The Portland daily press., 1889-11-07
Papers Of All Parties Unite In An
proving the New Voting system.
A Great Guarantee Of Orderly EIec-
tIons and Free Ballot.
Those Who Oppose 1t Must Co Down
Before II Says the Boston journal.
[ Boston Journal

VI fOtC uloLAiDubOLo anu WOIhClSt WIN
have made the duty of voting burden to
quiet citizens, were conspicuous by their alb
sence. Their occupation was gone. Such
vote soliciting as was done was Of the most
quiet kind, and once within the rail the voter
was left entirely free to prepare his ballot in
accordance with his own unaided judgment,
without interference or suggestion from any
one. The voting went for ward quietly and
swiftly, and the number Of voters who re-
quired the use Of the compartments for the
full time allowed by law, was very small
percentage Of the whole. Probably the
large majority of voters did not spend more
than minute or minute and half in pre-
the new system was so carefully devised and
arranged that 1t worked without friction or
difficulty. The immense work which devolved
upon the office of the Secretary of State was
accomplished In manner so systematic and
with so close an attention to detail as to re-
suit in absolute accuracy, and the right bal
lots were deposited at the right precincts at
the right time all over the State with a GER
tainty which seemed like magic. The vari-
GUS checks and safeguards Incorporated in
the law worked effectively for the purpose
for which they were designed, and the re-
suit Is system which registers the actual
Intention OF the voters with as little danger
Of error, or interference, or fraud, as any
that ever has been devised.
1t is safe to say that this system has come
to stay. If politicians Of either party who
are incommoded by some features of the
new method have imagined that they could
invent pretext for successful assault up
on it, they may as we'll abandon the idea
The people will be impatient with any such
enterprises after yesterdays. experiment.
The system may be nproved-perhaps by
fixing limit to the numbar of voters in
precinct-but it will neither be surrendered
nor subjected to hostile amendments.
Wherever 1t was tried yesterday under fa-
vorable conditions-that Is to say, in pre-
cincts of reasonable size-it worked with al
most ideal ease and accuracy.
This result will give great impulse to the
ballot reform movement in other States
The experiment in Montana was made in a
sparsely settled State, and with provisions
allowing the promiscuous participation of
iiliterate voters. The experiment in Con-
necticut was with kind Of halfway law,
which provided the voting compartments.
but not the official ballot. The test in this
State was made with all the essential fea.
lures OF the Australian system, and the vOt-
ers Of the other States of the Union-cer-
tainly in the North-will not rest until they
have system substantially like ours Par
ties, or legislatures, or governors who per-
sistently oppose themselves to this reform
will go down before it.
AGRAND SUCCESS.
Boston Advertiser.l
Although some imperfections, already
known. and others doubtless to be made
known, attached to yesterdays experiment,
vet upon the whole, It was grand success.
There was expressed a. nearly unanimous
sentiment Of approval by the voters. 1t will
be amended, but it will not be repealed.
SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATION.
boston Herald
The most enthusiastic advocates of the
Australian ballot law could hardly have an
ticipated such an unqualified approval of
that measure as was given to il YESTERDAY by
the people of this State. We confess that.
although we were strongly in favor of the
reform, we had imagiLed that after the first
trial II would be necessary to urge many of
ouf citizens not to judge too hastily of this
new method, on the ground that successive
trials would accust0m our people to what, at
first sight. might seem an intricate system
Is3tg OF ballsS3ting. These fears have proved to be
hundred in this State who, after the ex- |
perience OF yesterday, would go back to the |
old order of things. The Australian ballot |
plan Is not only destined to be permanent |
method IN Massachusetts,. but after the |
practically unanimous Endorsement the peo- |
pie OF this State have given to it. it cannot |
fail to be speedily Incorporated into the |
electoral methods of the other States of the |
Union.
AN UNQEEsTIoNABLE SUCCESS.
springfield Republican,
The Australian ballot system is an un- |
all sorts and conditions of men, except no |
doubt, the vote peddlers and other polititi- |
cal hangers-on, whose occupation is taken |
away.
NOTABLE SUCCESS.
boston Postl
The new ballot act has proved a notable |
success upon its first trial. Not only does il |
receive the approval Of citizens whose only |
wish is to see an election conducted decorous- |
y,freely and intelligently, but practical" pol
iticians Of every stripe express their salts |
faction with the result of yesterdays expe- |
rlment. 1t is no exaggeration to say that all |
the advantages predicted for this reform are |
more than realized in its operation, and the |
result of the test even surpasses the expecta- |
tlon OF It's advocates. In Boston, the change /
In the surroundings Of the polls was remark |
able and gratifying, The hawking of ballots
the opportunity Of workers" with "stick-
ers- err for every candidate on the list, the es-
pionage Of bosses" were. notable by their |
absence, The path of voters to |
the ballot box was neither beset |
nor obstructed, and the act Of |
voting had more than ever before the ap- |
pearance Of intelligent, independent choice. |
Inere seems to have been no difficulty at |
tending the operation Of the new method, |
and there Is no reason to think that any |
considers considerable number Of errors occurred
deed, the reform ballot act has proved its ex-
cellence at the start.
A SUCCESS BEYOND THE UTMOST ANTI
CIPATIoN.
Boston Globe.l
The election yesterday had many gratify-
ing features, but in some senses the most |
gratifying of them all was the brilliant sue
cess Of the Australian" ballot reform.
In this city 1t was a success beyond the ut |
most anticipation. Many Republicans pre- |
dicted and some. Democrats feared that in |
certain sections OF the city the new form Of |
ballot wOnl6 he f0nnd Mi I'D 20 I,a
readily understood. These predictions and |
fears have come to naught. In no section of |
the city was there any difficulty worth men,
tioning. Voters who might fairly be ex-
use OF the new and strange system took to it
as naturally as. If they had never
known any other. In one pre-
clnct. where 1.-The most misunder-
standings had been anticipated, not single
pallot had been spoiled up to noon. And so
FAR from cutting down the Democratic ma
lority In this city, Mr.. Russells lead here is
fully as large as we had any right to expect,
Wnen the large decrease in registration Is
taken into consideration.
In the other cities, and in the smaller
towns, the success Of the new system seems
TO have been equally marked. The absolute
secrecy Of the new ballot has relieved the
voter from that more or less palpable social
and Industrial intimidation under which he
has labored in the past.
EXCELLENT RESULTS.
Lowell MALL
The new ballot law yestsrday proved the
most popular piece of legislation that has
latelysoeen enacted. Its effect everywhere
was TO render voting pleasanter duty than
mas been the case heretofore when people
nave been obliged to run gauntlet Of ballot
distributors and peddlers OF stickers who,
having hired their services TO candidates of
every degree, have persistently offered their
electoral wares to every conner. The result Of
the new law will be to cause men to come out
on election day who have heretofore re-
mained away from the polls because of their
dislike for the associations they have had TO
encounter at those places. The returns from
other cities show the same orderly charac-
ter Of the elections that prevailed here. and
the same general satisfaction was manifested
by the people over the result.
GREAT SUCCESS.
springfield Unlon.l
The new ballot law is great success. 1t
receives words Of praise from all sides. Dis
patches from the cities and large towns tell