The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-12-12

plication of the English and Australian
systems to American needs which has
been made. 1t places the entire print
ing and distributing of the ballots in
the hands of the state, to be paid for at
the public expense. 1t provides, also,
for Independent nominations by spe-
Gifted number of voters, and requires
the printing of the residence, street
and number of each candidate after his
name upon the ballot. The Massachu-
sets law ought to be carefully studied
by the trainers of the new bill which is
to be presented to the New York legis-
lature this winter. 1t is likely to be-
come the model for bills which are to be
presented in other states, as indeed it
ought to be; for, aside from its great mer-
its, it would be most desirable to have
our different state laws upon this SUBJ
Ject as nearly homogeneous as possible.
We speak with entire confidence of the
possibility of the different states hav-
ing such laws in the near future. This
is one of the reforms which must come,
for without it our system of popular
government can not be maintained.
Every election, especially in our large
cities, shows that until this reform is
secured all other reforms are impossi-
BILE of accomplishment. The control of
the election machinery, of the printing
and distributing of the ballots, must be
taken from the politicians and put into
the hands of the state-that is, we
must take the powerto control our cleo
tions away from the men who have no
responsibility and no interest in gov
eminent, save extravaganza and cor
ruption, and put it into the hands of
officials who are sworn to do their duty.
or what use is it to try to get honest
men nominated for office when we leave
in the hands of the political workers
the power to defeat them at the polls
by distributing fraudulent or defective
ballots, or by making "deals" and
dickers" which cheat the people .of
their will? We have talked for years
about reforming the primaries and the
nominating conventions, but not one
particle of progress has been made
Under the Massachusetts law any 400
voters, in case Of a candidate for state
office, and any 100 voters, in case of
candidate for lesser office, by uniting
in petition in behalf of a candidate of
their choice, can have his name printed
upou luc OlllCldl DdllOIS anu nave lnOSe
ballots distributed at the polls at the
public expense. What more certain way
of reforming the primaries could be de-
vised than this? If there were such
law in New York city there would be an
end to the astonishing spectacle which is
there so often presented of g boss"
setting up candidate of his own for
office in spite of all protests, and fire.
quently electing him in spite of all OPP
position. Under such a law both
"bosses" and primaries would, in
very short time, lose their present
dominance in our politics. In fact,
there is scarcely form of iniquty
known to our election methods which
good ballot law would not Grad
icate. We should be rid, at one
stroke, of the assessments upon candi-
dates, of the bribing and bulldozing of
voters, of the nomination of notori-
ously unfit candidates, of 90 deals" and
"dickers" and trades" at the polls.
All these would disappear, for the SIM
pie reason that the machinery of cleo
tions would be taken out of the hands
of irresponsible, and often dishonest,
men. Such an obvious and imperative
reform as this can not long be delayed
Century for December.