Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07
RECALLED MAYOR STANDS
GOOD CHANCE TO WIN RACE
Bowles, Rejected by Detroiters, Is Can
didate in Election Tuesday Through
Queer Quirk in Law.

/ that brought such SWl1J retr1puClon 10
unfaithful servants made a decided
appeal to municipal reformers working
! for more responsible government.
Largely Confined to Small Areas.
| While the recall is probably the most
spectacular weapon with which democ-
| racy has provided itself, 1t has at
| tracted comparatively little attention
because its use has been primarily con-
fined to local areas OF government.
There have been but two instances OF
its use against officials elected by the
vote of an entire State. In 1921 Gov.
Lynn j. Frazier of North Dakota with
the attorney general and commissioner
of agriculture, were recalled by the
opponents of certain issues connected
with the Non-Partisan League move
ment.
This use Of the recall was unique in
that it was directed against leaders of
the organization which had influenced
the adoption of the principle but one
year before. The other instance was
that of the recall of two members of
the Public Utility Commission OF Ore
gon. This movement resulted from
popular dissatisfaction with certain
rate increases which had been author
lied by the commission.
Because the recall has been so eX-
clusively local in its operation there is
no available record of the total num-
Der of occasions when it has been
used There have been, however, 208
recall movements in the State of its
origin alone. These involved 434 off,
Gals, of whom 100 we're removed from
Office. A conservative estimate would
put the total number of recall move
ments in America at somewhere near
500.
Peek-a-BOO Case Recalled.
Much present day establishment on
the subject of democracy may be traced
to the assumption that every political
activity is the result of an intellectual
process. No better illustrations of the
fact that this is not the case can be
cited than instances of the issues which
have resulted in recall movements.
However. those who are cynical on this
score fail to appreciate that the recall
is a safety valve, and If the cord is
occasionally pulled by fool that is no
reason for discarding the appliance.
There have been many amusing in
cidentS showing the way in which
democracy sometimes works. There was
the case of the small town councilman
who was recalled because he removed
his coat and threatened to fight and
otherwise acted in a manner unbecom-
ing one of his official capacity" There
was the almost classic instance of the
attempted recall of Councilman Peek,
of Long Beach, for his advocacy Of the
famous "peek-a-boo" ordinance. Be-
lieving that bathing suits without
sleeves or skirts were a menace to
public safety, he had supported legisla-
ton establishing with mathematical
ar ox,f,. 1f
Missile exposure. This aroused the
fire of local shopkeepers, who sponsored
a recall petition. Long Beach's reputa-
ton was preserved, however, when the
recall movement failed.
That the purity element in the COM
munity is not invariably behind the
recall may be adduced from the strange
case OF Senator Grant of San Fran
cisco. The worthy legislator was
dry from a wet district, blue law
fanatic representing the tenderloin.
One of his worst crimes was an at
tempt to dry up the worlds fair. The
recall went over with a bang.
Corrupt Judges Removed.
In the majority of instances though,
where the recall has been successful 1t
has had ample justification. One case
will suffice to illustrate its Importance.
There has been no more striking
Illustration of the effective and useful
possibilities of the recall than its EN-.
phoyment in San Francisco in 1921 to
drive from Office two corrupt municipal
judges, John Sullivan and Morris OPP
penheim. So clearly apparent was the
justification for its use in this in
stance that many conservative leaders
who were hostile to the principle of the
recall joined in the promotion of the
movement.
For some years it had been evident
that the source of local political cor
ruption could be traced to the police
courts. An investigation revealed that
few prominent bail bond brokers and
small group of attorneys were main
tanning corrupt and vicious control
of police courts. 1t was a general prac-
tice for criminals released on bail fur
nished by certain brokers to fail to
appear for trial. Later the criminal
would be declared a fugitive from jus-
tice and the bail, instead of being for
feited to the city, would be exonerated
and returned to the broker.
Worked When Justice Failed.
The records showed that certain at
torneys had 95 per cent of their cases
dismissed and that police court files
AOi hlAodCHlCdIlOTS averaged Only OU
cents. The grand Jury returned the in
dictments, but no convictions resulted.
The recall was successful-a significant
illustration of its operation as a pro-
lection even when the administration
of justice falls down
1t is in order to point out by way
OF conclusion that the recall Is still in
the experimental stage of development.
Its operation has revealed great poten-
tialities for civic betterment when it is
Juoiclously employed. Like most hui
man devices, it is capable of abuse, but
its use for the most part has been
conservative and has not led to the
evils which its opponents expected. In
helping to maintain confidence in and
responsiveness from public officials, the
recall unquestionably serves q useful
purpose