Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-07
BALLOT REFORM TESTIMONY


BALLOT REFORM TESTIMONY.
Senator Saxton of New York, the author
of the reform ballot bill in the Legislature
of that State, in the North american Reuieg
explains just what his bill was that Gov
ernor Hill vetoed. In brief, it provided
Tor the printing of the ballots by the
county and their official delivery to the
voter. That each ballot should contain
the names for all the candidates nominated
for a particular Office, and lastly, that the
voter While preparing his ballot should be
shielded from observation. But separate
ballots were required for classes of officers
to be elected, in this way Mr.. Saxton hop
ing TO escape what he calls the blanket
ticket. But wherein there is a gain
in the multiplicity of tickets, we fail tc
see. Why is the blanket ticket objection.
able so long as the voter can read it-and in
truth no other class should vote-and SC
long as he is given time sufficient to do so
and TO indicate for whom he wishes tC
vote? Is it not mis- right in fact to have
all the candidates names before him at one
time? Otherwise Mr.. Saxton's bill was a
good one; it did not, however, go to suf
fcient length. For it should have re-
quired such registration of the ballots in
advance of delivery that the introduction
of an unofficial ballot would be impossible
The Saxton bill must be considered de
fective also in this that it provided for the
printing of the ballots by the County
Clerks instead of the Secretary of State.
By that regulation the risk of fraud and
corruption and error was increased by just
the number of County Clerks in the State
Governor Ames of Massachusetts, side
by side with Senator Sexton, tells us OF
the operation of the reform ballot law in
his State. He declares that the trial of il
in 1889 was a complete success, and
that no repeal of it would be possible
Under that law the State prints all the
ballots, and therefore the injustice that
was common when the political commit
tees furnished them, and the extortion
they inflicted upon candidates, was elm
mated wholly. All nominations there
must be made and registered fourteen days
before election day. He states that one OF
the most agreeable features of the law is
the abolition of ticket peddlers at the
polls, change that all people, irrespective
of party applaud. The Striker and
"heeler" were conspicuous by their alb
sence at the Massachusetts election, and
the approaches to the voting booths were
cleared and free to the voters without any
of the pushing, crowding and friction of
the past. 1t was found, also, that the new
system was the best test made of the abil-
ity of the voters to read and write,
and that there was no deprivation of any
right assured to any elector. The count
ing was done rapidly, developed no com
plications and gave rise to no contests.
Governor Buckley, in the same maya
zine in which the papers of the other two
appear, briefly states his experience under
the new Connecticut law. 1t is the most
imperfect of all the new election statutes.
There the State did not print the ballots, but
no political agents were allowed to use any
ballots except printed on official paper and
in the type and style prescribed by the law,
thus copying the California system. So,
too, a space one hundred feet about the
polls was kept clear and the voter went to
the ballot-box alone. The State, however,
furnished an envelope in which all ballots
had to be sealed before deposit. Booths
were also provided into which the voter
could retire, prepare his ballot and seal it.
Imperfect as is this law, it worked well,
but the Governor declines to express an
opinion concerning it until a general State
election is held, when it will be tested
fully 1t is clear, however, from the Gov
ernors letter, that he vas pleased with the
operation of the law, is aware of its de-
fects, and entertains high hopes of it when
its weakness shall have been remedied. Of
this we may all rest assured; ballot re-
form has come to stay, and it win not be
long before it is importation in every other
State in the Union. For it is but pace
that is keeping society abreast with all
other material progress. The only value
the elective franchise has is it secrecy and
unless that is assured it will cease to rep
resent the opinion of the eleetor, and
when that comes fully to pass the republic
will ba o,,a IN ,,an,a only