A Judge Takes Aim at Seattle's Charter Reformers

To the Honorable the Mayor and Members of the City Council: Gentlemen — I had the honor of addressing a brief communication to you on the absorbing subject of charter revision at a recent date, and having received no reproof or other detriment for my presumption, I am encouraged to try it again. The conviction announced by me then, instead of decreasing, has increased with an intensified fervor. Whether right or wrong, the consensus of opinion for revision approaches unanimity. It has been iterated and reiterated so often that the charter is the cause of most, if not all, of our ills, that opposition is silent and at least tacit assent generally prevails. In other words, the reformers have made so many glowing promises, prophesied so many beneficent results and indulged in so many "glittering generalities," pregnant with so many municipal beatitudes, that the conviction is growing that they ought to have the opportunity to usher in these promised reforms. Take them at their word, gentlemen.

A true reformer is never conservative either in acts or words. He is always radical, positive and aggressive. He always catches flies with vinegar and never deigns to kiss the "Blarney Stone." He is sincere, stern and inflexible. His zeal, glowing with a constantly increasing conviction of the rightfulness, if not the divinity, of his mission, often makes him imperious. There is always a tinge of unreason, if not more, in his means for the accomplishment of his ends. He invokes the power of a battery of thunderbolts to kill a mouse.

A few words as to the position of the members of the committee, based upon the newspaper reports. Mr. White, a member of the committee to urge immediate action by the council, is reported as expressing doubts as to the constitutionality of the law which authorizes such action. I have the highest opinion of Mr. White as an able, sound and conscientious lawyer. If such doubts are well founded that ends the matter so far as revision is concerned. It would be an expensive farce to go ahead.

I am afraid that Brother Carkeek, judging from his reported utterances, is losing faith in the municipal millennium. Brace up, my brother. Take another degree or two, so as to get within the inner temple. My brother Graves thinks the present charter is "too cumbersome." He wants it light, airy and portable, like greenbacks or national bank notes. Alas! that lets silver out, but he is one of my candidates notwithstanding.

Brother Kinnear, heretofore and now considered as one of the wisest and best legislators ever sent by this county to the state legislature, advises that the duties of the city treasurer be devolved on the county treasurer, with all that implies. Now, I am prepared to go Brother Kinnear one better. I propose the devolving of the duties of the board of public works, and that of all the commissions provided for by the present charter, on the board of county commissioners, with the addition that the chairman of the county board be mayor ex-officio of the city, and that the mayor provided for in the charter gracefully bow himself out of office.

Now I come to the position of my friend McGilvra — earnest, sincere and indefatigable in work — he always has the courage of his convictions. I like such a man however much I may disagree with him in his methods. If I understand him correctly, he is in favor of returning to what I style the one-horse council condition. He and I can never agree on that proposition. I had thought that the disastrous history of the past in this city was an all-sufficient answer to all such propositions.

Pardon me for the suggestion of a general observation or two. This is not a compact city, but a city of "magnificent distances." Its foundations are broad. Its area great — in my judgment too great. Its surface presents many obstructions to an effective system of sewerage and a practicable system of streets. To overcome these obstructions has been and will continue to be very expensive. The fire-protective system, the water-supply system, the police system, as well as the sanitary, park and other subordinate systems, on account of the great area of the city and the obstructions noted above, are now, and for years to come will be, enormously expensive. Then there are the fixed charges of interest on the indebtedness already contracted. Such is the situation, and we must face it heroically. No revision can affect the stern logic of the actual facts. All we can hope for is honesty of administration in these, the more important matters. That can be accomplished under the present charter as well as under any other. You cannot make men honest, prudent, economical or wise by legislative enactments.

Finally, it may have been a little cruel in you, to use the language of diplomats, "to ask for a delimitation of the proposed reforms." But you were right. We have had quite enough of generic propositions. Let us descend to species, classes, details. The time is propitious. Congress has adjourned, the state legislature has adjourned, and the "barefoot schoolboy" has been shod; now let us have a discussion of the plans of municipal reform. Respectfully, O. JACOBS.