The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-21

ordinances and other notices must be
published in the Official Gazette,
which is distributed free of charge.
The mayor has no veto power.
The charter provides for the initia-
tive and the referendum and the re-
call Fifteen per cent of the vote is
required to recall any commissioner
who has been remiss or unsatisfactory
in his duty.
The system of ~oting for the com
missioner is ingenious. Twenty-Five
electors may nominate candidate by
taking an oath that they desire to
vote for him
The ballot contains the names of
all the candidates in alphabetic order,
followed by spaces marked for first.
second and third choice The voters
mark 10 crosses on the ballot. voting
Tor five men as first choice, five others
as second choice and five as third
choice. However, they may vote for
third choice the entire list after elimi-
mating first and second choice.
The majority OF ali votes cast elects
/ on the first choice. Then the votes
/ for the candidates, who are nnsuc-
cessful In the first choice column and
are in the second choice column, are
counted to select the rest II FIVE can
didates having majority of first and
second choice votes are not elected,
the votes of the third choice are count
ed with the stragglers of the other
two and the third choice selections
| fill out the five, The third choice men
are selected by simple majority.
The Spokane plan varies from all
| others by making the contest free
for all and not designating the Office
sought. There were 81 candidates at
/ the beginning of the recent campaign
/ Three declined to make the race and
! two withdrew just before election. 1t
| provides that candidates must not
spend more than $3.50 during the cam
paign also making it compulsory to
! submit an itemized statement of ex-
( penditures. and no paid workers. car
/ riages or other conveyances are per-
/ mitted on election day.
/ Party lines are absolutely obliter-
ated and personalities are eliminated.
The cadidate must take oath that he
4 represents no political party in the
/ election nor any special interests
! Spokane did not win its new govern
ment without a series OF stubbornly-
fought battles. Late last fall Mayor
Pratt, democrat working with re-
publican council, composed of legis-
latiye and administrative branches, in
formally appointed committee of
business men to prepare charter I'M
der the commission form The draft
was presented TO the city council
three months afterwards, but the =.
i representatives paid little or no at
tention TO &C.
A petition, signed b. more than 80
per cent of the voters. was then sub
mitted to the council This urged the
appointment of 3 freeholders TO
formulate charter The council
granted the request after some delay
and eight business men. five repre-
sentatiyes of union labor and two law.
yers were selected This committee
embodied in charter some OF the
best features of 100 plans in opera
ton in the United States and sub
mitted its work to the people, who
adopted it by an overwhelming vote
, at an election on December -, 1910.
Proceedings for injunction were in
. stituted in the Spokane county super
Tor court afterward The people were
sustained, but that did not clear this
field, An appeal was taken 10 the gu
preme court of Washington, the 81,
judges Of which handed down join
. opinion, unfolding the legality OF tn
!. charter election
:,