Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-05-03

may be made, will obviate this difficulty,
1t might be we'll also to provide that presi-
dental electors should be nominated here
after by the members of the PLATFORM con.
yention of each party instead of by the
delegates to the national conventions.
The foregoing suggestions cover all that
was intended to be included in this specifi-
cation of the call at the time it was issued
But during the past few days a persistent
and general demand has been made for the
enactment of non partisan election bills for
the city and county of Milwaukee; and the
subject has aroused so much public interest
that l feel / should not pass it by unno-
ticed.
In recent years there has been stead v
growth of sentiment here and elsewhere in
favor of non partisan city elections This
development is based fundamentally on the
fact that many of the functions of city adj
ministration have to do with neighborhood
affairs and the business interests of in
dividual communities as distinguished from
governmental policies or the exercise of
delegated state authority. Hence it is
claimed that the issues that divide political
parties in the state and nation have at best
only remote relation to the problems of To-
cal government. The experiment moreover
has been tried and seems to work well.
Prompted by these views and encour-
aged by this experience the people of Mil
waukee have repeatedly tried to secure the
nactment OF law that Will permit non
introduced in the legislatures of 1909 and
1911 and was strongly supported. 1t failed
OF enactment at both sessions. But public
sentiment in Milwaukee during the recent
municipal campaign nevertheless persuaded
the TWO principal political parties of the
state to foregO making nominations and
to unite by means of imprevised eXpedients
IN support of non partisan city ticket.
These expedients were extra-legal, crude
ana unsatisfactory, and subjected the city
to all the dangers of selfish manipulation
ana ring rule. But the sentiment in favor
or non partisan elections was strong
enough to induce the people to overlook
these drawbacks and even to approve the
rough and ready methods that were en-
ployed.
The people of Milwaukee now ask that
they be relieved of the necessity of again
reSorting to such devices; and they will
present at this session request for the
bill. Those of you who entertain doubt as
to the wisdom of the principle of non
partisanship in city elections should con-
slider that the question is no longer wheth-
er or not Milwaukee should have non parti-
san elections. 1t is rather whether such
elections and the making of nominations
leading up to them shall hereafter be con-
Quoted openly or clandestinely; by the
many or by the few; pursuant to lawful
authority exercised in an orderly way so
every one may have an equal voice or by
manipulation in the interests of those who
have an axe to grind Milwaukee has her.
self already decided the other question.
1t is true that strictly speaking this is
not an emergency measure. Before another
municipal election Will De 0elu IN MllWaus
kee there will be a regular session of the
legislature at which this bill might be con-
sidered. 1t is true also that this subject
was not thought of when the call for this
special session was made. But some of the
language of the call appears nevertheless
to be broad enough to include it. So the
problem is here Believing as l do in non
partisan city elections | recommend the
enactment of this legislation at the present
time.
Springing from the same source as the
city bill, and backed in part by the same
sentiment. but not supported as it seems
to me by the same logic, is de-
mand also for the enactment of a nom
partisan election bill for the county of
milwaukee,. This proposal 1 cannot en-
dorse. Unlike city. county is es.
sentially an administrative subdivision
of the state. It's officers as a rule exercise
state functions only. comparison of the
duties of the district attorney of the county
and the attorney general of the state, of the
clerk of the circuit court and the clerk of
the supreme court, of the county clerk and
the secretary of state, of the county treas
urer and the state treasurer will satisfy
any one that county government is only a
subdivision of state government established
for convenience in administration The sher-
if and coroner are indeed the principal
executive officers of the state as well as of
the county. This being true non partisan
ship in county elections cannot be advo-
Gated logically or consistently without de-
clar1ng also for non partisan elections in
latter.
Another insuperable obstacle in the way
of non partisan county elections arises
from the circumstance that county officers
are elected in the fall on general election
day. Then not only county officers, but
members of the legislature, state officers
members of congress and the president and
vice president of the United States are
chosen 1t is the one day in all the year
that is openly and frankly partisan, for
the government of this country is a gov
eminent by parties How at such an cleo
ton it is expected that non partisanship in
respect to county offices can be perma-
nently maintained is not explained. For
one | do not think it possible. If, recog-
nizing this incongruity, it be proposed to
change the time of county elections to the
spring so as to permit county officers to be
chosen at the same time city, school and
judicial officers are elected. the obvious an
sWer is that this cannot be done by pass
ing statute and so to amend the consti-
tuition will not alter the nature of the func-
tons county officials perform nor the char
acter of the county itself as an administra-
tive subdivision of the state. So long as
state elections are partisan, county cleo
lions will be so also.