The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-09-22
The Ballot System.

form in our system Of voting is advocated;
From the De mocI attic Banner.
The Ballot System.
In short time the convention will be in SEES
sion. There are many changes In the Constr
tuition which should be made. The riDa o0ee
method of voting has been uniformly acted on
since the organisation Of the State government
Ii has been productive Of vast deal OF cofTup-
ton, and an incalculable amount Of boodshed,
to say nothing Of riots and NJ will engendered
by it-nor vet the restraints upon the free exer-
else of suffrage We have witnessed for many
years the operation of both systems, and have
no hesitancy in giving decided preference for
the ballot system. About the only Argument
we have ever heard In favor of the viva voce
| plan, is, that il Is a mere independent way OF
voting" This is mere assertion-no argument
can be presented to prove its truth. IL is said,
too, that frauds may be practised upon such as
cannot read. Those two are the only objections
| urged to the ballot system. Now ana then u
| fraud may be pracnsed on an illiterate voter
say one In ten thousand, and not greater num-
Der than this. IL is known TO all WHO have wit
| messed the operation of the ballot system, that
such voters as cannot read, have reliable friends
TO whom they submit their tickets before de-
posting them in the ballot-box, and hence II is
next TO impossible to play OIL deception of that
kind. As to the independence ofthe thing, We
Cannot see tIlo IOrCc VI INC ucCidIdtlOu. w q
have seen voters lodging about the polls for
half day, watching an opportunity to vote in
the absence Of a candidate or some friend Of his,
who might be watching them, being actually
afraid TO vote in the presence Of either OF them;
and we have seen them fail Of voting at that
poll, and 90 TO another in order TO vote their
sentiments, and save the good will Of individu-
ais to whom they might, perhaps, be under OBJ
Legations for favors bestowed. We have seen
Ill. e. Ill 4
vote one way, and their interest led them 20
vote another. We have seen individuals turn
from the polls and be knocked down within tt IA
feet Of the place of voting merely OH account
of the votes they gave, and general riot fol-
low. We have known lives to be lost in these
rows at elections, in great numbers. We have
known votes 10 be bought and sold ia closely
contested eleciions-and very frequently heard
Of such foul transactions. We have known the
result Of elections changed by means the most
corrupt All these things have been done, and
are chargeable 10 the viva yoce system of yO-
ting.
We have a case directly in point. The depu-
" jailor at Lagrange, in Oldham county, was
dismissed from his post for the publicly avowed
reason that he voted in closely contested cleo
ton, contrary 10 the will of his employer. Had
the ballot system been In vogue he might hay
; voted his sentiments and saved his employment.
| MS Out one VI AuOusduus oil similar cases OF
( proscription-io say nothing Of the vassalage
Of tens Of thousands more who vote the will of
their employers as mechanically they perform
the labor pertaining 10 their vacations.
IL Is said, with how much truth we shall not
say, that IN the contest for the convention in
Daviess county, Tripletrs majority is 90, and
that each Of the 90 votes cost him SIS. Ii thu
be true, how corrupt Ii is said, and we have
no doubt truly, that Lecompts and Nuttall,
candidates for the convention la Henry county,
made capital out of DIR. Lanes natural vote and
thereby defeated him in his elect ton, and cheated
the democratic party out Of member to Con-
gress. BY corrupt system u trading votes,
they cut down the democratic maority from
about 400 to lSI. Nothing of this would have
happened had the election been held in one day
and the votes polled by ballot.
We are in favor Of the ballot system Of yo.
ting on the ground that II Is less liable to fraud,
less liable TO produce illblood, rows, riots, and
bloocshed-not so destructive of social order md
good neighborhood, and because We regard it
decidedly the most Independent nj and safe way of
bestowing suffrage. twill be found that whe
there are ten or a dozen candidates TO vote for at
an election, the votes could not be polled In a
day II taken viua Uocs, whereas there would be
no difficulty in taking the ballots.
The Glasgow Repsills in opposition TO the
ballot system says:
"There are those who have avow ed aud known
principles upon which they act They have
not the Independence and courage To yield to
temptation, and vote directly in opposition TO
their known sentiments IL the vote is given
Uioa poee. But given by ballot, it will be un.
known to the public, who has voted for and who
against certain candidates, and this fact Of the
cOncealment Of the vote would induce many
"votes to be given by the thoughtless" very
different perhaps, az they are disposed 10 yislb
to strong temptatlons) from the vote they would
give IL given orally"
i This sentiment forms the whole opposition TO
change In the system. The quarter from
whence il comes is quite conclusive IN that sub
Ject. Says the editor, men act on the known
principles, and have not courage TO change
while they are required TO vote uipa poce-but
if permitted TO vote by ballot they would vote
differently. This is abundantly true.-We
have no doubt but that there are hundreds in
every county OF the State who have uniformlv
acted and voted with the whig party for wears
who would vote differently only for the reason
that their vote would tell on them and thew
would be branded with INCONSISTENCY. IL fol-
lows then, that pride Of consistency PREVAILS
over sense Of right. The conclusion of the
editor, that the voter is any more accessible To
the corrupt politician is nonsense Ifavot
is in the market, and it is known that his vose
might change the result, a high price will be
paid for it. But while the state of the polls Is
unknown, as il must be until the close, under
the ballot system, there would be no tempta-
| ton to BUY, and no chance TO SELL
! We hope the rejecting portion Of th, peonls
! throughout the State may take open rrouud
upon this subject, and demand the adoption of
| the ballot system.
voting By BnIIot