South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-30

the meeting so as to prevent the calling OF the cleo
ton. 10 which the seebirt organ is 50 opposed and
crime the part OF City Atty. Slick that n
didn't make some display OF legal knowledge'-or
a lack OF ito brighten the councilmen at the
validity OF the commission manager law etc7 "
bad. indeed. that someone else could not have
taken the initiative in heading of the Iostponn6
Gf the primary instead OF forcing the seebirt ag-
gregaton to take It themselves. as they now have
by their mandamus proceeding the superior
court.
Even poor George Sands. even II he did what Is
credited to him. is IT any crime to encourage a set
CT councilmen to attend regular council meet
ing. their duty under the law; should he be
criticised for that? More more it becomes evil
dent that that newspaper. so assiduousy supporting
the Seebirt candidacy. the real force seeking
corrupt the council into not doing its duty; az
tempting bring about deliberate defiance Of the
law Light too is thrown It's probable interest
in the matter by it's editorialzed report Of
the council meeting. touching the ceruhcaton OF
Clerk BiInski:
Contrary to general rumor originated in
the camp OF the proponents of the proposed
change and fostered by his political adversaries.
City Clerk Frank s. Bilinski candidate for the
democratic nayOralty nomination, did not use
his present office a means Of blocking the
holding OF election but rather, he chose
middle course. In written report 20 the council
he certified that the petition bore approximate
ly 3.725 signatures in ink indelible pencil
required by law. Out OF that number, he
stated. could certify that only 2.236 were
the genuine signatures Of legal electors Of the
corporate city Of South Bend He further as
serted that he unable TO certify that the
2236 signatures constituted a sufficient num-
Der TO make the petition sufficient in law for
the that the records Of the board OF
election commissioners of the last preceding
general election have been destroyed in COM
Ilance with law, ETC.
whereupon it at once began to gloat upon the
fact that this failure TO use his Office a means
Of blocking the holding Of an election" but rather
choosing "a middle course" because of the ma
ture of the rel ort to be the basis of an injunction
suit to set aside the whole affair, and insnuated
that City Atty. Slick be the instigator. And
now, somehow, since he failed to 'instigate;" well.
he is condemned as some of political shyster
With something up his sleeve. That is supposed 10
give the seebirt crowd excusable excuse for do
ing what they expected the city attorney to do and
enable them to throw the blame elsewhere because
elsewhere would not be to blame.
Too bad that the Carsonites did not take the mi
;iative in this campaign to destroy the commission
manager movement--so that the Securities could
reap the rewards without having to take any OF
The stigma in case their failure? oh yes. had
they only prevented council meeting of quorum.
or had they instituted the mandamus suit. instead
ct concluding to let the statute take its course?
You get the connection. Carson must take the blame
anyhow. They say he had a bad motive. The See
tirt lieutenants pulling a nice bit OF political
strategy; hurting nice bit of mud at the Carson
organization in the disguise Of their own superior
virtue-but mud so dry that it is only dust.