The sun., 1900-03-29
NON-PARTISAN METHODS
IN CITY ELECTIONS

To THE CITIZENS OF WILMINGTON:
I feel willing, while the subject OF the
revision of our city charter is under con-
sideration, to ask the attention OF those
interested to the very great Importance
of endeayoring 10 encourage by its pro-
visions non-partisan action, both ON the
Tart of the voters in nominating and
electing city officers and on the part OF
the officers chosen.
It seems to me utterly impossible to
secure and maintain fairly efficient rep
reseI tative city government SO long as
voters and officers allow considerations
respecting national or state political par
ties to control their actions in regard to
municipal affairs.
To this end--the promotion OF nom
partisan action--I would call attention
especially to two points-the method of
making nominations and the form OF
tickets to be used in voting. In regard
to these two points, different bodies OF
students, who have given much attention
lately to such questions, have arrived at
the same conclusions.
The State Of Ohio has had commits
sion consisting of two eminent iurists-
one, by the way, Democrat and the
other epuhican--drafting a new gen
eral law to regulate the government of
the cities and villages of that State. The
proposed code is, | believe, now before
their Legislature. Thew have proposed
that all nominations OF candidates for
municipal offices shall be made by sepa-
rate written petitions signed by not less
than ten voters of the district, which Pc
tition shall be filed with the proper Off
Ger between certain dates previous to the
election. They provide that 'sany vol
r,plftinai aaooptatinn moi ri U
may" after the latest idea at which the
officers may receive nominating petit
tions, endorse any person nominated,
but that it shall be unlawful for any
such association or party at any time to
make any nomination whatsoever for
municipal officer, or to endorse any such
nomination until after TIE time when
nominating petitions are to be received.
The names of the nominees are to be
printed upon the ballot in alphabetical
order, under the name or title OF the
office, without any other designation
whatever, and the voter is to put mark
opposite the name of each person for
whom he votes.
The National Municipal League has for
two years been working on what is in
tended as model form of Municipal
Corporation Act. At their annual meet
ing at Columbus, Ohio, few months
since, the draft prepared was accept.
ed. In this instrument it is provided
that
Candidates for elective city offices
''shall be nominated by petition signed
''by qualified voters OF the city. The
t'number of the signatures to such peti
''tion shall be determined by the Coun
Sell of the city, but no more than fifty
signatures shall be required. Such pc
t'tition shall be filed in the office of The
mayor at least thirty days before the
''date OF the election; provided, how
"ever, that in the case of the deatl
or withdrawal of any candidate 81
nominated, such petition may be Z,
filed within less period thai
''thirty days. The voter must vot
separately for each candidate for whom
i'he desires to vote; if the election is b.
''balot the Council of the city shall dc
''termine the form of ballot to be used
''but the names of all candidates for th
''same office must be printed upon tn
''ballot in alphabetical order under tn
f'title OF such office"
/ was present at all the public discut
sions during the annual meeting of III
league and | did not hear from an
member word of dissent from thes
provisions.
English municipal affairs are manage
with wonderful efficiency as compare
with those OF our cities. We often hea
of the admirable conduct Of those
Birmingham and Manchester, and man
others do not seem to be much, If at al
behind. My attention has been calle
to those of Bolton, city / believe
about the same size as ours. We shoul
be willing to learn from them; and the
systems of nominating and ballotng a.
similar TO those proposed by the Oh
commission and by the National Munic
pal League.
II may be supposed that this methc
OF nominating results in their being
large number of candidates on the tic
cts, but such is not the case. Tne En-
lish cities are divided into large ward
each of which elects three councilme
for terms of three years, one beir
chosen each year. quote the followil
paragraphs from Albert Shaw's boo
nMunicipal Government in Gre
aThe English methods OF nominatio
land blllutlng as applied to pariamel
"tary elections have attracted no litt
attention in the United States; but I'll
working OF these methods, and the
advantages in municipal affairs, ha'
''not become 80 familiar to America
"readers. Let me first state the essenti
features of the nominating syst em.
''least nine days before the election, Il
town clerk causes notice to be conspic
''ously published, explaining what va
''ancies are to occur and how the nom
''nations are to be made. The names
candidates must be left at the clerk
'office, inscribed upon official blanks,
week before the election. Accompan
sing each name must be the signature
"a 'proposer,' 'seconder,' aud eig
s'other citizens 0lly such persons
-'bave been nominated in this way M
''be voted for. Nominations being
in the list is at once printed and CO