New-York tribune., 1906-12-10

possible IN ANYTHING but a small city and
city with the town meeting traditions of New
England behind II So. even If 1t should prove
entirely successful IL would not do much toward
solving the problem of munlcipal mhsgoVernment.
The Galveston plan, which has proved notably
successful in Galveston and houston, is, of
course easily imitable by any city OF any size
and any traditions, but its adoption would be
practical admission that representative democ-
racy is not a successful form of municipal gov
ernment. The tendency in recent city charters
has been toward concentrating authority. and
the Galveston system is the extreme develop
ment of that tendency. NewpOrts charter
makers have turned their faces In the opposite
direction
The Newport charter has attempted another
municipal reform namely, prohibition of the use
of party names and emblems on the official
ballot This was for the purpose Of getting
candidates elected on their own merits and
irrespective of party connections. The attempt
to enforce nOn-partisanship by law proved at
the Newport election last week that parties are
not TO be got rid of by excluding their names
and devices from the ballot. Among the can
dldates-all of whom were put in nomination
by petition--the Municipal Association, a non
partisan body which had done much TO secure
the charter, made its selections and recon-
mended its list to the voters. Nothing was
heard OF the old parties till toward the end of
the campaign, when a citizens party" which
was at once recognized as the Democratic party,
issued circulars recommending Colonel Clarke
for Mayor and a complete list of officials. The
Republicans promptly replied, urging the cleo
ton Of Mr.. CottreII, another Of the "non-par-
tisans," for Mayor, and recommending also
complete ticket 1t seems that the Democrats
in the old partisan days had been known as
"the combine" and the Republicans felt i'm
PEELED to emerge from anonymity to prevent
the reformed city's falling again into the hands
Of "the combine" The Municipal Association
had no choice for Mayor and Colonel Clarke
was elected. OF the five Aldermen, three hav-
ing Endorsements of the Municipal Association
were elected, the other two chosen being repre-
sentatlves Of "the combine" The Municipal
Association elected 131 members Of the CO acil
Of 195 It was a substantial victory TO the
association, but not greater than the vOGers
league usually wins in the election OF Chicago's
council without the device of keeping party
names Off the ticket.
OF course, 1t is not fair TO judge of the sys-
tenn by its first years results. 1t may be that
with a few years experience the voters of
Newport will be educated up to choosing their
candidates without reference to national party
affiliations. Or, again, il may more probably
be that the parties will in the future enter the
election earlier than they did this year, NOM
mating openly complete tickets by petition, to
he generally known by the voters as the party
tickets, but to be denied the party designations
on the ballot Such omission in a state
like New York, which has party columns on
its ballot, would have an inconsiderabie effect
on party voting. In a state having some form
of the Mass ,husetts ballot with the candi-
dates names arranged alphabetically, it would
put partisanship in municipal affairs at a dis
advantage.