is contended is responsible the people tny people do not know and cannot know whether the responsibility is being discharged. Several thou sand citizens cannot be in touch with the govern ment observe how the machinery is functonng That is what they elect commissioners councimen or aldermen 10 look after
 Returning to the petition form of government it is argued and rightly that in it there can be no secrecy of the ballot tho greatest safeguard the voters privilege: the that him effectively from improper influence and gives him the greatest freedom do what he believes be right The pet- ton leaves him in calcium light subject to dan gerous influence His signature may be forced by fear. And he may be bought with by the purchaser that the goods will be delivered.