Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-10
IN BALLOT REFORM.
EX-Judge Fetterman's Plan of
Purifying the Polls.
AUSTRALIA IMPROVED ON.
An Easy Method to Prevent Re-
peating and Similar Evils.
PARTY MACHINERY HANDICAPPED.
Present Election Methods DeplOred by
Chairman Bremen.
A BILL FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION
AUSTRALIA IMPROVED ON.
PARTY MACHINERY HANDICAPPED.
A BILL FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION

The cry for pure ballot and better cleo
tion methods generally raked up after elee-
tion by the defeated candidate for conso-
lation's sake, if nothing more, now bids
fair to outlive the after-election agitation.
1t has risen to the dignity of a bill in the
Legislature for the adoption of the Aus
tralian system, which, it is claimed, will
furnish remedy for the possible corruption
and the non-secrecy of the present system.
Under the Australian system, the ballots
give the names of all the candidates for a
certain Office, with their politics. On enter
ing the room the voter is given ticket, or
set of tickets, which are stamped for identi-
ication. He then passes behind railing
and into booth, where he prepares his bal
lot by putting crosses in the blank spaces
opposite the candidates name for whom he
wishes to vote. He then passes between two
ratings and deposits the ballot.
IN REGARD TO CERTIFYING.
In connection with this it is proposed
to have the State nominations certified 15
DAYS, and local nominations 10 days before
election. Nominations of a political party
which, at the next preceding election,
polled per cent of the whole vote, are to
be certified by party officers, and independ-
ent nominations, if for State Office, are to
be certified by 1000 voters, and if for local
Office by 100.
When certified the ballots are to be
printed at public expense and distributed
by public officers.
When asked in regard to the system
yesterday by DISPATCH reporter, ex-
Judge Charles S. Fetterman said:
have been considerably interested in the
Australian system. and think its general feat
ures good, though some points in regard to its
workings will have to be brought out and made
more efectual and more adapted to circum-
stances.
l have always admired the Ohio system,
which is on similar plan. The ballots are all
in one, with the names of the candidates on,
from President down to the smaller offices.
The County Committee notifies the County
Commissioner of the nominations, and the
tickets are printed at public expense, and you
have to use these tickets.
MORE SPEED AND LESS COST.
By this plan, the tickets are counted in one
third less time and 1t takes the printing of
tickers out of the parties hands altogether. 1t
would not cost more than $500 OF 5000 to print
the tickets The county committees at the
present time give the date to the authorities to
get up the tally sheets. so that there would be
no difficulty in this respect.
My plan would be to have the voter enter the
ROOM instead of going outside to deposit his
= ballot On entering the room he is to be
handed ticket with all the candidates names
on, which is to be stamped and another stamp
mark made on the poll book opposite the
voters name to show that he has obtained his
ticket which he then prepares before leaving
the room and casts it in the box, when another
stamp mark is recorded against his name, to
show that he has voted.
The plan of having booths would be all right,
but hardly applicable to small precincts and
would cost too much to fit up a room
would allow no stickers to be used, and
have the ballots prepared similar to the Au-
stralian system.
PURITY GUARANTEED.
This plan would cut off smooth-bores and
stickers, and il would be impossible to cast an
unauthorized ballot, or for the same man to
obtain two ballots. A record of the ballot be-
ing kept from the time it is taken until cast.
The printing ought to be done by the County
Controller. The system of ratification could be
arranged all right, as the County Committee
has to give data for the tally-sheets anyway.
W. J. Bremen, ESQ.,, Chairman of the
Democratic County Committee, when seen
bv the reporter had no Improvements to sug-
gest on the Australian system, and had
taken quite an interest in it since its first
exposition. Continuing Mr.. Bremen said:
The secrecy of the ballot is the great thing.
Our present ballot is not secret in more than
one way, and the plan of preparing the ballots
and printing them in the Australian system, 1
think would be a big Improvement.
HE WON'T BE FOUND OUT.
doubt not that many a man would vote
more true to his conscience, and often change
his politics. If the ballot was secret. Scratched
tickets are always examined by the politicians
to see who have changed their votes, and should
a man cast a vote other than as usual it can be
seen at the window by the size OF some peculiar
ity in the ballot. If they were printed by the
county with the names of all candidates on, in
the way named in the system, it would do away
with this.
Another thing, the way the ballot boxes are
left in some precincts after voting, doubt not
that in 10 per cent of the precincts they are
voted. OF course, il is an advantage to the
wirepullers and party men to know how to ap
proach a man. Purity of the ballot must be
obtained and secrecy in casting the ballot is
the first great essential