The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-13
The Ballot in England.

WITH the extension of the suffrage under the
Reform bill passed at the last session of Par
lament, and the participation Of a new class of
voters in the elections, comes up the question
of the ballot in England as one that cannot be
merely discussed and set aside as heretofore.
The Tories object to 1t as opposed to British
precedents, and as an Americanism that II
would be fatal to time honored British institu-
tions to follow; and at no time has the dread
of American influence been so great among
the conservatives as it is at present. The main
arguments used against secret voting are that,
in the United States, the ballot does not pro-
tect the voter from intimidation, and that it
offers facilities for fraud. 1t is also claimed
that the representative has right to know
who his constituents are II he is to be held
responsible for his voice and vote in Parlia-
ment on measures Of vital Importance. The
sophistry of this last objection is so apparent
that no argument is necessary to contrOvert it.
That such reform as the substitution of the
ballot for the present English system of open
voting should be contaminated without serious
opposition is scarcely to be expected, even If
there was no good cause for the men who now
hold the power in their hands to object to 1t.
After the first burst of dismay and indignation
at the passage of the Reform bill, the aristo-
cracy began to congratulate themselves that
under the existing arrangement their old in
fiuence was not altogether lost; and that, as
every voter could be spotted at the polls, and
be made to pay the penalty for his indiscre-
tion in using his right of suffrage contrary to
the wishes of his masters, they would not ye'
be subjected to the rule of the canadie. The
Liberals, too, saw plainly enough that the ex-
tension Of the suffrage was but halfway
measure, unless the ballot is also placed in the
hands of the voters; and the efforts of the re-
formers will now be directed to the accom-
plishment of this result No system of gov
ernment that can be devised by human in
genuity will be perfect in all its details; and
the practical operation of the best political
machinery will be open to objections in spite
of all that wisdom, foresight, and experience
can do to bring 1t as near the ideal standard Of
excellence as possible. But such Republics as
that of Plato are out of the sphere of practical
statesmen, who have to deal with the hard facts
Of this work-a-day world; and the end to be
accomplished by all schemes of statecraft is
the greatest good for the greatest number,
and the attainment of the best results that
the means at hand will admit of. That the
ballot does not effectually protect all voters
from intimidation, every one who is at all
familiar with the workings OF our elections
knows well enough; but it is protection
which no other system that has ever been
devised will give, and in no other way can
full, free, and perfect expression of public
opinion be had. In England the large land
owners have hitherto considered themselves
as entitled to the votes of their tenants by
sort Of divine right and since the passage Of
the last Reform bill many of them have
asserted in the most open and shameless
manner their intention to control their ten
antry in their own interests, giving them the
option between notice to quit and vote
according to diotstion. Earl Russell, not long
since, addressed letter to the agent for one