Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-10-17
Vote for One.
vota for Two.
HOW TO PREPARE THE BALLOT.

HOW TO PREPARE THE BALLOT.
Having received his ballot the voter
enters one of the booths back of the rail-
ing, where, secluded from observation,
he prepares the ballot by placing in the
blank column cross opposite the name
of each candidate for whom he desires
to vote or, if he prefers, by writing the
names of candidates of his own nomina-
ton in place of those already there. If
there are several candidates for the
same kind of office, as councilmen in the
sample ballot above, or presidential
electors, and he wishes to vote the
straight ticket of his party, he places
the cross under the name of the party,
or draws it through the space in the
blank column allotted TO the party's
candidates, which signifies that he votes
for each candidate named in that space
Thus, ip the sample ballot, a cross under
the word Democratic" or through the
first two spaces of the blank column to
the right, is one vote each for Alexander
Jacobs and Harvey Sylvester.
CASTING THE BALLOT.
After preparing his ballot by indi-
eating every candidate for whom he
votes, the voter folds it in such manner
as to conceal the face and expose the in
dorsement, and Withdrawing from the
booth, gives the ballot to the inspectors,
who identifies it by the Endorsement as
official. 1t is then deposited in the box
and the voter passes out at the gate
marked CENT"
From the time he receives his ballot
until he casts it, the voter is permitted
to have no communication with any one
but the election officers, and with them
nplv for official ,urpncao. opJ npl,,
election officers and persons actually
engaged in voting are ever admitted
within the railing.
MUST CAST OR RETURN THE BALLOT.
Upon proof of inability from physical
infrmity or illiterancy, voter may call
into the both officers appointed and
sworn for the purpose, to aid him in
preparing his ballot; and when ballot
is accidentally destroyed or defaced it
must be exchanged for clean one.
The Importance of the latter require
ment may not at once be apparent; but
to secure secrecy every ballot delivered
to voter must be either cast or re-
turned. This explains the necessity for
indorsing ballots. But for the endorse
ment a blank paper outwardly resem-
bling a ballot might be cast by voter,
who would then be able surreptitiously
to carry away an official ballot This
could be prepared for bribed voter,
the proof of its use being his production
of a second official ballot That could
be similarly prepared and used, and so
on. Such fraud, known as the 'Tas-
manian dodge" was successfully perpe-
trated in Australia in the early days of
the system; but its repetition was pre-
vented by requiring ballots to be Officially
indorsed.
AS it is essential that ballots be printed
at public expense and distributed by
public officers, the system must include
some mode of certifying nominations to
the proper authorities reasonable time
before elections. That proposed by the
Gates-SaXton bill of New York was per-
haps as convenient as could be desired
Under it, state nominations were to be
certified fifteen days, and local nomina-
tons ten days before election; nomina-
tons of a political party which at the
next preceding election polled three per
cent. OF the whole vote were to be certi-
ned by party officers; and independent
nominations, If for state Office were to
be certified by thousand voters and if
for local office by hundred.
BRIBERY DONE AWAY WITH.
Penal laws are Intellectual to prevent
bribery and intimidation. The primary
remedy is a secret ballot. And this is
best secured when the only proof of an
electors vote is his own uncorroborated
assertion. Under the Australian system
no other proof can be made. That fact
gives to the most timid among depen-
dent voters a sense of security which
makes him free. And to bribery it is
fatal Bribers are not likely to invest
money on the faith of bribed mans
naked sertion; if there be such virtue
as honesty among thieves" it is not
acceptable security to the thieyes them
SECRECY NOT THE ONLY OBJECT.
But secrecy, though the primary