Arizona state miner., 1926-02-20
is FAINT"

two pages of names copied and
written in by the same person and
ten or twenty pages of a petition be-
ing submitted in the same condition? +?
The City Commission in it's thor
cughly commedable effort to be fair,
and under the urge of the sponsors
of this independent" ticket, has not
only fractured the law itself, but
it has established a most highly dan
gerous precedent.
If the action of the city commits
sion is legal, then all laws govern
ing the filing of nominating petitions
go by the boards and this munich
pality and this state would be with
out the slightest safeguard of Law
surrounding the integrity of it's elec-
tions.
If the action Of the City Commits
sion is to stand, then this city has
not single provision of it's charter
which the commission, or another
commission may not set aside at
will and without the advice or con-
sent of the citizens of this city.
And if the provisions of the law
can be set aside in the primarie
then the provisions of the law can
just as easily be set aside in the
elections.
If the provisions of the law can
be set aside regarding elections,
then any provision Of the law can
be set aside and mob rule and
chaos result.
There is no question about the
correctness of the position taken by
both the city clerk, Mr. Callahan and
City Attorney Judge Barnum. These
gentlemen were abiding by the pro
visions of the law.
The sponsors of the "opposition"
ticket had 40 days in which 70 circu
late and file their petitions. Why
didn't they do it in time? Is it ony
fault Of the people or Of the city con- |
mission or of the city clerk or the /
city attorney that these gentlemen
waited until the last minute or wero
unable to find enough people to sign
their petitions?
And not one of the opposition cal.-
dldates has filed a declaration as to
money expenditures as required by
law
Now what are we to do? Can TIE
book, present such petition to the
city clerk, and if it is refused, raise
a hue and cry and bring this whole
proceeding to public attention in the
most forcible manner.
No. We can not safely take such
position, and the Star sincerely
hopes that some citizen will enjoi1
the whole illegal proceeding.
The Star further hopes some citi
zen will circulate a petition, secure
a few names or copy them out of
City Commission sit as a supreme
court ana declare state law and
city constitution unconstitutional,
null, void and imperative merely be-
cause the members of that comm.s-
sion are such thorough gentlemen
such fair men and such broad-minded
public officials that they want every
tN
for office?
The City Commission in it's praise
worthy fairness of attitude has al
lowed itself to be urged into an IL
legal and dangerous act which if rot
checked would mean the downfall Of
the whole city and state legal regu-
lations.
If the City Commission can forgive
violation of the law by the candi-
dates on municipal ticket, it can
just as well be expected to forgive
the law against any other person
who violates it.
This editorial is not to be under,
stood as criticizing the members of
the City Commission personally. On
the contrary the Star believes that
the members of the city commission
nave given an example of fair-dealirg g
which ought to cause those sponsors
CT the opposition ticket who were so
loud in proclaiming that the Commits
sion was going to indulge in a COW
ardly "double-cross" based on techni-
callties to hang their heads in shane,
Every fair-minded citizen ought to
vote for such candidates as Mayo1
Jefferson, Commissioner Boehmer
Charles E. Morton, for these men
nave come out square1y, publicly
frankly, fairly as to what their poll
cles are. what they intend to do j.
and when placed in Office again. wbile
not citizen in this city except. per
/ maps, those engineering the "onnoo;