Daily Republican., 1881-03-21
Tne u tle E.ee,len oh.nxe.

!
approaching the Democrats are gettin
in their political licks that are suppose,
to be needed to enable them to kee,
the city and State in their control
The rsdistricting Of the city and tn
annex alton Of Browntovn are INTENDED
to keep the city steady in Democrats
harness, and What that fails to sccom
plish for the State ia 10 be made mp by
tue bill abolishing ths 0,tober or what
is known as the Little E 'ec.iop. The
Only immediate advantage the Demo.
crats can expect 10 gain from the latter
change would be by appointing Demo-
cratic Inspectors in every election dis
trict in the State to hold the Novemb ber
election in 1882 and as it is reasonably
sure that in a fair election the Repub-
licans will carry the State the advsn.
tage to the Dem ocrats Of having all the
Inspectors cannot be overestim sted.
The intent of the change in the hill is
to elect the assessors, the road commits
sioners and Inspectors at the geseral
State election in November instead OF
October. There ave besides the pnljti
cal "nieger in the woodpile," referred
to, other objections which may be
brought to bear against the change. II
obliterstes en- cid constitutional provi.
sion that has tesn riFidly adhered to
from the tims the Constitution was
adopted until the present. We dc no.
mean to say that the election provi,
sion in the Constitution is good becaus e
it is old, or that like vine 1t grows bet
ter with age, but We favor i! because it
has not become obsolete with age. As
one objection to the present mode Of
holding the November election lies In
the length Of the ticket to be voted for,
and the time consumed in counting of
the tickets the objection would be
still more intensified by the proposed
chsngs, unless the ticket was divided
into three parts, national, State and
hundred, and three ballot boxes used
instead of one as at present. Even
this plan is rendered Objectionable by
the complications which must follow
The mode Of boiling elections should
be more simplifed instead OF compli-
Gated, that even the most unintelligent
voter may know exactly who and VIVA;
he is voting for.
Another objection to the change is
that it destroys the local significance Of
the rights which belong to hundreds.
The officers elected at the October elec-
ton are in no sense county or State Off
GERS, but merely belong to or effect the
Hundreds for which they are elected
and to which they belong. They are
elected at a time when political feeling
is not 50 much aroused as at a general
election, at time when the voters Sre
more likely to look after the fitness aud
Qualifications of a candidate for office
than after his politics. There are many
o her objections which might be urged
against the change, but which the hon
est voters of the county will under.
stand and need not be repeated in this
article.
We would suggest that the Little
Election in October be allowed to re-
main as 1t is and tha. it be rendered Of
more importance by elsctipg the Levy
Court at that election, and tnat each
hundred elect its own Levy courtmsp,
and that eash Levy courtman have the
authority of naming the inspector to
bold the October election for his Hun.
drei. This plan would in a grea,
measure do away With such patent re-
volving election inspectors as "Pat"
Gardner and others of like ilk. If We
are to have change in the election
laws, let us have it in the interest
OF reforms which will close the doors
against fraud instead OF making it more
essy for fraud to be committed.