The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1905-12-07

| nominating candidates by plurality
| vote, and suggested that provision could
be made to enable the voter mt the pri-
| mary to indicate upon his ballot his first
and second choice OF the candidates pre-
! scented for each office. In the event that
no candidate had received majority Of
! first choice votes then the second choice
| votes could be counted, resulting in
| nomination by majority vote.
This suggestion was repeated to your
| honorable body in the annual message In
! January or the present year, ana your
| best thought invoked upon the perfec-
| ton of the primary election law
Since that time the statute hns been
| given trial. Whatever of honest criti-
! cism came out Of the administration OF
! the new statute In the municipal cleo
| tons was directed against that provision
of the law which admits of plurality
nominations. 1t is 10 this section Of the
! statute that we should apply our best eff
! fort for correction. 1t Is here that the
enemies of popular government VIII di'
! rect their attack.
If the principle Of majority control
can be applied in making nominations
by direct vote at n primary election,
every man in this commonwealth Will
agree TINT it should be done. That this
can be easily attained il very apparent
upop examination We have but to turn
to the country from which we took the
Australian ballot. for our lesson, Since
1892 the clcctor there has enjoyed the
right to use what is called the "contin-
gent vote" This is simply the "order
of preference called into play to assert
the principle of election by absolute ma
iority. This plan provides a ballot upon
which the clector marks his first and
second choice or order of preference"
Where but two candidates are in tho
field there is no occasion for the exer-
else Of the second choice in order to in
sure q minority nomination, but whcrc
there are three candidates or more than
three candidates. the ballot provides OPP
portunity for the delegates to Indicate
his second choice. IT, after the ballots
nre counted. no candidate has an ahso-
lutte majority Of first choice votes, then
the ballots cast for the candidate re
cciving the least number Of votes on the
list are assorted with reference 10 second
choice for the remaining candidates.
If no one then receives majority oi
first aud second choice ballots, n similar
assortment of the ballots Of the lowest
remaining candidates is made on the ba-
ss Of second choices and added ~ the
votes Of other candidates. and 50 on IN
Ill some rnndidntc has u majority Of first
md second choice. An examination of
this subject will make il plain that un-
der this method IL will rarely be ncccs
sary TO canvass the entire second choice
vote. 10 secure q majority nomination.
This plan cffcciually prevents the lowest
or weakest candidates from getting
nomination on second choice. II accordS
10 the first choice vote its due impor-
lance over that of the second choice ana
secures to the candidate strongest with
most of the voters the ma jOrlty nUmlHa-
ton, This is simple method Of deter
mining by majority vote the nomination
Of candidate for cnch Office on the pri-
mary election ballot
To Provide a Form of Ballot.
Chapter 500 Of the laws Of 1909 pro-
vidcd for the use Of the pocket ballot and
coupon voting system. II Is doubtful If
it is In safe form to go upon the statutes
If it were to become n law.
Chapter 46r, Laws 1905.
There does not seem to he any reason
for requiring hshways To be placed in
booms and piers, A patented fshway
should not be required Mt all, unless the
owners Of the patent shall assign 10 the
state for the benefit Of it's citizens the
right 10 use such patent without cost to
them
County Aid for Bridges.
Your attention IL directed TO whnt H.
believed to be n serious defect in chimp
tor 2SS. laws Of 1908, relating 10 county
aid in building or repairing bridges
II IN provided by this act that when
lnN - ,','t, ~ 'n' ,Ti"n'S '0r me purr
l,''' W r,1i,ih ~ rn, III U' l"' 'oN' "I
a, ", WA ,,, W. ~ ,'i't.n u" IVY
,,,.,,r,,,,rt,l u, my
,y,. a,,', L,,,l.,,.' '""l nv.
from taxation, applying 10 cities aud I'M
,,yn LriJgrs ,ygs o,torEcI ''% in ES ,ugr
on The ground that il violated the pro.
visions of section !, article <, Of the con
sUiutilu, providing that the rule Of tnN.
ntiou shall bee uniform. However. thu
supreme court lu several c@sus upheld Oh,
Nw, ] uiu advised TINT th. net is Also
giving Nh" county boards uUl he district
attorney much trouble 'u account Of th"
i....' ''1,'Ii " ,'.I ~ i.r prey ,.'''.,
much trouhlr and possibly Of clpcl.n i've
litigation 'o many municipalities The
mlu'u should hr carefully revised lu a."
Iahru 'lW uuiuwu court decisions uruH
Ehn subject
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For some years, until 10" present fiscal
N"nr. tic university has received irs sup
mort IrDu tic .YuUrnl fund and money