, 1873-06-16
A NEW BALLOT.BOX,
Il COn&rtynnro Which hlnlrcH EInllot-
fSox sl1fftnE 1mposalblc.

Ilore WaH exhibited to lilo Mayor yesterday
BY tho invontor, a ballot-bo1 which has boon
patented III England and tho United statos and and
tho nuthoritios Of States and cities. Dy tic M
p]ioation of two simple principles, which will f,o
axplalnod, abaoluto safety agntnst tho opening Of
has boon secured. Nobody can got into tic box
without leaving tho plainoat evidence Of yiolonco
to botray him bohindhim, and tho colluaIon Of Oh
impossible aa2Is. number Of por9ona ig necessary to
Of them would botray hlmsolf in the cirort. This
1hventlon ~. docs not Of course, prevent fraud.
But It requires any fraud porpctrated to bo tono
eftae either boforo tho ballots 30 into tho bo1-or
Sotos snGy Como outip tho counting ot tho
vigilance. The kind which has boen nearly ni-
Ways successfully committed, whom committed.
has Ind to DO with stufting tho ballot-boxos, for
1 when ond they have boon opened with duplicate
lltoys. AccoaB to the contents Of this bailot-box
ts obviously impossible, as wo will show 90 tho
chances to commit tho kind of fraud known os
ballot-box Bt!lf!ing Is out OF tho question.
Lot ua explain. Tho box aa now exhibited ie
Of sheet iron, tho material eaacst for tranHpor-
tstion. Tho boxes can bc made, however, Of
glass, or Of my material thought best. Tho
box 1B ian ordinary cubo III form, tho top dido
being tho lid, which fits down closo and tight,
like tho lid Of 4 toacaddy. informal shoulders
tho front sldo, tho lid slopes, and on tho elopo
ings. Upon this incline which tho lid makoB
la sliding panel shutting with catoh,
and az 90 opGnaele M By provision On tho handle
or slid from its position covering tho koy-holo,
squaro Of thin glass, about sovon-eighths OF an
inch by one-slxtoenth thick, is slipped into
"1snug," which 1t accurately ilta. Ihe panels
thero are three) arc then shot back, at onco fix
ing themselves and the seals. It is now i1npoH-
sible to insert the keys in the locks without
smashing tho souls all to pieces, and flaw in
any one would show that tampering had boon
attempted. those seals woro imitabfo, thoirlikos
could bo substituted, but they, aro inilnitab1o,
white glaaB blown into shoots or panoa. On
each shoot, whilo In fresh atate. Ia sproad
papor ruled into Squares, On each square doyicos
of my arbitrary kind arc tlcn penoilol. Ro-
gss aex sred 1hs P'piH oa11 e n 81 ts a ed 70 as the
pretty much all, except whoro tho devices are
pencied. Those 1t loayes intact in rod, With hero
aud there d separate, occontrio streak Of
red, different in every caao. These
the seals. The seals are photographed and
while tho samo Processes gone through with
would not produce any such seals at all, tho
photographs of thom preserve their resemblance
intact. These photographs arc posted on tho
continuing tho scals on each box at polling
place is given to tho olcors of election, to oaoI
candidate, or to the representative Of
each, or OF zach committee. Every book
holder thus becomes chook on all tho reat II
the seals arc smashed that showa II tho
seals arc changed zach book Bhows. Aud WITH
out smashing tho Beuls no hllmau being can get
into tho box excopt by breaking tho entiro thing
all to pioces. 1ho panels thus covered by thoo
seals fusion tho lid aud box together by a screw
on tue inside, just al the knives Of O iack-plauo
arc screwed together.
Mr. Henry Marston, tho patentee and a rcal-
dent of Washington, though n citizon Of this
State, patented this arrangement in England
last spring. lie took tho box to tho Office Of
the Lonlon Times in tho fall. That paper
stipulated in advance OF noticing tho box
that it should bo giyon over to tho custody OF
experts whom it picked for throe months, to 500
If thoy could get inside tho box without break
ing tile Heals. Two hundred and fifty pounds
woro put inside az nn incentive. Tho exports
tried for tho timo specified and could not break
tue seals, and could not make others just Iko
them for substitution. On Docomber G. last
year, the Times stated these facts In an
exceptional and quito favorable article
upon tho Invention. Since then tho
box has beon patented in tho British
Empire and tho United States, and has boon ex-
hibitcd to tho authorities OF several citioa aud
Of the District Of Columbia, securing from all
attestation Of tB complete security mud atlrnira-
tlon for it's simplicity. It's general introduction
indeed it's compulsory adoption by Law, is only q
question Of time, becnuse 1t entirely noutralizoa
ballot-box stuiling, and by 80 muoh iH about tho
best aid to pure politics and FREQ government
which mechanical genius has yet supplied to tho
world.