The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-03-09
TWO ELECTIONS
NEEDED

There are some substantial reasons
why the city council should hold two
elections this spring; one to deter
mine what to do about the water
system, and one to elect officials to
carry it into effect.
A good many thoughtful persons
with an eye to economy will ask
why not have both elections at the
same time. The reason as we see
them are as follows: .-
The Reasons Why
At a bond election the question Of
buying something is to be decided,
and that is left entirely to those who
pay property taxes. If it were other
wise the transient people in town or
those owning no property to be tax
ed could vote to buy something for
the others to pay for. The tendency
would be for the persons seeking en-
ployment or wishing to keep things
lively, to vote for the purchase, stay
till construction work was completed
and time for payments of bonds ar
rived. and then move on. Granting
that it might be best for towns like
ours to let people from other places
come in and run the town for US, it
would be unjust and would open up
the way to many dangers, and
the law provides that only the free
holders Owners of property shall
vote on such questions. Therefore
it would be necessary to sort up the
sheep from the goats If both ques-
lions were to be voted upon the same
day. This could be done by having
a special examiner at the polls to de-
termine the eligibility of each ap-
plicant, and see that bend ballots
were handed only to the freeholders.
In this matter, married woman
shares the voting privilege of her
husband, and a married man shares
the voting privilege of his wife, if
there is any community property;
and by community property is meant
something belonging to both of them
even tho the title rests with only one
of them.
Proven and Discarded
It has been found that when peo-
pie go to the polls to vote upon can
didates they usually take such keen
interest in electing or defeating GER
tain ones, that they forget to- vote
upon matters that have occupied a
place of secondary Importance in
their meditations. Examples of this
have appeared in voting on temper
ance questions at regular elections,
and the laws have been amended to
compel such d matter to be voted
on at special election 1t has been
brought out in voting on constitu-
tional amendments, and provision
has been made to have the clerk sup
ply each person with O. separate bal
lot of different color from the
regular ballot and to call each vot-
er's attention to IL. 1t has been
brought to light also. in voting on
non-partisan candidates for judicial
positions when such. candidates are
placed in q separate column where
it requires further attention on the
part of the voter than placing an X
at the head of the ticket. People
who are very much interested in vot-
ing for a Judge, but who have been
habituated to doing all their mark
ing along the regular column. OF
columns, generally deposit their bal
lots and go away and then suddenly
remember that very important thing
that they went to the polls for and
throw up their hands and condemn
themselves for the blunder. All these
things have proven that people, nc
matter how intelligent or capable.
cannot satisfactorily vote upon can
didates and special question at the
same time.
Producing a Deadlock
II candidates are being selected
for city officials, the question will
be coming up as to what the can
didates stand for in regard to the
water question. 1t might resolve it.
self into two sets of candidates and
two tickets. One for municipal water
system and the other opposed. 1t
might be we'll known that certain
men stood for certain policies, but
the personality of the candidates
might be such that the people would
vote to buy yet elect the candidates
who were opposed to it. Any one
of several personal matters might be
injected into the campaign to bring
about this condition with at least
a part of the officers elect. If this
were done we should have the same
kind of a deadlock that we have now
in regard to the light question. Part
of the councilmen went into office
determined to buy or build and de-
velop an electric light and power
plant. The others were equally de-
termined not to do anything of the
kind but to take the present service
as cheap as possible and depend on
it. T..
Have Done it Once
In their official acts they have
done neither. When one set proposed
signing the proffered contract for a
better and cheaper lighting service
for the city, the others have sat tight
and refused to tie up with corpora
tion for long contract at higher
rate than they wished to pay. When
they in turn have proposed buying
a site or doing anything looking to
the development of municipal light
and power plant, the others have sat
tight and refused to say or do any
thing but vote no. The result is that
we have the high rate of years ago
for an inadequate lighting of the
streets when we might just as we'll
have had lower rate for the same
lights or greater illumination for
tho co mo To0nnv Whan' fhnsa mon