Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-22
Managing the City
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN

Office In order to carry out the theory
of perfect representation. Az intimat-
ed before, the process Is too intricate
to be traced in detail, but its outlines
are easily followed.
The experts throw out all ballots
that are for any reason invalid, and
count the ballots remaining. They
then divide the total number Of bal
lots by a number one greater than
the number of Offices to be filled. In
Ashtabula there we're 2,s72 valid bal
lots, and seven offices. So 2,s72 was
divided by eight, giving a result of S72.
This number, 372, is called the
quota" Any candidate who was tho
first choice of 372 voters was forth
with declared elected. But, obviously,
there would hardly be seven men, each
of whom received more than 372 first
ballots. The more candidates running
the less is the chance, and under this
system there may be any number OF
candidates.
This difficulty is overcome in two
ways. Suppose that n or more can
dates receive more than 372 votes, or
whatever the quota may be. All the
surplus votes Of each candidate
those which he does not need to elect
him-are not wasted so to speak, as
under the old system. They are cred
tied as first choices to the man who Is
marked for second choice on each
surplus ballot. These extra votes Will
probably elect one or more other can
didates. If passing on the surplus
results in a second surplus. this IN
turn is passed on to choice No. ;.
But even this distribution of surplus
first places may not suffice to I'LL all
the Offices. In such case, h man
who has the fewest number OF nrst
choices opposite his name is dropped
from the list, and his arsts are given
to the men marked for second place
on each ballot SO treated. Il this does
not sufice, the next lowest candidate
is dropped, and all the frsts he got
from the voters or acquired amid n
intricacies of the counting system are
passed around according to the plan al
ready sketched. This goes on until
the offices are all filled by men having
the quota" of voters, and no more.
The varieties of public opinion rep
resented in Ashtabula, for example,
are the "wets' and "drys," and the
democrats, republicans and socialists.
Under majority rule, Ashtabula would
almost certainly have had either seven
wet" or seven dry" commissioners.
as the liquor question was the leading
issue. Had the election been held on
party lines, one Of the two parties
would have dominated the commits
sion. AS it was Ashtabula elected four
republicans, two democrats. and = 50
cialist, while three Of the commission
ers we're classed as dry" and four as
No political organizations. caucuses.
or other means are necessary to hold
the vote together, and prevent 1t from
being wasted on too many different
candidates. The alternative choices
take care of that. Best Of all. the
method tends to secure the coopera-
ton and support of all classes and In
terests, because all Of them are rep
resented upon the commission. It
looks as though Ashtabula had really
added the finishing touch to commits
sion government. Every American
who 10 alive to the significance of the
municipal reform movement will
watch the Ashtabula experiment with
interest.