Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-04-08
NON-P
PRIMARY
ELECTIONS
Candidates For City Offices
Should Be Named al N0Ini-
mating Primaries.

1dllnq primaries.
In Grand Rapids an interesting
experiment has taken place. Three
or four years ago a library commits
sion Was established. all candidates
were nominated by petition and
named upon the ballot without re-
terence to party. The five who re-
ceived the highest votes were elect
ed. That plan worked very we'll,
and most excellent library COM
mission was obtained.
So a year or two later, the prin-
ciple was applied to the Board Of
Education, and it worked extreme
ly we'll with that board, altho the
election was held at the same time
as the municipal election but with
a separate ballot and a separate bal
lot box. This was the system:
The hundred voters petitioning for
the nomination of certain man
obtained the placing Of that mans
name upon the ballot; and in the
first election there were forty-four
candidates for the nine places. but
the result was Board of Educa-
ton which could not have been i'm
proved upon it the Civic Club itself
had had the choice of the men.
AS a result Of the experiment,
some of the citizens of Grand Rap
ids thought it would be good plan
to apply the system still further, to
all the offices of the city govern
ment. Prior to this, a new charter
had been obtained in which were
two clauses providing for an op-
tional referendum on ordinances
and franchises and also an advisory
initiative. There was provision,
too, for charter amendment. BY
making use Of this advisory initia-
tive a non-partisan election COM
mittee was formed, it's members be-
ing five democrats, five republicans
and one prohibitionist. They
drafted charter amendment to
provide non-partisan primary elec-
lions in place of the regular party
primary with the direct nomination
system. The provision simply was
that there should be joint primary
election in place of two party pri-
mary elections, and the names of
all candidates for all city offices to
be filed upon petition, these names
to be printed upon the ballot with
out reference to party. Further,
the two men receiving the highest
votes in the primary election were
to be named upon the official bal.
lot Of the general municipal cleo.
tion without either party name OF
party designation at any stage oil
the game.
This question of the amendment
was submitted to the voters Of
Grand Rapids at the same election
in which a Governor was chosen
Just as many citizens voted upo1
the amendment as voted for cover
nor Of Michigan, and the PROPOSE
ton was carried with vote O:
three to one in it's favor. Ever,
Iprecinct in Grand Rapids, which
was republican, voted in favor O.
absolute elimination of the part,
system from the nomination AM
, election Of municipal officers.
, Then the charter amendment wa
sent to the state Legislature witt
; the official request of the city tina
it be adopted. The men who wer,
) elected to the legislature at tn
same time were party henchmen O
a low order, and they let it b
known that they did not purpose t.
! 60 to any trouble to pass the amend
t ment. In the end the legislator
= refused to pass the amendment.
There was strong movement j
other cities for the adoption of thi
proposition after Grand Rapids ha
7 approved of it by popular vote be
fore the legislature was elected, bu
of course the other cities made n
more progress than Grand Rapids
However, this demand is bound
be granted.