The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-10-27 00:00:00

THE SYSTEM of VOTING in AMERICA.

The following account ot the election in Philadelphia is
turniehed by The Timei correspondent—

As an almost unerring rule it is found that one-fifth.
of the population are qualified voters, though some:
times not more than one-eighth of the population exer-
cise that right. It is probable, however, that in art
exciting campaign like the present one every voter that
can be found will be brought out. Philadelphia i
divided into shout 250 different voting-places, or as
they are called "polls," and these are so distributed
, that no man's house is, in the built up portions, more
than 300 yards from the place where he deposits his
ballot. Five hundred voters is the average for each
one of the polls, and they are generally held at a public
on, where the election officers sit in a room by threat
selves on the ground floor, with a window opening •
upon the street. I'art of the who:low-frames are taken •
out and a board inserted with a hole large enough to
admit a man's hand, and the voters in the street out- .
side present themselves one by one at the hole and-
hand their ballots to the officers. These officers are
sworn to correctly perform their duty, and as es-h
voter presentahimaelf they record his name and deposit
his ballot in • box. At the end of each hour the ballots
are taken from the box and counted, and a reo.rd
of the number of votes given each candidate during
the hour is posted in view of the public outside, and
thus hour by hour the progress of the election can
be watched. Each party hae an active partisan stand-
ing outside the window, who sees every voter that
presents himself and records his name in a book. If
, he does not think the voter is entitled to deposit a bal-
lot, he " challenges " the vote, and then the voter most
procure some well-known resident to vouch for him.
No man ever was known to challenge a voter of his
own party, however. Besides these persons there are
other people whose business it is to bunt up absent
voters and bring them to the polls, se that the sick are
i brought from their beds, and every man, no matter
how anxious to stay away, is hunted up by these ardent
politicians and compelled to exercise what our orators
are so fond of calling "the inestimable right of suff-
rage." In the wretchedly poor districts of the city the
unfortunate beings who wallow in filth and misery are
always voted. The political committees pay their
taxes and keep a supply of old clothes generally aban.
doned soldiers' uniforms, on hand to drew them in
and carry them to the polls. Having voted they are
stripped and their clothasput on the next "independent"
voter who is too naked to appear in vitae. Politics ia
America is a science that thousands follow, and, like
strong drink, it basin it a fascination that but few can
resist. By judicious management, it is possible for a
party to poll twice as many voters as it has men in
its ranks, but the great protection against mob frauds
is, that each party resorts to them to about UM same
extent, and the .villany on the one side counterbalances
the villany on the other. To-day the great bell on Inde-
pendence Hall is tolling minute after minute, to con.
gently announce to the city that an election -is pro-
gressing; huge waggons with bands of mimic traverse
the streets to warn the citizens, and in all directions
long knee of men are seen at the polling-placee, one by
one, stating their names and depositing their ballots
for the candidates of the rival parties.

'DEATH OP A. CLERGYMAN FROM CHOLEIt4.—ThO
Rev W. B. Stevens, incumbent of Sutton-in-Ashfield
(Notta), was seized with cholera while performing the
marriage ceremony on Sunday morning, and it wee
with the greatest difficulty that he got through the re-
mainder of the service. Medical aid failed to stop the
pof the disease, and he sank rapidly and died
orri°{47lBday morning about two o'clock. The deceased
was very active and energetic in the discharge of his
ministerial duties, and enjoyed the esteem and respect
of all dames in the pariah. By the poorer inhabititnts
he will be much misted.

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