The Detroit times., 1910-08-03
POLITICAL BOSSES
ARE PUT TO R0UT
How Grand Junction Elects Men Who
Will Garry Out the viii of
a. the Majority.
BY q. r. ouRLEY.

GRAND JUNCTlON, Col, Aug. -
The preferential" system of cleo
tions. provided for By Grand juno
tons new city charter, is worked out
on the basic theory that majority
OF the voters must show a preference
for some one candidate. II rests on
the theory that the man to whose
election majority assents is the
choice of the community, rather than
the man who receives the votes OF a
plurality as their first choice, butwho
may be wholly repugnant TO a major
ity OF the citizens
In the nominations. party politics
arc eliminated. Candidates are nam
ed by petition signed by. so voters.
The names go upon the ballot In al
phabefical arrangement, without any
designation as to politics. religion,
race of previous condition or servi-
tude." Tie aim is to bar partican
considerations altogether.
Under this systemf, every voter
casts a ballot for the man who rep
resents his first choice. He can then
register his preference. from among
the other candidates, as to the man
he would prefer. should his first Sc
itCtiOH fiHil ID ICttANt ~ thulOiity VA
first choice" votes A third choice
enables him TO register his assent to
the election Of one of the other can
didates, limiting his whole number
of votes TO one less than the total
number of candidates.
Highest Majority Decides.
When the votes are counted, IL no
one candidate has received a major
ity OF all first choice votes cast. the
lowest candidate is dropped, and the
second choice votes for each candi-
date are added To his first choice"
vote. IL this addition gives major
ity OF the totni vote 10 any one can
didate. he is declared elected.
Ii this still fails TO SNOW a majority,
the lowest or the second count Is
dropped and the third choices are
added TO the total of the ,rst and Sec
ond. AS mathematical proposition,
some one candidate MUST receive a
,lapority on this count, and the high
est majority determines the election.
Under this system, every citizen
Is allowed the widest expression OF
his wishes. We find the common basis
on which the mapority will unite. Our
offitials o.ust go into office with the
consent--not the partican adherence
--of majority of the people says
James w. Bucklin, who drafted the
charter. o.. sssss-s~r
Where but two candidates ARE run
ming for office. the second and third
choices are of course eliminated.
When there are but three candidates,
onlv second choice is registered.
al IN rho
charter fight through it's various
stages. The big interests were always
against the charter, but the people
finally won. Then, having failed to
stop the progress of reform. the ma
chine resorted 10 the old trick OF at
tempting TO choose It's servants TO
enforce" it, to nullify its provisions
ard d, appropriate its power.
The old method OF playing upon the
preiudices of it's enemies was used.
The charter fights had developed nu-
rinerous prominent leaders. To each OF
these was whispered the ambition to
be mayor.
The result was that four OF the men
who had been prominent in the night
for the charter we're nominated under
the petition system.
The machine put in nomination as
its candidates, w. Fl. Bannister. a
business man, whose record was one
OF fidelity TO the old regime. Later
II induced working man, named
Lutes. to permit the use OF his name.
But at the election the machine cen
tered on Bannister.
The friends of the charter were
divided. as expected Aupperle. prom
inent in church affairs, drew the
largest vote. Todd, Socialist, back
ed by large portion of the union
labor element, was second In favor.
with Slocomb, the representative OF
the extreme prohibition sentiment.
third. and Tough. newcomer, last
among its fayors.
There were 1893 votes cast for
mayor. II took 600 to elect under this
majority rule.
Machine Candidate Leads.
Bannister the machine candidate,
got 603 on the first ballot, with Lutes.