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Show H THE RECALL SYSTEM. H H j " The editor of the Salt Lake Herald-Republican knows almost as H much about the "Recall" as does a Millard county jackrabbit. H Speaking on that subject, the Salt Lake sheet says: H ) ' "If there is any spot on the face of the earth where 'the B? recall system ought not to be. applied to public officers, that H spot is Salt Lake. The effect upon local business of our M ' strenuous politics during our annual elections is so'well un- M ( v derstood that it need not be discussed here. Business in M the city is practically in a state of paralysis for at least six M ' weeks before each election. Partisan feeling runs high, H (j everything is unsettled and uncertain One year we have a H ' l city election and the next year a county election, with an oc- M j "i j casional state election thrown in for good measure. The H ' constantly recurring elections have been a powerful factor H in keeping the citizens of Salt Lake from getting together H and boosting the town in the way it ought to be boosted. H iii "In tne recall system which was proposed, a petition H 1 ! containing twenty-five per cent of the vote cast for the suc- H !i cessful candidate for mayor at election at which he was H i chosen is required. For instance, if the recall system were H i I ' , in force, and it was desired to put it into operation against - H g Mayor Bransford, it would require about 3,300 names to get H an election. Inasmuch as each of the other two candidates H j I against Mr. Bransford polled about 6,000 each, it is merely H i logic that partisan argument would be able to get those H J , 3,300 names. It might be a difficult matter, but they H !f 1 could be gotten. Then Salt Lake once more would be m plunged into an election. H j f "There are enough elections in Salt Lake now. They H I ! occur sufficiently often to keep the talk of politics in the air H I most of the time. The wounds of one campaign are scarce- H ! !y healed before another is launched upon the people. Any M ' system that would make it possible for further election tur- H moil should be frowned upon. Those who are casting about H ' for some way to remedy conditions would much better spend H , j tner energy in devising some means to reduce the number H , of elections. The Senate apparently took that view when H ' it sheared the Des Moines bill of that feature " H m From the foregoing, it will be seen that the Hrald-Repub- H lican thinks that no safeguards can be placed around the "Recall." M The RepubT;-.an evidently believes that if Mayor Bransford should I eat a soft-boiled egg out of the shell instead of placing the contents H , , of the egg first in a glass, it would be sufficient grounds to petition m , j j for his recall. The sheet also believes that the mayor of Salt Lake M t j could be recalled if he preferred a ginger ale high-ball to a Manhat-H Manhat-H tan cocktail before dinner. Such ideas make the recall seem farcical ,! , Aeain' the Herald-Republican believes that a political opponent H i could petition for a recall on no other grounds than a difference of H opinion on political matters. That would make the recall vicious ' But the Herald-Republican is in error again as it usually is on all H , j progressive subjects. The facts are that safeguards can be and are H t placed around the recaU to such an extent as to make it impossible to H ,, j recall any honest servant. H 'For instance, the legislature can say that the petition for-the i rCa11 officer shall only be permitted after five substantial H j citizens of the city have appeared before the district judge and have H ,. ( made oath to the statement that an unfaithful officer had stolen a h I certain sum of money from the treasury, and then, that tho ,evi-H ,evi-H donee of such stealing shall be published in tho papers, and, if after ' 1 . 8U PUtbllcfttlon for 10 davs' Petition shall be filed with the proper H I ?? ? v6S S18?ed by 6 P6r C-ent or o-thirds of the voters that 1 ,tn VI 0ffiCeI had Stlen the mon then' a iot H ' ! en a U eleCtl0n be held t0 reca11 the unfaithful officer H , - Who can say such a recall would be unfair to an honest or even ' f mCCr? rlUt 70U Say the DeS M0ines Plan Prodes for H ., I only 2B per cent of the voters to sign such a petition. That is true i and 25 per cent is enough. In Switzerland, the home of the founders' H B j of the recall, in most of the cantons only 5 per cent of the voters Ht r are required to a petition of recall and it has not once caused a con H ) fusion. m, ' The truth i o politicians in power are satisfied with the pres H: , . conditions and they do'not want to surrender any of that power to the people. The Herald-Republican is owned by the 'federal bunch, ' the power controlling Utah today. That is where the shoe pinches. The initiative, the referendum and the recall are progressive measures that give the people a chance to protect themselves when unfaithful public servants attempt to loot the public 'funds and think they own the people and the state. |