Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-04
A SECRET BALLOT.

A SECRET BALLOT.
 Both parties in this state committed themselves in their platforms to a secret ballot. As the republican party has con- trol of the legislature it ought, therefore. to flavor such legislation as will provide for the compulsory secrecy of the ballot and secure free suffrage and an honest count of ballots" With ballot that would be absolutely secret and would secure free suffrage Connecticut would be democratic every time. The intimi- dation and purchase of voters would he impossible with secret ballot, and men who vote the republican ticket through fear or favor or for hire would then be free to vote as they wished. The results would be seen in increased democratic maiorities 1t is for this reason prin- cipally we fear that the republican party will not allow secret ballot law to be passed at the approaching legislative session.
 It is certain, however, that the party will have to put itself on record on the matter. Representative-elect Isaac Wolfe of New Haven, who is a we'll equipped lawyer, has prepared bill which em- Eo lies the best features of the Australian system and the New York and Massa ehusetts laws as well. By the provisions of Mir Wolfe's bill ballots will be print '} at the expense of the cities. towns or school districts under careful restTics tions, and on them will be printed the names of regular nominees of any party whose vote in the previous election re- the state. The fifth section of t14e b1! provides for the nomination of candi= dates other than those nominated by conventions, which may be made f"r any state office, by nominations signed in the aggregate for each candidate, by not less than ,000 qualified voters of the state Nominations for electoral divi- sions or wards may be made by papers signed for each candidate by not less than one for every one hundred persons who voted at the next pr eceding annual election in such dis trict or ward but in no case by less than fifty. Each voter signing a noia nation paper must add to his signature hls place of residence, and each voter may su bscribe to one nomination for for the nomination of state officers must be filed with the secretary of state at least fourteen days before election, and nominations for city, town and school district officers with the respective clerks of these governments at least five days before. The names of regular candi- dates of each party will be printed in groups, and under each Of these groups will be spaces for the insertion of names in place of those for whom the voter does not wish to vote. A voter desiring to vote for any person Is to make cross mark opposite his name, or a large mark against the grouped names of the candi dates of his party. Six days preceding an election the names of the nominees of each party are to be posted at the polling places and also published in the local newspapers, Two ballot clerks will be appointed at each polling place, one for each of the two larger political par
 ties, who will be chosen by the board of registration in each town, and no other person shall have ballots in his posses sion. There will be at each polling place compartments, one for every seventy five voters, each with shelf on which the voter may mark his ballot. No one
 but the election officer and voters will {. be permitted within six feet of any ballot box or compartment. After re- ceiving ballot from ballot clerk the
 voters will retire to a compartment,
 mark and fold it. and then come out and
 place it in the ballot box. The ballot clerk may assist any person who is blind, ] who is unable to read or write. or phy- l sically unable to make his ballot. Heavy penalties are provided for interfering
 with voters, destroying lists of candi- dates, for marking ballot so that it may
 be identified, or for electioneerirg within one hundred feet of polling place.
 With certain alterations that may be suggested in the assembly the measure
 proposed by Mir Wolfe seems well adapt ed to effect its purpose of preventing in- 1 timidation and bribery of voters, and if