The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-12-25
MUST FOLLOW NEW RULES
Non Partisan Election of City ohicials
Next Spring Promises to Prove Both
ersome For Some of the Perpetual
Candidates for Office.

Politicians in the city are not losing
any great amount of sleep over the col
lapse or the seeming collapse Of the
tight to secure commission form of
government in Kenosha and it is adj.
mitted that lot of men who have been
very much in politics in the city during
the past few years are wearing a smile
Of satisfaction over the failure of the
promoters of the commission form to
secure names enough to demand a ref
ercndum. Some Of these men are al
ready il active work for the coming
city campaign and it is already an
nounced that the tickets at the coming
city primary will have lot of names
which have been seen on tickets in the
past The way of the old time politi-
clan in Kenosha just at present is de-
cidedly hard for nearly all of his props
have been pulled from under him. The
primary in March will not only be a
primary devoid of the voting of for
eigners who are not citizens, but it will
also be non-partisan primary and the
men who have been accustomed to slip
into office with the aid of the straight
party vote are going to be in bad
straights This year there will be no
party designations on the city ticket as
the non-partisan law will be entirely in
control The men who seek nomination
and election for city Offices must seek it
on their own merits and not on account
of their support Of some party or fac
ton. City political committees will
have no part in the election this year
and if any candidate for city office
has committee to work out the prob
lens Of his campaign the committee
must be one especially interested in his
election.
1t is thought that the change will
work a little hardship for men on the
ticket. In past city campaigns the
party candidates have pooled the ex-
penses of the campaign and managed
to get into Office with a minimum ex
pensc but under the non-partisan law
every man will have to fight his own
fight and foot his own bills.
The ticket this year will not be near
ly as large as in former years as there
will be just two candidates for each of
fee. Already some of the candidates
are making a bid for the socialist vote
with the idea that the members of that
party will early realize the impossible
ity of their naming a man for the city
ticket under the non-partisan primary.
Notwithstanding the fact that it may
seem a little useless it is certain that
the social democrats will stick to their
own candidates and it is pretty certain
that these candidates will get more en-
thusiasic support along old party lines
than candidates who may have shown
allegiance to either the republican or
democratic parties in past campaigns.
There is another change this year in the
matter of electing assessors. The coun-
ell has decided to amend the charter
and provide Tor a single assessor at a
salary of $500 year. 1t is expected
that this change will bring a large
number Of candidates into the field for
this Office, The primary petitions may
be put IN circulation lust after the
opening Of the new year and the prim-
airy will he held late i'll March. AS the
new law must be followed in the cleo
tion it will be necessary for the city
clerk to prepare new forms for all pc
titions Of candidates.