The Northwest Enterprise

SEATTLE'S
MUNICIPAL CAMPAIGN
Primary Election
Feb. 24, General Election March 9

Seattle is in the midst of a municipal campaign. A mayor, six Councilmen, and a Corporation Counsel are to be elected. "The Western City", in its November issue, has this to say about municipal government:

"City government is the highest form of democracy. It is customary to think of the Federal government as the highest level with the others grading on down thru State, county and finally to city. Measured by the opportunities for effective participation, the highest, most effective form of democratic government is that which is closest to the people, the level of government which 'gets right down to where people live'—city government. Any citizen may make himself heard in the city council chamber. It is an honor as well as a grave responsibility to be a part of city government. If democracy cannot be made to work at the city level, then democracy will be supplanted by some other form of government."

It is the responsibility as well as the privilege of every member of organized labor to see to it that he or she understands the records of the various candidates for municipal office. Voting should not be passed upon lightly; for once a vote is cast it cannot be recalled, and mistakes are frequently made through lack of information.

Too many aspirants for office make too many extravagant promises; too many covering fields outside of legal city government. Citizens should beware the inexperienced candidate who thinks voters do not know what they want nor how to get what they should have. Experience is needed to qualify a man for the position of carpenter, engineer, or baseball player. Yet some candidates offer promises instead of recognized capacity for a job of real importance to nearly a half million citizens of Seattle.