The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-05-16
Non Partisan Law for Cit
les Promises to Be a Pan
acea for Many Ills.
is PRAISED BY CITY LEADERS
1t Is Believed That New Law Will
Bring an End Not Only to Party Poll
tics, but Also to Fractional Divisions
in the Cities of Wisconsin.

The enactment of the city non
partisan law opens a new chapter in
the political history of Wisconsin. 1t
is the part Of wisdom to look ahead
and see precisely what effect may be
anticipated from what has been done,
and what is gained thereby.
What we have done is to seperate
CITY politics absolutely from state and
national politics. No more will Repub-
licdn, Democratic or Socialists tickets
be presented to us on our ballots at our
city (spring) elections anywhere in
Wisconsin. Our primary ballots will
know nothing of party variations.
Candidates for nomination will have
been presented by signed petitions, as
now, except that these will have no
party significance. Each candidate
may, however, state his principles in
five words, not to include the name of
national party Voters will select
from among these candidates, express
ing first and second choice. The two
candidates receiving respectively the
highest and next highest number of
votes will be the only candidates whose
names will appear on the official bal
lot at the final election; and though
voter may write another name on
the ballot, practically one or the other
of the two candidates viii receive a
majority of all the votes cast and be
elected. We shall have rule by the
majority.
Of course nobody supposes that a
mechanical method has been discover
ed which will certainly ensure good
government. Majorities may often be
wrong; minorities may be right. Ever
nal vigilance will be the price of safe
ty under the new law IS under any
other.
But city government by a faction,
and particularly by faction Of it's
own interest, is now well nigh impossi-
BILE.
Yet this does not mean, as some
have declared, that pure individualism
is to reign. The new system encour-
ages the growth Of city parties, and
even in the transition years before
such parties are formed, it may readi-
ly be believed that candidates will be
selected on the basis of what they may
be expected to accomplish in the city.
OF course if any political party seeks
to evade the spirit of the law by run
ming it's own candidates in fact but
not in name, the system will be less
successful than il all accept its pro-
visions i'm good faith; but a party that
makes such an attempt will most GER
tainly be defeated, for it will thus con-
soidate all others against it. On the
other hand, efficient members of the
party that would not be supported by
majority of voters on party CON
test, win be free from that handicap
according to the new system. Equal
opportunity is given to men Of all
parties. Certainly no candidate will
find it to his interest to limit his sup
port by evading the law. In the com
mon council, the temptation to divide
votes on party lines will be reduced
to minimum and will disappear al
together when all parties have learn
cd to accept the spirit of the law full
y. Questions will be determined upon
thcir merits; there cannot be admins
tration and administration parties.