The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-02-09

certain effects leads active support
ers OF the charter 20 offer the fol
/ lowing
( lD The statement thai The prefer
entia voting plan lis complicated aad
uRworka Die 10 men OF average inteii-
gence Is anything Dat hattering 70
The citizens OF Detroit. when IL is con.
sidered- chat he population OF cities
which are using the plan already -
/ numbered in millions, and is rapidly
Increasing
~ rhe fact is patent 20 one Who
} examines the plan chat the nTst'
choice" column Of the ballot Offers e1'
lactly what the voters OF Detroll nave
had ever since the Australian secret
ballot was introduced years ago ana
I n there is a majority OF these hrsl'
choice votes for any candidate the
result OF the election is exactly what
has been heretofore The provision
for second choices In . second column
/ ia merely 10 determine whether the
man Who happens 10 receive the larg'
est number OF first choices is even &C
I ceptable to a majority OF the voters.
or. If he is not. whether there is any
/
4 ity OF the voters can agree. IL no
candidate can thus command such
general approval the other choices.
from the third column. offer a most
practical means OF finding how many
more OF the voters are even mildly
IN favor: and at this stage appears
the most valuable feature or the sys-
tenn. the determination OF the element
Z
against as we'll a. the sentiment IN
/ favor OF the candidates. " can NOT
be Justly claimed. on grounds OF
good government or for any otner
reason. that a candidate. no matter
how unworthy. whom majority o'
/ the voters desire. should not be eject
ed nor on the other hand that a
/ relatively small number should eK-
ercise the final choice. and this IS as
much safeguard OF the Interests OF
the selfish as IL is OF the publc-splr-
tied citizens. The real reason shy
the selfish mInorities and Venal ele
ments fear Il, is because IN practical
1 ~ all communities the voice or me
majority, II II can be heard will be
an intelligent expression OF desire
lfor the general welfare.
80 In a recent editorial one Of the
papers complained not only that the
preferential vote was complicated, out
( that the city IN some way was bound
10 keep the primary, which IL says, IN
spite OF the time We have had H. We
I have lust learned TO use. AS 20 its
being complicated, let II be made
/ plain that II voter has no other than
| one choice, he votes that one cnolce
/ in exactly the same way that he has
done. and IL he has any choice be
tween the others on the ticket the
time TO express the same need not
add 10 seconds TO the time required
10 vote the ballot OF ordinary length,
as il viii be under the proposed char
ter. Consider, on the other nand'
what are the complications tand the
real reason for the practical failure
| In comparison) that inhere 10 the
present primary system. Instead OF
these 10 seconds, or minute We Will
say. a busy man or a man employed
at labor by regular hours, and long
ones, finds Il by no means easy to go
twice 10 the polls especially as ne
realizes that. with so small a proper
ton OF the party vote as ordinarily
comes out, he will have but little et-
feet on result determined by the
politicians who get out whatever vote
IL necessary TO see that they control
the nominations In the primary, the
ONLY practical check upon this abuse
IS that other abuse. OF the members
OF one party voting in the primary OF
another. which no one can JUSTIFY
Even though majority were re-
ouired TO nominate. II could never in
sure the candidates being representa-
tive OF the sentiment or his party, be-
cause be needs only majority OF the
very small proportion OF the mem
beers of his party who ind II possible
or convenient (which amounts TO the
same thing to meet the requirements
OF this truly complicated system On
the other hand. in the preferential
ballot. every voter who gets out Tor
fthe anal election holds In his hand a
means OF seeing that the best man
shall get the full measure OF the bal
lot that goes In for him; ana. II THIS
candidate fails. the voter still mas
something TO say about the result
a. TO tho objection that has been
raised. that the preferential system
can be turned 10 the advantage OF the
corrupt elements or 10 that OF selfish
minorities. IL is sufficient to say that
n this were true. you would not nave
the argument coming from the quar-
tiers where Il most commonly does.
The very elements that hght II hard
est are these same interests ia every
CITY where IL has carried Take The
evidence. too, OF cities where these
elements have brought on a campaign
in the effort 10 return 10 the old sys-
ten as Tor instance Ia Spokane q
city OF considerably oyet 100000 in.
hAbltants Here the charter. with the
preferential system provided tor> Was
carfsad In December tFk0 In III
Campaien. two yeuN Mtev in which
tho whole charter 7vas Drought ma r
the hottest criticism by its opponents,
the result was a vote OF three 20 tNo,
IAN actual ncr, ase n tHe proportion
BY which the charter originally ear
ried. ana he majority was 'ncreased
by evcS ward IN tue CHS.
t5 VI we are TO have q non parti-
san ballot at all. che preferential hut
lot is logically the necessary compte
ment. rather than fhe primary, the
whole argument for whicA/rests on
the Hbeorf that We gann0' ggt along
even IN local anAfs without party
alignment
co Finally to the argument IN