Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-12-13

ing the valuation of the general property
of the state.
All doubt in the present law as to the
authority of the commission to assess
the property not upon the local tax rolls,
should be removed. But it is manifestly
unjust that the commission. when in
creaslng the valuation of the property of
the state should, by SO doing, impose ad-
dltlonal burdens upon classes of property
already assessed at full value, and upon
counties which have fully returned all
taxable property, in compliance with the
statute In other words, it seems clear
that ID adding to the assessed valuation.
the commission should sub-divde and
distribute such increases, showing the
nature and location of the property upon
which the increases have been made in
order to insure just valuation of ali
property and an equitable distribution of
the tax burden.
Nominations by Direct Vote.
L called attention to the objection to
nominating candidates by a plurality
vote, and suggested that provision could
be made to enable the voter at the pri-
mary to Indicate upon his ballot his first
and second choice of the candidates pre-
sented for each Office. In the event that
no candidate had received a majority of
hrst choice votes then the second choice
votes could be counted, resulting in a
nomination by majority vote.
Ibis suggestion was repeated to your
honorable body in the annual message in
January Of the present year, and your
best thought invoked upon the perfec-
ton Of the primary election law.
Since that time the statute has been
given a trial. Whatever of honest criti-
cism came out Of the administration of
the new statute in the municipal cleo
lions was directed against that provision
Of the law which admits of plurality
nominations. It is to this section of the
statute that we should apply our best eff
fort for correction. 1t is here that the
enemies of popular government will di-
rect their attack.
If the principle of majority control
can be applied in making nominations
by direct vote at a primary election,
every man in this commonwealth will
agree that it should be done. That this
can be easily attained is very apparent
upon examination. We have but to turn
to the country from which we took the
Australian ballot, for our lesson. Since
1892 the elector 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
jority. This plan provides a ballot upon
which the elector marks his first and
Where but two candidates are in the
field there is no occasion for the exer-
else of the second choice in order to in
sure majority nomination, but where
there are three candidates or more than
three candidates. the ballot provides op-
portunity for the delegates to indicate
his second choice. If, after the ballots
are counted, no candidate has an abso-
lutte majority of first choice votes, then
h. I1o1 H.
ceiving the least number of votes on the
list are assorted with reference to second
choice for the remaining candidates.
IT no one then receives a majority of
first and second choice ballots, similar
assortment of the ballots of the lowest
remaining candidates is made on the ba-
sis of second choices and added to the
votes of other candidates, and SO on I'M
til some candidate has a majority of first
and second choice. An examination of
this subject will make it plain that I'M
der this method it will rarely be neces-
sary to canvass the entire second choice
vote. to secure a majority nomination.
This plan effectually prevents the lowest
or weakest candidates from getting a
nomination on second choice. 1t accords
to the first choice vote its due impor-
lance over that of the second choice and
secures to the candidate strongest with
ton. This is q simple method of deter
mining by majority vote the nomination
of candidate for each office on the pri-
mary election ballot.
To Provide a Form of Ballot.
Chapter 522 of the laws of 1905 pro-
vided for the use of the pocket ballot and
coupon voting system. 1t is doubtful if
it is in safe form to go upon the statutes
II it were to become a law.
Chapter 461, Laws 1905.
There does not seem to be any reason
for requiring fshways to be placed in
booms and piers. A patented fishway
should not be required at all, unless the
owners of the patent shall assign to the
state for the benefit of it's citizens the
right to use such patent without cost to
them.
County Aid for Bridges.
Your attention is directed to what is
believed to be serious defect in chap
ter 2SS, laws of 1905, relating to county
aid in building or repairing bridges,
1t is provided by this act that when
tax is levied by the county for the pur
pose Of paying it's portion of the cost of
the construction Of such bridges no lew
shall be made upon the property in any
city or incorporated village that main
tains it's own bridges. This exception
from taxation, applying to cities and in
cOrporated villages maintaining their
own bridges was attacked in the courts
on the ground that it violated the pro-
visions OF section 1, article 8, of the con
stitution, providing that the rule of tax
alton shall be uniform. However, the
supreme court in several cases upheld the
law. / am advised that the act is also
giving the county boards and the district
attorney much trouble on account of the
uncertainty of some of it's provisions,
This confusion will be productive of
much trouble and possibly of expensive
litigation to many municipalities. The
statute should be carefully revised in the
light of the supreme court decisions upon
the subject.
Grain and Warehouse Commission.
At the last session, the Legislature en-
acted chapters 10 and 317, creating q
grain and warehouse commission for the
state of Wisconsin, and providing for
licensing and regulating warehouses and
elevators and for the storage, weighing
and inspection of grain in the city Of
Superior, and conditionally at other
points in said state.
I would recommend that the act be
carefully considered, and such amend
ments thereto enacted as will make the
legislative intent clear, and afford a RENE