Evening journal., 1900-03-29
IN VOTING-

To Citizens OF Wilmington:
feel willing, while the subject OF
the revision of our city charter Is un-
der consideration. to ask the attention
of those interested to the very great
importance of endeavoring TO encour-
age by it's provisions non-partisan ac-
ticn. both on the part of the voters
in nominating and electing city oni-
GERS and on the part Of the officers
chosen.
1t seems TO me utterly impossible tol
secure and maintain fairly efficient
representative city government 50 long
as voters and officers allow considera-
tions respecting national or state po-
litical parties to control their actions
in regard to municipal affairs.
To this end-the promotion OF non
partisan action would call attention
especially to two points: the method
CT making nominations and the form
OF tickets to be used in voting. In re-
gard to these two points, different bod
les of students, who have gained much
attention lately to such questions, have
arrived at the same conclusions.
The State OF Ohio has had commits
sion consisting of two eminent juristsI
one. by the way, a democrat, and the
other a epublican-drafting a new
general law to regulate the govern
ment of the cities and villages OF that
state The proposed code is, / believe,
now before their Legislature. They
have proposed that all nominations Of
candidates for municipal offices shall
be made by separate written petitions
signed by not less than ten voters of
the district which petition shall be
| filed with the proper officer between
certain dates previous to the election.
| They provide that "any voluntary. po-
litical association or party may after
the latest date at which the officers
may receive nominating petitions, en-
dorse any person nominated but that
| II shall be unlawful for any such asso-
citation or party at any time to make
any nomination whatsoever for a mu-
nicipal Office, or to endorse any such
nomination until after the time when
nominating petitions are to be re-
ceiYed
The names OF the nominees are to
b. printed upon the ballot IN alpha
! betical order, under the name or title
OF the office. without any other desig-
nation whatever, and the voter is to
put a mark opposite the name of each
] person for whom he votes.
The National Municipal League has
for two years been working on what
is intended as a model form of mu-
Il nlcipal corporation act. At their an
nual meeting at Columbus. Ohio, few
: months since the draft prepared was
accepted.
II In this instrument IL is provided that
candidates for elective city offices shall
2 be nominated by petition signed by
!. qualified voters CT the city. The num-
Der of the signatures to such petition
shall be determined by the Council OF
the city. but no more than fifty sigma
S lures shall be required. Such petition
! shall be filled in the Office of OF the
{ mayor at least thirty days before the
date of the election; provided, how
e ever, that in the case of the death Oh
, withdrawal of any candidate so nomi-
mated, such petition may be so filed
within a less period than thirty days
i The voter must vote separately fol
. each candidate for whom he desires tC
I vote; IL the election is by ballot the
4 Council of the city shall determine
the form of ballot to be used but the
names of all candidates for the same
y Office must be printed upon the bal
lot in alphabetical order under tn,
title of such office"
II was present at all the public dis
cussiOn1 during the annual meeting o
!. the lea cue and did not hear from
member a word Of dissent from thes
4 provisions
English municipal affairs are man
. aged with wonderful efficiency as com
n pared with those of our cities. We of
! ten hear OF the admirable conduct o
l. those of Birmingham and Manchester
Il and many others do not seem TO b
a. much, II at ALL behind. My attention
Ie has been called TO those of Bolton,
Il city / believe of about the same siz
Ie as ours. We should be willing to lear
10 from them; and their systems OF nomi
D." mating and balloting are similar Z
: those proposed by the Ohio commits
sion and by the National Municipa
8 League.
1t may be supposed that this metho
II OF nominating results in their being
large number OF candidates on tn
tickets, but such is not the case. TIL
English cities are divided into larg
wards each OF which elects three coun
cilmen for terms OF three years, on
I, being chosen each year / quote IN
following paragraph from AlbeI
Shaw's book. Municipal Government
in Great Britain"
The English methods of nominal
ing and balloting as applied to parlia
IS. mentary elections have attracted n
- little attention in the United States
but the working Of these methods an
their advantages in municipal affair
have not become so familiar TO Amer
can readers. Let me first state the q.
sential feature of the nominating sy,
tenn. AT least nine day
before the election the tow
clerk causes notices to be cor
spicuously published. explaining VIII;
vacancies are TO occur and how m
nominations are to be made. The nam,
OF candidates must be left at II
clerks office. inscribed uDon. ofici
blanks, week before the election. A
companying each name must be n
signature of a 'proposer,' 'secondel
Is and eight other citizens. Only su,
persons as have have nominated
n this WQV NAV hn tfot.I g..