The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-09-20
Mayor Proposes to Take Upon Himself the Unau- thorized Task of Picking Watchers and Ballot Box Attendants.
 Says He'll Name Republi- cans and Democrats (?) But No Representation Is to Be Accorded to Social ists or Progressives- Hasn't Had Time to Se- lect His Men Yet, He Says

called at this office and left for in- sertion Approximation of the form of ballot which he proposes shall be used in his specially conducted little bonding debt erection next Tues day, Sept. 24 from noon until pm. The style of ballot is shown on page of today's issue of this news paper.
 The Mayor when asked who the elec- tion officers were going to be, replied that he had not selected them, yet. Are they going to be all members of one party ?'' he was asked. His he would pick Republicans and Dem foorats.
 Are the Socialists or Prosressives to be recognized ?' was the next query put to the Mayor.
 .-Now you are getting facetious," he replied, and then he said that he would select the men and they would include Democrats and Republicans.
 The mayor said he was in a hurry to get away and it. was not possible to further question him with respect to the secrecy with which ha has aur- rounded the whole pFoposFtfon, to plunge the city into millions Of dolia rs of debt for ..inaproy euleIt s1ssii;s aass51e and his sponsors ,se fit to eharacterize them.
 Mayor Clifford B. Wilson, by his secrecy. and the extraordinary nature particle of public confidence which might attach to the special election. which he has called, to consider charter amendments to increase his own power, and bonding measures that will place millions in his hands to spend.
 his immediate packers in the admin istration-is so stron~~ in these meas ures. that decent regard for public opinion. and 3 Knowledge of huIna n nature, should have prevented him from having anything to do with the actual control of the election, ma It seems almost impossible that the Mayor should not have seen that it would be in the highest degree pro- vocative Of public suspicion, if he should manage this election.
 Not only has he assumed these Functions of management, but he has thrown aside every usual precaution that shelters the ballot.
 The registrars of voters-who rep resent both partiesEwho have always heretofore made the arrangements for elections have been set aside Voting machines, with which the citizens are familiar have been push ed aside for an unfamiIiar method of voting.
 There is nothing whatever to in sure an honest ballot, or to prevent unlimited ballot box stuffing. There is everything to cast doubt upon the result of the ballot.
 The whole proceeding is extraordi- nary; without precedent in Connecti-
 That he who has the greatest in terest in the outcome of ballot should arrange that ballot, destroy lot box. select the workers in the voting places devise an unusual means of voting, keeping that means election. is something nobody would have believed could happen in a re-
 Yet it: has happened.
 The whole proceeding is utterly. hopelessly and wretchedly illegal. It IS the shadow of an election.
 Nevertheless the people are confront participate in it, or they will be con fronted by a claim that there was an actual & expression z of public opinion, which will be used upon the next Gen eral Assembly to the injury of Bridge port and it's citizens.
 The best thing to do is to go to the polls Tuesday, between 12 and p. m., and vote s'No' in such numbers that only the most outrageous tampering can bring about an affirmative ballot.
 The people of Bridgeport do not care to go in debt to build bridges for the Connecticut Company, nor to spend millions for sewer system which has oeen aDan0Oned by -ltS own sponsors, the engineers who prepard it and the committee who recommended it.
 Gro to the polls on Tuesday and vote sfNo."
 That ''No' will mean that referen- dum elections in Bridgeport must henceforth be conducted in such manner as to demand respect and en- title confidence.
 Vote "tNO.''
 A .'No'' vote, up and down the line, is demand for a legal election, legal ly conducted, with the safeguards that insure an honest ballot and a real ex- pression of public opinion.