ition of two-thirds
of its inhabitants, be incorporated as a town.

Towns as well as counties are organized and governed under general
laws passed by the legislature of its state.

The incorporated township has a right to hold property and make
contracts.

CITY GOVERNMENT.

Cities like towns and counties receive their right of government
through the state by a charter granted by the state legislature. The
charter is the fundamental law of the city.

The chief executive officer of a city is the mayor who is generally
elected by the people.

The power of city government is vested in the mayor and the city
council.

For convenience a city is divided into subdivisions called wards, and
for elections into certain voting precincts called election districts.

The board of aldermen or council is composed of one person chosen from
each ward by the voters. Their power is limited by the city charter.

Voters are responsible for their government and much of our happiness
depends upon the way our city is managed.

Many cities have adopted the commission form of government by electing
a non-partisan ticket composed of several commissioners. Each
commissioner is put in charge of a division of the city's
administration and held responsible for the work of his department.

The mayor of a city presides over the meetings of the council and
sometimes vetos measures passed. He is elected by the voters. The
chief duty of the mayor is to see that the laws and ordinances are
enforced.

In large cities there is a system of courts extending from the police
court to the higher courts.

Appeals from the courts of the city are taken to the circuit court and
may go from there to the Supreme Court of the State.

Cities are divided into six classes in Kentucky:

First class having a population of 100,000 or over.
Second class, 20,000 to 100,000.
Third class, 8,000 to 20,000.
Fourth class, 3,000 to 8,000.
Fifth class, 1,000 to 3,000.
Sixth class, below 1,000.

CHAPTER V.

PARTY ORGANIZATION.

The difference of opinion on national questions is the cause of a
number of political parties in the United States.

As long as men and women think for themselves we shall have political
parties.

It is really the product of a government by public opinion. Without
political organizations it would be almost impossible to govern the
policy and character of the country and control the affairs of the
nat