The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-11-22
How the voting Is Done in Paris.

Toward noon I met friend at the
Cafe de Ia Paix and went with him to
his voting place. 1t was against the
law for any but voters to 70, in; but my
friend took the responsibility Of seeing
me through. sWewslked up to the Rne
de la Fayette and turned into the build
irgs called the Cite d'Antin. There
was no sign of a crowd or of excite
ment. Near the door which led to the
voting-room stood half-a-dozen4 men
with their hands full of tickets. They
wore no badges or ribbons, and were
innocent Of those graceful aprons with
which our fellow citizens sometimes
decorate their manly forms on similar
occasions. They did not come to greet
us, but stood in the way as if ready to
hand tickets rather than solicftious.
We each took a ticket of both kinds
large, square papers. bearing the names
respectively Of E. Daguin, the Con-
sentative and official candidate, and of
the late President of the Chamber. Jules
Grevy. We were in M. Theirs arron-
basement. No one questioned us as
we advanced or came hurriedly for
ward, armed with book and pencil, to
ask our names. No banners invited
votes from us and admiration from the
ganli,ss of the neighborhood. No stick
ers tempted the unreliable and
:" disloyaln into the paths of them that
scratch. All was peace and quiet and
great decorum. We ,traversed an entry
and entered room. Three or four
well-appearing men stood near table
at which another sat. My friend hand
ed his paper" carte delecteur" Ito
the sitting individual, who examined
it critically and compared the sig
nature on it with one which my friend
then wrote in the book. This done the
ticket was stamped. and we walked into
the next room and took our places in
the line. About dozen men stood in
single file, advancing slowly, paper in
hand Behind long table sat three or
four individuals with books, a huge
square box and a pile of cut corners of
electors cards in front of them. The
voter advanced in bis turn and gave his
name. The books was examined, the
name and number found-the number
written on the ballot-the ballot depos-
tied in the box, corner cut off of the
electors ticket with pair of scissors,
and we departed with a 7" Bon jour,
Messie,trs."
Such is the method of voting. The
checks against fraud, you see, are
many, and / presume there is no such
thing as personation or repeating. l
was struck with the neatness of the
proceeding and with the appearance of
those who superintendent it officially.
From six to six this scene was being
enacted all through France, with a
quiet and decorum that was certainly
admirable. 1t is quite likely that where
improper interference with the ballot
begins with us it ends in France. There
the work is put in efiectually before
the voter goes to the poll. am cred
IDLY informed that it is elsewhere other
wise. Intimidation beforehand is the
French method; mutilation afterward,
the American, They believe in the
ounce of prevention; we in the pound
of cure. They prescribe counter
irritant'' before the attack; we rely on
a ''mild Alternative afterward. The
systems are different, but each admira-
Bile of its kind; it is not 8. for the likes
of mel to say which is the most worthy
of a great and enlightened Nation
Cor. Philadelphia Times.