The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-02-17
ALDERMEN READY TO QUIT
Council Will Be Badly Depleted at Mon.
day Night Meeting-New Men May
Be Chosen for Five vacancies-Fa-
vor Advancement of Members.

To use the language of tne streets
the city council is going to be call
shot to pieces" when it meets on next
Monday evening. The mayor has an
nounced that he cannot recognize
as members of the council any of the
men who are residents of the wards
they represented under the old regime
The mayor insists that he has been
advised that it would be illegal for
him to preside over a body so consti-
tuted. This means that the mayor is
going to insist on election of a num-
Der Of members of the council at the
next meeting. It is pretty certain that
none Of the men who have been legis-
lated out of office will seek to claim
the right to vote if any question is
raised, They had been of the idea that
the courtesy which is usually shown
in the reorganization of the council
from year to year would prevail in.
connection with the change of the
ward lines.
One of the aldermen affected said
last night: CT believe that the mayor
is right in holding that men who have
been legislated out of Office are not
members of the council and that they
should not be recognized as SUCH. L
voted for the regiistristing 9rdins nee
an5 IN keeping with it I am ready
surrender my desk to the man nanled
by the council. AS there is an cleo
tion to be held within the next two
months it does not seem to me that the
council should choose successors to the
retiring aldermen for period until
the city election is held and then the
matter could be put up to the people.
1t seems that this would be the fairest
way. AS I understand the law the
council may in its discretion name al
dermen to serve out the unexpired
terms of the men who are out of Office
on account Of the change In ward lines.
J. feel that this is considerable power to
place in the hands of the council -
City Attorney Slater declares that
there is no doubt as to the reading of
the law and that the council has full
power to name candidates to fill the
vacancies and that in each case the
men elected are to be elected for the
unexpired term. This would mean the
election of one alderman in the second
ward to serve until election, two in,
the third ward one to serve until
election and the other to serve until
the election of 1917, one in the fifth
to serve until the election in 1917, and
one in the ninth ward to serve until
the election in April.
The mayor in speaking of the matter
said: CHOW if these men should be
called to vote on an ordinance or on
any question of public interest their
votes would be subject to challenge
and their action might invalidate
every proceeding of the council The
question of the validity Of any action
taken might be brought up by any.
interested citizen. I am hopeful
that the aldermen will name the new
men on Monday night so as to remove
any danger of confusion
The suggestion that the present men
on the council be named for places in
the new wards has been made. It
would be possible for Alderman Barr
to be named for the two months term
in the second ward and for Alderman
Bounsall to be named for short term
in the third, but there IS no way to
take care of Aldermen Rowe, Burt and
Tully. They have been moved into
wards where there is no vacancy made
by re-districting. Some new men must
be elected in the fifth and in the ninth
wards. In the fifth ward the term of
Alderman Burt would not expire for
another year. Just how the whole
matter will be worked out promises to
make the next meeting of the council
a mighty interesting one. In the
the friends of men who would
be willing to serve the city as alder
men are getting busy with the mem
hers who have a clear title to their
places on the council.
1t is expected that the city attorney
viii have rendered an opinion to near
" all of the retiring aldermen before
The meeting of the council on Monday
evening aad they will be pretty well
advised as to what is expected of them.