Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-09
THE CITIZENS TICKET MOVE
MENT,

THE CITIZENS TICKET MOVE
MENT.
Previous to every city election
there is always more or less talk
about a. citizens ticket. This year,
there SENS to be little more tnan
usual of that kind of sentiment. HOW
ever, there are a great many Things
that should be taken into considera-
ton before reaching a decision IN
favor of such a movement. Some
times. communities have found that
thew had a great deal of trouble after
their citizens ticket was elected.
There are discussions that arise, about
an equal distribution and generally
the officers who are elected on a
citizens ticket find that they are up
against problem OF trying TO satisfy
all the political parties, while those
elected by a regular party organize
ton only have TO make good for one
side.
To nominate citizens ticket must
necessarily keep some Republicans
who want place on that ticket, off
of it. They may be men who have
been working for years for law and
order and good government To NOM
mate a~citizens ticket means that
these men must be told to step aside
to give places for men of another
party.
The Democratic party in city cleo
lions in Ottumwa stands for civic
violation The Republican party in
4 Ottumwa stands for civic regulation. A
great many Republicans prefer to
i xI,,> al Inn
cans won't vote for a Republican who
stands for law enforcement, by what
line OF logic can it be reasoned that
they will vote for q, Democrat who
stands for law enforcement, even> if
his name is on a citizens ticket?
1t is stated by the advocates Of the
citizens ticket (and it is a fact) that
Democratic administrations in the
past have not tried to enforce the law.
If the. Republican administrations
could be charged with the same
laxity in this respect, then there might
be cause for q citizens ticket. But it
must be remembered that Ottumwa
has had only three Republican mayors
In the last 25 years.
y
The citizens ticket is generally the
court of last resort in civic affairs and
a measure of that kind is adopted only
after all party organizations have been
tried and have neglected to live up to
the oath they take to enforce the
state and municipal laws.
The people of Ottumwa are re-
sponsible for the conditions that have
existed in the city. For many years,
the issue in every city election has
been clearly defined The Republican
candidates have stood for law en-
forcement and the Democratic candi-
dates have stood for the open town.
Neither side made any attempt to
deceive the people in the least Both
parties were open and above board in
their positions. 1t was clearly up to
the. voter to decide which he wanted.
and he did so. For about seven years
previous to the election of ex-Mayor
Suits, Ottumwa was as wide open
town as could be found in the United
States. During part of that time, it
was one of about q. dozen cities in the
whole country which allowed public
boxing matches and one Of the few
cities that allowed open gambling
houses to run absolutely unmolested.
and many OF the saloons paid practi-
cally no attention to the laws regulat-
ing the hours OF closing. The most
elaborate bawdy houses were on Main
street and all Of them sold liquors
These we're the conditions that the
people voted for, and while that CON
dition existed they voted for them
again and again.
After an extended period of that
kind of a reign. a city election demon
strated that there were seventy-two
more men in Ottumwa who wanted
the law enforced than wanted a con
: tinuance of the above conditions. and
by that small margin Mayor Suits
was elected. The result was that
gambling was greatly restricted.
many of the gamblers left town, the
bawdy houses moved off of Main
street and some of the most notorious
proprietresses moved away. The
saloons were compelled to more near,
ly conform to the laws and the rattle
of the slot machines lived only in the
memory of the suckers Business con.
ditions were improved and the mer-
chants We're enabled to collect some
bills of old standing.
But at the first opportunity to make
change in matters it was shown that
nearly 500 more men in s,Ottumwa
voted for an open town than voted for
law enforcement
fhat was not because one was rep.
resented by a Republican ticket and
one by Democratic ticket
The reason that Ottumwa goes on
record as endorsing the open town is
simply because a great majority of
those who do vote Tor it either DONE
realize or wont realize the great
amount of sin and desolation and
hunger and lawlessness that a wide
open town causes
Political parties and organizations.
are necessary part of the govern
ment. The fundamental basis of the
organizations OF the two dominant par