Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-05-03

DN extending the time In which the canvass
may be made, will obviate this difficulty.
/ 1t might be well also to provide that nresi
dentlai electors should be nominated here.
/ atter by the members of the PLATFORM con.
/ Fentlon or each party instead of by the
Delegates TO the national conventions
/ The foregoing suggestions cover an that
| was intended TO be included in this speci6.
eaion OF the call at the time it was issued
But during the, past few DAYS n perSisfent
and general demand has been made for the
enactment OF non partisan election bills for
we elty ana county OF Milwaukee; aud the
thii feel should not pass it by unnos
i ticed.
In recent years there has heep stoaav
growth OF sentiment here and elsewhere in
taNof OF non partisan city elections This
| development Is based fundamentally on the
tact that many OF the functions of city ad-
I lnlnlstfatton have TO do with neighborhood
afalfS and the business Interests of in
dixldual communities as distinguished from
/ governmental policies or the exercise Of
delegated state authority Hence ID is
claimed that the issues that divide pOlittcaI
parties in the state and nation have M Nest
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 aud encour-
aged by this experience the people OF Mil
, mashee nave repeatedly triei to secure the
haclment OF law that win permit non
| partisan city elections Such a bill was
introduced in the legislatures of 1909 and
~ ~ - ana was strongly supported. 1t failed
4 e
sentiment in Milwaukee during the recent
municipal campaign nevertheless persuaded
me me Two principal political parties of the
state 70 forego making nominations and
20 unite by means of improvised expedients
~ support OF non partisan city ticket,
lnese expedients were extra-legal, crude
nnu unsatisfactory, and subjected the city
70 all the dangers of selfish manipulation
ana 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
| ployed
The people Of Milwaukee now ask that
they be relieved of the necessity Of again
resofting to such devices; and they will
present at this session request for the
enactment of a non partisan city election
TO the wisdom of the principle OF non
parusanship in city elections should con
81 siu 81 1nat the question is no longer wheth-
ef OF not Milwaukee shoGtd have non parti-
san elections. 1t is rather whether such
elections and the making of nominations
leading up to them shall hereafter be con
uneled 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
nave an axe to grind. Milwaukee has her
sell already decided the other question.
u Is true that strictly speaking this Is
not an emergency measure. Before another
municipal election will be held in Milwau-
kee there viii be regular session of the
legislature at which this bill might be con.
sidered IL is true also that this subject
was not thought of when the call for this
speelaf 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
Springing from the same source as the
city bill, and backed in part by the same
sentiment, but not supported as ii seems
20 me by the same logic, is de-
mand also for the enactment of a non
partisan election bill for the county of
milwaukee,. This proposal / cannot en-
dorse Unlike city, a county is es-
sentially an administrative subdivision
OF the state. Its officers as a rule exercise
state functions only A 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 ana the state treasurer will satisfy
any one that county government Is only
SUBDIVISION OF state government established
Tor convenience in administration The sher-
III and coroner are indeed the principal
executive officers of the state as well as of
the county. This being true non partisan
snip IN county elections cannot be advO-
Gated logically or consistently without de-
elaring also for non partisan elections In
the state. No one seriously proposes the
latter a ~
Another insuperable obstacle In the way
u tASu pdtNiSdn county eIecllDnS 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
ernment by parties. How at such an elec-
ton il is expected that non craftsmanship 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
chosen at the same time city. school and
judicial officers are elected. the obvious an
swer is that this cannot he done by pass
ing statute and SO TO amend the consu.
tuition will not alter the nature Of the func-
tons county officials perform nor the char.
aeter of the county itself rs an administra-
tive subdivision of the state So long as
state elections are partisan, county cleo
tons will be so also.
AMENDMENT OF FISH AND GAME
LAWS.