Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-11-27
Ballot Reform.
From the Pioneer Prass. =

i. From the Pioneer PEsss., - -.
The executive: :coDmit,ec Of the ST,
Paul Taxpayers Assoeia,lvn has issued
a circular. calling .fg; an expression of
opinion from n,em bebs on the subject Of
ballot reform The system which it sue.
'gests as ! substitute for tho present: one
is that of voting by single ballot. In
this the city, county Or state government
assumes the office of preparing and fur
njshing~to voters the only legal ballots.
These are without headings, md each
con'"ins the names OF all the candidates.
TO be voted for by each. party. To pre-
vent cont fusion, the number of candidates
for any given office is limited to six, and
these, or a smaller mum Der, as tAe case
may be, shall be the candidates regular
ly nominated by the conventions of the
respective parties. 1T scarcely ever hap.
pens, Of eonrse,, that more than three
men are placed in nomination for any
one Office, so that the legal ballot with
its six names would admit representa-
:tives Of al issues raised. This ticket is
to be distributed. by public agencies, at
least three days before election, to all
voters. Each voter must then scratch
from the ticket tie names Of the candi-
dates for whom he does not desire to
casta ballot: Penalties are provided for
pedd]ing scratched tickets 1t the polls.
This plan: is an old one, and has many
good points. One great excellence is
that it prevents the; e;circulation of fraudu:
Lent tickets in which, under one party
heading, names Of other candidates. have
been placed. If no names are scratched
the vote does not co,lnt. Therefore, the
voter is com elled: to exercise: an intelli:
gent choice At would prev ent the POLL
:ingplace: e1ectioneering 6, which is an
unpleasant political feature, and set at
rest. all question as to the legality Of
ballots priBted with certain discrimi-
mating marks. Bot its chief advantage
isthat iteompels the voter TO perform an
act Of judment in addition to the mere
mechanical action Of dropping a ballot
Id q box :Hs must: select his OWE caudi.
dates, and cannot follow orders without
knowing just what those orders mean
Ofcourse,, if none of the candidates suit
him, he can scratch all the names and
write in their places any others that he
'pleases. -: ..' NJ. -. -. :.
+, One other, suggestion Of The associa.
ton, that each ballot should be mum.
sered and corresponding number be
given the voter, in order that he may
identify his. Ballot in case fraud is com:
mitted,. Is. irnpracticable. It has been
decided in this state that the mum bering
Of ballots is unconstitutional, as VIC.
}atjng the secrecy Of the ballot The OBJ
.jection- does mot deserve to count for
mneh. Jealousy of the open ballot, as
of standing army, dates century
back, when a democratic form of gov
ernmenthad many things Of dread This
tear that an employer would attempt to
ceerce aaborers is puerile. Public opin:
ion would net permit it for MON ent
even if organized labor were not as it is
equal ID the protection Of its. political
nights. There would he NO place iatany
community for. an employer who :: At,
/ tlsmptedftoo forcs+ a certain ticket .:npp1
unwilling employees. The Hing IS no,
And cannot be done, except ia those i, rare
i4Hsaac cei Where everybody $chooses Il
keep it:a secret i. But whether good o,
bad. the numbered ballot is impossib1s
aecording I'd; the accepted :: Interpretation
81 the .1AW.}; Ii other respects the. plan
Foe ballot reform suggested is worthy q
Gpnsideritien., Il could be adopted onll
by specific Legislation on tue psrt Of III
state! II authority should be 4eonferrei
fuponf the state to furnish all ba1lots' a
fdescrih he'd. giving plenty of :timetfor de
iifberationi and assuring IN act Of choic,
on theHpaIt the Individual voter, 1
fwptld undoubtedly supply d fcor1ectiv;
1sof many Of the evils incident 10 on
present, form Of 2yesihgs.s., I. .ts:.:ir I,.n