The Detroit times., 1909-12-13
ADOPTS ADVANCED
MUNICIPAL PLAN
Colorado Town Has Remarkable
Awakening Intended To Purify
Politics and Promote Popular
Government.

The people of Grand Junction. the
largest city on the western slope of
the Rockies, between Denver and
Salt Lake, believe that they have
discovered a method To deliver last
ing knockout blow to organized
gan" politics.
They have adopted and just held
the first election under the preferen.
tial or choice" system of voting. I'm
der this system an elector can vote
for a variety Of candidates for the
same Office.
AS a result of theirf fist election,
said TO be the only election of its kind
ever held i'm America, they have elect
cd Thos. NJ Todd mayor. In his home
town he is recognized as leading
citizen. wealthy lumber merchant
and fancy fruit farm owner. He is a
man OF conservative principles and
the city expects TO grow swiftly un-
der his administration. His first act
was to revamp the police department.
Las April the citizens of Grand
Junction, after going through a bitter
local option campaign, declared for Il
dry" city. Twelve saloons went out
of business. Fearful however, that
sentiment change, the temperance
people put the question OF calling a
charter convention TO the people. The
voters determined TO call the conven.
ton and revise the city's organic law
The convention consisted OF 81 citi.
Zens, seven OF whom were union labor
men, one a lawyer. three bankers,
end the remaining 10 business men.
There was not an office holder or pol
itician in the body.
offers Advanced System.
The convention was In session so
days When it reported to the people
1t offered an advanced system of mu.
nicipal control in America. The in
itiative and referendum, the recall,
civil service, bank guaranty for city
deposits. the elimination OF all parti.
san politics. and the prohibition of the
saloon were among its provisions. 1t
also provided for the new preferen.
tial system of voting and the commits
sion form of city government. Five
commissioners run the city, each de.
voting his whole time to the work and
being elected for four years. No city
work. can be -dnna. bx~en1tEAetl watch
eliminates a powerful Source of graft
All franchises must be voted on by the
people before going into effect. No
public service company can have n
monopoly of any street or alley All
public service companies are subject
to rigid regulation and all franchises
are revokable.
The charter was adopted by the peo-
ple by a vote OF to |.
The preferential system OF voting
combines the direct primary with the
general election and does away with
the cumbersome second election as is
necessary in Los Angeles, Berkeley,
Cal. and Colorado Springs. Any citi-
zen who will take an oath that he is
of good moral character" can be a
candidate for any office if he will file
with the city clerk a petition signed
by % electors. Tn this petition ne
also takes oath that he is NOT the
candidate of any political party. COM
mittee or organization. He limits HIM
self to the use of but one carriage on
election day. and this carriage can
only be used to care for sick and In
firm voters. Should he violate any OF
these pledges he -ferfeits Office If
elected.
Under the preferential system the
voter can vote for as many candi-
dates as there are running for any oil
f,ce save one. If FIVE candidates are
running for mayor he can vote for
four OF them. He selects his FIRST
choice; then he picks his second
choice. For third choice he can vote
for as many OF the remaining candi'
dates as he chooses SAVE ONE.
n no candidate receives plurality
of the votes on the first choice count
the candidate receiving the lowest
number of votes drops out, and TO the
erst choice vote OF each OF the re.
naming candidates is added the sec
ond choice votes, II no candidate has
q plurality the third choices are ADDED
to each candidates total and a maJor-
ity vote then elects.
In the first election held under this
plsn. Todd received but third or the
first choices. but on second and third
choices received about 20 per cent or
the vote cast. This elected him over
Ave other contestants.
The system is being watched with
great interest by many cities planning
Ia adopt the commission system OF
oitv government The state OF Idaho
will use this system in its state cleo
lions for the first ime. mex NoVem-
Der.