Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-21
A WARNING 10 ILLUSTRATORS.


the propositions for reform are yet out of
committee. Necessarily, therefore, the time
for deliberatiVe consideration in the houses
on the subject will be now greatly narrowed,
and the measures may therefore be said to
be in peril.
The Legislature cannot afford to adjourn
without acting upon the election bills now
before it. If the members go back to their
constituents with no sufficient excuse for
ncn-action, their political fortunes will be
unmade. The subject is altogether too i'm
poriant for cavalier treatment, yet that is
precisely what is being accorded the bills
referred to by a very considerable number
of The members. If it is continued to the
eLa it will be deplorsble for the State and
fatal to the political aspirations of the OBJ
stractionists
We are told by some DIRECTORS that our
laws are ample already; but all men know
That they are subject TO gross abuses and
the INSCRIPTIONS have devised ways to cir
cugyent and defeat them, until now it is
impossible to preserve the secrecy of the
ballot under them, or to prevent the vicious
from warping them to their own uses. The
billrecommended by the Young Mems Dem
oeratic League ofSan Francisco is as nearly
p frct IS can be now devised. The chief
OH ction raised to itnow is that it is Aus
tralian,r as if that had anything to do with
the merit Of the measure But while such
an objection speaks of q narrow intelli-
gence, and of most unworthy prejudice
of which legislator should be ashamed,
it must be understood that the bill re-
ferred TO is not the Australian measure.
Ghe prime feature in it is the result of
the study and genius of an American, snd
better still, of Californian; Democrat,
ty the way, who wants free ballot and
fair count, as do all decent men. That
feature is the tag system" by which the
ballot number is printed on tag or cor
ner torn off before deposit of the ballot.
and after aseertainment that the voters
name is properly entered upon the poll list.
These numbers, as detached, are put into
a box, and at the conclusion of the polling
must correspond, in their total, with the
names on the poll list, and the ballots in
the hallot-box and the stubs in the ballot
books, thus utterly precluding ''stufiDg."
Now let us see to what any man can pos
s.bly object in the League" bill, which is
a s-eat advance upon the Federated Trades
bill, and which the author of the Ias-
ter is willing may be substituted for the
original. Let us take the voting machinery
OF lie bill in detail and ascertain what
possible reason can be advanced against it.
Ii provides that the State, or the local
authority, shall furnish all the ballots,
Can anyone object 10 that, since it insures
uniformity, eliminates cost to candidates.
and renders illegal ballots impossible2
That all the ballots shall be water
marked, SO as TO be beyond probability of
counterfeiting. No one can reasonably OBJ
ieot to this.
Tint the names of all The candidates, be-
ing duly certified, shall be printed upon
one ballot in party groups This renders it
impossible for ticket TO be foisted upon a
ysisr that he does not want and to that no
one except the heller, striker and cor
rupiionist can possibly object.
That the voter shall receive his ticket
rom the Election Board-tbus insuring
genuineness-ana retiring to voting shelf
shall mark X opposite TO the names he de-
sires to vote. Returning to the box, he
presents his folded ballot with the number
on the outer corner. The Inspector, ascer-
tanning that this number is identical with
the number recorded on the poll list when
the voter received his ballot, the number
on The perforated corner is torn off from the
ballot put into box, and the elector then
casts his ballot. This secures the voter.
absolutely, from interference and impor-
tunity; lnsures from him g perfectly free
expression of his choice. frees him from
any possibility of domination or COW. and
makes the secrecy of his ballot invulnera-
bic Who can object TO such endsf Who
will make bold TO say that they should not
be attained?
II is objected that the system devised in
the dill for enrolling candidates since it
gives every man who has the written in
The right to run for Office and have bis
name upon the official ballot-will lessen
pasiy strength On the contrary, it will
intensity party potency, for all its tenden-
cies will be to induce political organiza-
tons 20 put up the very best tickets; and
this being done, full party strength will be
cast, and boilers and independent candi-
dates win become unknown.
The political bosses object TO the BILL but
This should be one chief and sufficient rea-
son FOR supporting it. If they approved
tie measure it would be cause for grave sus-
picion that it is in some respect defective.
TIE fact is, that the passage of the bill and
the enforcement of the law will mean dis
sister to the bosses, confusion to the strik-
ers and utter loss OF occupation TO the
ticket peddlers. 1t will mean that the poor
man will have equal rights with any other
to aspire to office that the rejected man
against whom the political mauipulators
Close the doors of conventions, shall
equally with all others, enjoy the right to
be yot d for. It will mean that men the
people demand shall be nominated, will
no longer be ignored by party managers,
or knocked out" Of conventions by ward
politics and boss triclery. 1t will mean
that s,ufing of the ballot box shall cease,
and no longer be possible; that there shall
be q full, free and secret ballot and a
fair and open and honest count.
Let the members of the Legislature
understand that in the estimation of the
people of California this subject rises su-
premely important to any other before it,
and that failure, by delay or otherwise, to
consider ii fully, freely. calmly, and to act
upon it wisely aud without partisan bias,
will politically damn the party that holds
the majority to pass. but defeats it.
CALIFORNIA ON WHEELS.
The success Of the exhibition of Cali
forDia products at the East, in cars moving