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Show IJF THE PERIL OF THE PETITION. Ii In tho matter of candidacy, I am for Bill (TV Newton. I limit tho endorsement strictly to the i period this sido of eloction, because I fancy that, jy in oflloe William would bo troublesome. But his t open avowal of candidacy brings tho peril of the 4 petition vividly before the general eye. It was l Grovor Cleveland who told us, many a busy v yoar ago, that an active man could get signatures 4 to any sort of petition, and it is true. There dIHbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbH are mighty few men in this city who couldn't get on the ballot by petition. And once there, one must rely on good fortune rather than a good sense to keep the bad ones from the accident of election. Take our present condition, in the matter of a city election. Suppose a perfectly odious character should get tho number of signatures rerquired by law and should force his name upon the ballot. In the random stato of unorganlza-tion, unorganlza-tion, ho would stand a very excellent chance of being elected. He probably could poll votes enough o bo second high man with all the serious consequences involved. And what could you do about it? Why, you could just sit down like a lot of unhappy victims of your own foolish fool-ish attempt at interfering with tho laws of nature) with the tendencies of humanity, and tako your medicine. The whole purpose in adopting the present primary system was to secure the best of men for candidates. And nothing is easier than for tho worst man to become a candidate. The present system is ineffective. It is absurd. Do you suppose any man now before tho public as candidate for city commissioner with possibly one exception could got nomination in one of tho old-stylo partisan political conventions? Not ever I That old-style convention may have had do-foots; do-foots; but after all it provided a way for putting good men in nomination. A man had to havo some qualifications, some sterling qualities, to got tho nomination. And under our present sys-tom sys-tom tho worst man can got all tho signatures ho noeds on his petition. After that. Heaven help tho money drawer. |