Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-13
BAKER BALLOT LAW MOVE.
Signed Nominating Papers to Be
Ready in Case the Parties
NAME UNSUITABLE PERSONS.
Great Expectations Based Upon the In
dustrial Alliance.
COLLECTOR MILLERs BOND PREPARED

A new move in local politics was uncov
cred yesterday. A number of prominent
men, not satisfied with the, at pres.
ent, leading candidates of the two
big parties, believe the majority Of
the people want better candidates.
If something is not done soon they are
afraid they will have no choice left on
election day but to vote for one or the
other of the present candidates, contin-
gency they dread greatly. To avoid II
they have evolved plan which the Baker
ballot law makes possible. They propose q
strong independent ticket.
Under the Baker law the party nomina-
tions must be made and filed with the Com
missioners AZ days before the election.
Five days more are allowed for other candl-
dates who can secure the signatures of
per cent of the city's voters to their petition
for place on the ticket by nomination
papers
Nominating Papers to Be Ready.
Those who are about to spring the inde-
pendent movement propose to secure the
necessary signatures without naming their
candidate until after the party nominations
are made.
If either party nominates good men the
Independents will not proceed any further
They want Mayor Gourlev nominated for
Controller, but if the Republicans put
up a COED clean business man for
Mayor and Controller Morrow will
consent to accept denomination
they will be content, provided,
Major Denniston or an equally desirable
man is named for treasurer. The same rule
will amply to the Democratic ticket But
if McKenna and McCandless are the nomi-
nees the Independents want another candi-
date. If Controller Morrow won't run they
want Gourley to take his place on the
ticket.
The scheme, as explained by DR.. c.
Evans, Select Councilman from the
Twentv-tnird ward, who is one of
its originators, is not so much to get
up new ticket as to have a club in hand
by which the two big parties will be COM
PEELED to name good men and insure a good
government.
1t is proposed to have a committee con-
sisting of one man from each Of the 36
wards of the city to decide whether the
if not to fill up the ticket
with good men. If the party tickets
have good Mavorality candidates, but are
weak for Controller or Treasurer, one of the
MayoraIity nominees will be indorsed and
the weak spot strengthened with an inde-
pendent.
1t is expected the new Industrial Alliance
movement will be of great assistance in
carrying this independent scheme into
effect. Mayor Gourley comes nearer filling
their platform, it is claimed, than
any man before the people, and
DR.. Evans says there is no doubt
but that if the Mayo is nominated for Con-
troller on an Independent ticket that ticket
would sweep the city by an overwhelming
ajorfty. The Industrial Alliance party
is growing remarkably fast, and BY the
middle of February will be in position to
back up its demands with a great show of
strength.
How the Baker Law Helps.
''The Baker law" said Dr. Evans, ''gives
great encouragement to a movement like
this. Heretofore the political bosses held
the nominations back until few DAYS be-
fore election. IF the nominees were then
not satisfactory there was too little time left
to make good fight against them. That is
why so many meritorous Independent move
ments have failed. Now, however,
more than a month will elapse between the
nominations and election. In that time a
hard fight can be made and any good man
will have chance to win. The people of
this city want good government and if the
bosses don't give them good candidates they
will insist on having an independent
ticket"