The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-28

President Hall relative to the election
of aldermen.
President Hall reviewed the history OF
minority representation legislation al
some length, and then quoted from g
tabulated statement, showing the sys-
TENS OF government in Massachusetts
and New England cities. Boston, North
| Adams and Worcester were the only
cities where minority representation
was in vogue, and in neither of these
cities was there any satisfaction with
the system. Continuing, the president
gave his objections TO the system as
follows:
Its constitutionality is doubted for the
reason that nine aldermen are in fact
elected, and Is voter is deprived Of his
prerogative of voting for the entire nine
and is represented by three men in
whom he had no choice of selection.
The law was conceived in partisan
spirit and not from bona ftde desire
to promote pure politics.
! Under it's working the accident of
name alphabetical chance Il call III
may give one candidate equally good
as another, a disadvantage by forcing
him to the bottom of the ticket.
The system Is too difficult, compli-
Gated, and indistinct. Voting by frac-
lions, for q part of the board, the bal
ance to be selected with the voter de-
prived of either positive or negative
power ought not to be the American
way of selecting a full quota of repre-
sentatiVes.
All parties and combinations of men
are entitled to have q place on the
ballot, interningled one with the other.
This invites an element of chance,
which is not possible under the system
suggested in my order.
1t permits the selection of all candi-
dates from the same ward or locality
In practice, however, each ward selects
a candidate and six are nominated in
convention. Under the proposed system
each ward will in fact and by law select
its own alderman.
Neither party has ever carried out
the spirit and intent of the law, and
nominated nine candidates, leaving the
right of selection of six to the voters.
So that In fact the majority party in
the board is really selected by its party
convention and the voters must agree
with the conventions choice or not
vote.
1t is an experiment for which there
is absolutely no precedent, and Is in
harmony with no known rule of civil
government.
1t weakens the entire political
strength of the majority party by one
third, still leaving the entire respon-
sibility-three-th irds-with the major
ity party, putting no responsibility up
on the minority party.
1t is not an Improvement over the
old system and gives the minority no
substantial additional representation.
No city council. board of trade,
corporation, business organization,
han1r np1itiCaI ma rtW pIIIb creed
nationality, or combination of men
whatever, Of any nature, kind or
description, so far IS Worcester is
concerned, ever petltioned, sug-
gested or limited even in the mildest
manner that the law was wanted,
or that an opportunity to vote up
on it's merits should be granted.
1t was indeed a gratuity. 1t sprung
from the darkness If night like a
pirate ship from the fog; itself the
pirate, it's alleged virtues the fog.
In every locality where it has been
tried any length of time it has been
repealed school committeeman in
Philadelphia aldermen in New York
aldermen in Everett and is in vogue in
its entirety only in the cities of Boston
and Worcester, in each place giving
dissatisfaction, and North Adams,
where it has been tried only since
1896.
I have stated objections to the pres
ent system. / am sincere in my eff
fort I am not trying to deprive any
party of an advantage. 1 want the
best, and I suggest a method which
has been tried and worked well. The
objections to the present system are
not all mine. II have gathered a posie
from other mems flowers, and nothing
but the thread that binds them is
mine own" We want Worcester to
lead to have the best, so that she will
be not only the Heart of the Common