The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-03-16
Law Given Voters Powerto Re-
move Officials is Favorably
Reported in the Assembly.
MAKES THE PEOPLE SUPREME
Under This Law, Upon Petition of the
Voters Special Election May Be
Called to Fill the Places of the
Unfaithfu1 Alderman.

In spite of considerable opposition
the assembly committee on cities has
tavorably reported and will recon-
mend for passage the law providing
for the establishment in this state of
the institution of recall as practiced
IN Los Angeles. The bill is as
follows:
Any alderman of any city may be
removed at any time by the electors
qualified to vote for successor of
such alderman. The procedure to
effect such removal shall be as fol-
lows:
A petition signed by 40 per centum
OF the entire vote for all candidates
for the Office, demanding an election
OF a successor of the person sought to
be removed, shall be filed with the
city clerk, provided that the petition
sent to the council shall contain a
general statement of the grounds for
which the removal is sought. The
signatures to the petition need not
all be appended to one paper, but
each signer shall add to his signature
his place Of residence, giving the
street and number. Five Of the
signers of each such paper shall make
oath before an officer competent to
administer oaths that the statements
therein made are true, and that each
signature to the paper appended is
the genuine signature of the person
whose name purports to be thereunto
subscribed.
Within ten days from the date of
filing such petition the city clerk
shall examine and from the great
register ascertain whether or not
said petition is signed by the re-
quisite number of qualified electors,
and if necessary, the council shall
allow him extra help for that purpose,
and he shall attach to said petition
his certificate showing the result of
said examination.
1t the petition shall be found to be
sufficient the city council shall order
and fix date for holding the said
election, not less than thirty days nor
more than forty days from the date
of the clerks certificate to the
council that sufficient petition is
filed. The city council shall make
publication of notice, and all arrange
ments for holding of such elections;
and the same shall be conducted, re-
turned and the result thereof declared,
in all respects, as are other city cleo
tons. The successors of any officer
so removed shall hold Office during
the unexpired term of his predecessor.
Any person sought to be removed
may be a candidate to succeed him
self, and, unless he requests other
wise, in writing, the clerk shall place
his name on the official ballot without
nomination.
In any such removal election the
candidate receiving the highest num-
Der of votes shall be declared elected.
At such election if some other person
than the incumbent receives the
highest number of votes, the in
cumbent shall thereupon be deemed
removed from the Office upon qualifi-
cation of his successor.
In case the party who receives the
highest number of votes should fail to
qualify within ten days after receiv-
ing notification of election, the office
shall be deemed vacant. If the in
cumbent receives the highest number
of votes, he shall continue in Office.
The original measure provided for
the election upon petition Of Is per
cent. of the voters and based on the
affidavit of charges of one man, but
this was changed to 40 per cent. of the
voters and charges sustained by five
persons.