Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-05-03

by extending the time in which the canvass
may be made, will obyiate 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-
vention 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 | feel should not pass it by unno-
ticed.
In recent years there has been steady
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 ad-
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
partisan city elections. Such a bill was
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 or the
state to fOrego making nominations and
to unite by means OF improvised exped1ents
in support of non partisan city ticket
These eXped1entS were extra legal, crude
and unsatisfactory, and subjected the city
to all the dangers of selfish manipulation
and ring rule. But the sentiment in favor
of non partisan elections was strong
enough to induce the people to overlook
these drawbacks and even to approve the
rough and ready methods that We're 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
enactment of a non partisan city election
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 partl-
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 be held in Milwau.
kee there will be regular session or 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 | do in non
| partisan city elections | recommend the
enactment of this legislation at the present
| time.
| 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 non.
partisan election bill for the county OF
Milwaukee This proposal l cannot en-
dorse,, Unlike a city, county IS es-
| sentially an administrative subdivision
of the state. It's officers as 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
| subdivision of state government established
| for convenience in administration. The sher-
| if and coroner are indeed the principal
| the county This being true non partisan
ship in county elections cannot be advo-
claring also for non partisan elections in
the state. No one seriously proposes the
! 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
1 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. IT, 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
! 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-
lions 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.
AMENDMENT OF FISH AND GAME
| LAWS.
! fish and game should be amended In
| practice a few of these laws have been
| found to be inconsistent while others are
! ambiguous Especially should the author
/ ity Of the Game Warden to take rough or
1 destructive fish from the waters of the
| state be made clear and explicit. There is
| determined opposition in some quarters to
| continuing the plan of licensing fishermen
/ to remove these fish by means of seines
In many instances where this method has
been employed in the past game fish have
| been destroyed, duck shooting has been
| impaired and the vegetation in the beds
| of shallow lakes has been ruined Too
| often commercial gain has been the one
dominant motive; and as might be ex-
| pected there has been little regard paid
i to other considerations.
/ After careful investigation and public