The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-03-26
City Attorney John C. Slater Decides
Against the Long Term Theory
for County Supervisors.
LOCKS HORNS WITH STURDEvAN7
State Attorney General Had Decided That
Supervisors Should Not be Elected In
Cities This Year-Many Candidates.

A contest is on between John G.
Slater, City Attorney of Kenosha, and
Attorney General Sturdevant, of the
State, in regard to the question of the
election of County Supervisors in
cities this year. The city of Kenosha
will accept the statement of its own at.
torney regardless of the view of the
matter taken by other cities. The
opinion of City Attorney Slater, which
has been filed with the City Clerk
goes into the matter at length and
takes up every legal point in the con
test.
In summing up the decision the at
torney states that he cannot but hole
that the office of County Supervisor is
county office and that the law max
ing the terms of the city officers two
years in length does not apply. The
decision the Attorney General was
directly in opposition to this view, he
holding that the supervisors were city
officials and hence entitled to election
for a term of two years.
In his opinion Attorney Slater points
out the fact that the supervisors elect
ed in the city can not be city officers
as they are allowed to be members OF
the Common Council or of the Board
of Education, but on the other hand
they are OF permitted to be deputy
sheriff or to hold any office under the
county government. The law strictly
states that no two city Offices shall be
held by the same party and the same
rule applies to county offices.
A common sense view of the ques-
ton is undoubtedly in favor of the de-
cision of Mr.. Slater and nearly every
attorney in the city is of the opinion
that the State Attorney General is at
fault. The entire State is divided on
the question of the election of super
visors and for this reason the decision
of Attorney Slater will have State
wide interest. It will go a long way
toward removing the present doubt in
regard to the law and there is no doubt
but that many cities will follow the
lead of Kenosha and order the election
of County Supervisors for the year.
The fact that these officers must be
elected in the county towns annually
seems to give a decision in favor of
the Kenosha attorney, as it would be
unfair to allow the city members of
the Board to serve for two years while
those from the rural districts had but a
single year of the services
With this decision to go by the Clerk
is preparing his notice for the city
election and he will include the super
visors in the list TO be nominate The
various city campaign committees
have all accepted the opinion and will
nominate men for the Office at the eau
cuses. Of course it is possible that
the election of the officials will result
in a legal fight, but there is little
chance of such a fight being success
full one.
Many candidates for the offices are
now beginning to loom up and there
will be no lack of material in any of
the wards. The reports brought to
the Republican city committee are
most encouraging and the committee
feels that the Republicans should sweep
the city with little hard work on the
part of the members of the party.