The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-11
ballots, the box which is supposed to pro.

ballots; the box which is supposed to pro
tect the ballot really protects falsehood
and fraud, and perverts solemn utterance
of the popular will into an irreverent and
hideous trick. The anxiety with which
patriots and statesmen are seeking for a
remedy for the evil attests its menacing
character; the increasing importance of
our elections provOkes more and more OAR
ing exhibitions of it; and it is easy to |
imagine critical national contest involving |
the ascendency of party OF policy, in
which no greater amount of frauds than
are known to have been committed in
single state might plunge US into an armed
conflict. While the American people re-
spect and bow to the will of the majority, |
it is not strange that they should not al
ways respect and bow to a lie which annuls
the will of the majority. Some remedy
must be found, then, for the election
frauds so easily and so boldly committed
under the convenient cover of the ballot
box; and in searching for it we are ire
sistibly led to ask the question, expert
mentally: Why not do away with the
ballot box itself? Why not abolish the
ballot and resort to the simple vote? The
proposition looks alarming, it must be adj
mitted; but it is not so alarming after
ALL as the growing frauds Of which the
ballot-box Is the facile repository. A
ballot is secret vote, and it finds its justi-
fication in the imagined necessity for pro-
tecting the humble man from the employer
against whose directions he votes. But it
may be doubted that any such necessity
exists at this day. Mr. DOolittle declares
that 'the laborer no longer fears the CAPT
talist;;" and every election in the southern
states furnishes an example of dependent
peasantry voting uniformly in opposition
to the wishes Of their employers. Even if
the necessity does still exist for protecting
the humble voter from the resentment of
his powerful employer, it may be fairly
asked whether the superior necessity for
protecting society against the threatening
evils of election frauds ought not to prevail
over it?
The simplest method Of voting is that
by the Lying voice, with poll as a
record; it is practised in Virginia and
Kentucky--and, it may be, a few other
states; and, rude as it may appear, it is to
be said in its favor that no such crimes as
election frauds are heard of in those states.
Indeed, system of fraud is impossible
under it. The poll-book contains the
name of the voter together with his vote
credited to the candidate or candidates he
votes for; it lies on the clerks table, in the
presence of the judges, and subject to the
inspection of all witnesses around the polls
There is no counting OF votes after the
{ election; the system in selt-regiStering; the
votes cast for each candidate are num-
bered, /, 2, 3, and SO on, down the column,
and when the polls are closed, the last
page of the book shows unerrlngly, the
, number of votes each candidate has re-
. ceived. There is no night work to be
, done; the functions of the judges end with
the closing of the polls, and the delivery
of the poll-book. properly certified, to the
, county clerk. The whole process is open;
} glance at the poll book at any hour OF
{ the day shows how voter has voted, anC
0 the number of votes each candidate has
G received up to that moment Repeatine
is extremely difficult, and easily detachable
) ballot stuffiDg is impossible, because there
4 is no box to stuff; and fraudulent counting
5 that easy fraud under the ballot box plan
= is also impossible, because there is NJ
v counting after the polls are closed; Gael
r vote is counted on the poll-book as it il
] cast, and the entire process ends with tn
> last vote received.
i The objections to the living voice meth
IS cd are First, the slowness of the pro
: cess and, second, the lack of privacy
/ The first may be overcome by increasing
} the number of voting districts, so as t
'e have only say 500 voters in each an ar
!, raDgement whose advantages are admitted
l. even unde: the ballot-box system. Th
/. second is more serious, because man
II voters are adverse to having their vot
r, exposed, This feeling is entitled t
e respect; there may be good reasons fo
e. investing citizens vote with the privac
!? which closed box imparts, and there
| not single good reason, perhaps, why Il
sr honest citizens vote should be exposed
if Whether, however, the citizens desire fc
ot privacy should be esteemed above tn
n community's right to the admitted advar
IN tages of exposure is a question that woul
A. seem to admit of but one answers
t. Louis Republican,.
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