The daily sentinel., 1910-01-06
dates under their respective Offices

dates under their respective omces,
arranged alphabetically.
Perhaps in no election in the coun-
try was the personal element brought
out so forcibly in campaign work.
And why not? 1t was inevitable.
For no longer in Grand junction is
there to be any party designation.
The charter provides for the aboli-
tion of all parties and organizations,
and before the nominees in the unique
election were allowed to place their
names upon the ticket each was
Obliged to take oath that he was not
candidate for any clique, faction or
party nor was he interested in such
organizations because of promised
support.
Every candidate made his own
campaign on his own platform. His
pleas for votes were confined to cir
culars, canvassers and newspaper ar
ticles. There was not a campaign
rally with n flambeau club marching
down the western streets. there was
not even political speech made by
one of the candidates; but, in spite
of this fact. the fight was one OF the
bitterest in the history of Colorado
politics.
And this is the way Thomas M.
Todd won out-Todd who in the past
had been regarded as entertaining
socialist views, but whose freedom
from party affiliations was evidenced
by his being allowed on the ticket.
When the campaign began the ef-
feCts of the new system were noticed
in curious ways. Every candidat1
went about urging his friends to vote
for him alone, eliminating all second
and third choices for rival candidates,
fearing that a rival might neutralize
the value of the vote cast for himself
Herein Todd played his cards we'll
With apparently small chance OIL
being elected, with two such popular
opponents as ID. w. Aupperle. former
secretary of the Chamber of Com
merce, and w II. Bannister, one of
Grand functions big men. running,
Todd started out on his canvass.
When he was told politely that the
voter had pledged himself to another
candidate. the insistent Mr. Todd.
with humility, asked him if he might
be second choice On being informed
that the voter had pledged himself
for second. he humbly begged the
honor of being third choice. And he
surely was, but with a victorious re-
suit that made the large number of
w. II. Bannister's first-choioe votes
of no avail to him. Those little cross
es on the ballot for third choice, with
which Thomas NJ. Todd had so hum
bly, contented himself. marked the
downfall of the man who lad CLEANED
the first-choice votes OF Grand June
tion. The search for third-choice
votes, however. was not limited to
Mr.. Todd, for candidates went out in
to the highways and byways begging
those who had already decided to
vote for someone else for first choice
to give them at least second or third
choice votes.
II can be seen that the successful
candidate was not the one who had
staunch supporters voting him first
choice, but he was the one who was
the most successful in getting sup
porters of his opponent to give him
the second and third choice. 1t was
plainly the election of n candidate
by voters who preferred someone else.
When election day came, the little
metropolis of Grand Junction pre-
sented an appearance unequaled in
any of the scenes being carried on
throughout the United States. 1t was
the picture of voters walking to the
polls. There were no hacks nor car
riages, no chugging automobiles rae
ing to the voting places. Indeed not.