Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-12-26
THuRsDAY---.-----------DEcEMBER 20
THE AUSTRALIAN BALLOT DECLR-
ED a FAILURE

tralfan ballot system. III claims
that our American system is better,
and among its reasons are the fol.
lowing: ut must be assumed that
the secrecy of the ballot is to be
maintained under any system that
may be adopted; that is, that the
honest voter shall have the absolute
right and every facility to cast a
secret ballot This being conceded,
it becomes apparent that the num-
bering of ach ballot and the num-
bering Of a corresponding stub or
counterfOil will not do, for that is
certain destruction to secrecy. The
ballot is secret when it goes into the
ballot-box, but not secret when it is
taken out and counted, for if ballot
No. 24S is issued to q voter, and his
name recorded when he casts ballot
24S, Is it not evident that the count
ing of the ballots makes complete
record Of how that particular voter
vu, d? What becomes of the
secrecy of the ballot if all the clerks
and judges of election, and even the
watchers and loOkers.on, eau tell
just how n particular man or any
number of men voted? The num-
bered ballots certainly cannot be
adopted if the secret ballot is to be
preserved.
The bargain being made before
hand, the voter who has sold his
manhood and his honor goes to the
polling booth, obtains ticket and
retires into his cubby-hole to fix it
for deposit in the box. He has pre-
viously been supplied with a fac
simile or n close imitation of the
ballot which he is to receive, and
instead of voting the ballot he votes
the counterfeit, tucks the ballot in
his pocket and carries it out to the
vote-buyer. Then the whole thing
is settled, for the buyer marks the
ticket to suit him, hands it to the
next man who has sold himself and
instructs him to vote it and bring
back an unmarked ticket as evil
dence that the bargain has been
carried out; and this is repeated over
and over again until the supply Of
purchasable scoundrels has been ex-
hausted. The purchaser has con-
slant check upon the seller, the pro-
duction of the unmarked ballot
being the only kind.of draft to be
honored ut sight.
1t Is because the ballots are pro-
durable Mt one place only that this
scheme Is so feasible. Under our
law, where ballots may be procured
almost anywhere outside the l00-foot
line, the buyer can have no assur-
ance that the ballot which he placed
In the sellers hands has been voted,
for the seller may have had dozen
Others about his person, all folded
up and ready to he voted, and this
is what is meant by the "vest- pocket
vote" The purchaser has nothing
to rely on but the word of the voter
that he voted as he was instructed,
whereas under the Australian sys-
tenn, as has been shown, he has evi-
dence In the production of the un-
marked ballot.
Another weak point in the sys-
tenn, we think, Is the printing of all
the names on IA single ticket and re-
quiring the voter to put cross OPP
poslte the names of those for whom
he wishes TO vote. This might do
were there only few offices Ia be
filled; but suppose an election in
this city. with five parties in the
field and sixty offices 10 be filled.
That would make "a ticket contain
Ing 800 names. aud II is morally
certain that honest, but slow and
and unintelligeDl voters, would
AXE muddle OF the W hole thing.
This has been demonstrated by
elections on constitutional amend
menis. where the ballots have con
tanned the words; "Ifor the Amend.
ment," aud Against the Amend.
meni," the voter being expected 10
cancel one line or the other The
result h that neatly One,half 0f the
ballots are east without any eaneelIa.
Il0D NJ all, the voter Doi seemlDg IA I
grasp the Idea that be- IL io draw q
pencil through one line or the
Dihef,
Again, With q loBR ticket, the
'oilng would lie very sl0s nnd lbe
'ouDi vlog, homs One has asked
los u would iaks any longer 10
'ouDi 81 ~ iisiips oD loDg ticket
han 20 athoIl oDs, IfLs lliry ibs
ispen,,lsDf ~ plokinE 0ul slkiy
Ia''lss dssiynsssd slib eIoss olIa''