Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-05-01
The Socialist Argument Against
Non Partisan Elections
By Carl D. Thompson,
Director Of the Information Department Socialist Party

II you favor non partisan elections
answer these arguments for us.
If you oppose non partisan elections
as we do-maybe you can give us some
better arguments.
We, have listened patiently and fol
lowed carefully the whole line of ar
guments put out by municipal reform
ers in favor of non partisan elections.
To US the whole non partisan idea
seems such transparent fallacy that
we frankly confess to certain degree
OF amazement at the fact that intelli-
gent and thoughtful people seem to
be mislead by it. ~
The whole host of our municipal re-
formers in America seem to have been
swept off their feet by the fad. AS
| though by the simple device of striking
the party name OF the ballots We would
eliminate. as by the stroke of magic
wand, all the evils of mis-rule.
| And the zeal with which the reform
ers have hunted out this witch Of
] partisan elections and striven to drive
/, it out is worthy of a better cause. The
commission charter recently proposed
in Traverse City, Michigan, for ex-
ample, provides:
'9The ballots for election of city Of
ficers shall be separate from any other
| ballot and shall be without insignia,
emblem, designation, ETC." (Section
2S)
The charter of Grand Junction, Colo
RADIO, and Spokane, Washington, which
are worded identically the same, are
even more extreme. They provide:
/ Nothing on the ballot shall be in
dicative of the source of the candi-
! dacy. or the support of any candidate.
!! No ballot shall have printed thereon
any party or political designation or
mark, and there shall not be appended
to the name of any candidate any such
party or political designation or mark,
or anything Indicating his views or
opinion"
Nothing could be more complete
The authors are not content with
merely denying Republicans. Demo
Gratis or Socialists the right to the use
of their names as means of helping
the voter to quickly and readily selecj
conviction-they prohibit the use o.
any and all kinds of designations what
soever on the ballot-anything and
every tuIuS tudL WOuAu Ill any way COu
meet an individuals name with the
| policies he represents.
And these extreme provisions are
only types of scores of city charters
being adopted or urged by the advo-
Gates of the commission form of gov
eminent for cities.
At this point we Socialists dissent
entirely and most emphatically. To
exclude all possible designation from
the ballots seems to, us unwarranted
and abortive. And we frankly believe
not only that partisan or designated
ballot is right but that it is the best
method for securing desirable results
in our civic affairs.
/. Local issues require local parties
and designated ballots. Our first ar
gument against this non partisan fal-
lacy is that it DISCREPANCIES the people
at the polls at the very point where
they most need facilities for marshall
ing their strength.
There are distinct differences of
Fopinion and different policies possible
with regard to municipal affairs, just
as surely as there are in state affairs.
The question of the municipal owner
ship of water works, gas plants, cleo