The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-11-22

How the a ustraIisn System Work.
cd In Massach usctts.

I When IN old FancuiI Hall, "the cradl
Iof American liberty" saw tho poll
close on Tuesday afternoon, knew tha
the most pressing Of political REFORM
had been initiated. not merely in Massa
chusetts, but for the whole country: and
that what wc have called tho Australian
y system must. In the immediate future
become tho American system. No op
position IN other States can long stand be
fore the demand for its adoption which
It's successful operation ino AiassachuseftI Il
will create. Governor Hill, Ii he is wise
will take himself out Of the way OF tht
locomotive as gracefully as he can, aud
az speedily as the re- passage OF the Sax.
ton bill will give him opportunity.
\ IN Massachusetts, ON Tuesday tho new
system Of voting fulfilled and more than
fulfilled every nticipation Of its friends
and falsiflcd every prediction Of its enc.
mics. The bosses OF party machines
tho managers Of corporations who had
been accustomed to have clerk or fore
man hand the ticket they wished voted to
their "hands, !" the "hcelers" and swork.
iers' and ''noaters." " hose occupation has
been destroyed, dou btIess held different
sentiments, but In Boston on Tuesday
night the accustomed speculation on the
results OF the election seemed lost or for
gotten in the general comgratulatiOn on
4 he success Of the new system. Republi-
cans, Democrats, Prohibitionists, all
alike rcjoiced over an election from
which the disgusting concomitants OF
the old system had as by magic disap-
apoared.
! In the worst Districts Of Boston, where
previously the polls were surrounded By
jostling crowd OF "ieeIcrs, ""workers, =
l.'tickot peddlers" and "noatcrs" waiting
to SEQ what votes might be worth. and
where, . square of, the approaching vot-
or was importuned to tsko this or that
ticket, were as quiet rs any other parts
Of similar streets. In some precincts
he election was held In large rooms ia
public or private buildings, in others in
one-roomcd framed houses, built so Is
TO be easily taken apart and stored away,
which were erected in the streets In
AL tho internal arrangement was the
same. A wooden rail ran across the
room, dividing il into two parts. one for
tho public and one for the officers OF
Iclection and the voters On tho outside
/ wall were posted the Official Iists Of can.
didates 3 b yoted for and the legal
<lirec(ions and regulations, prominent
|amowg which Wos tho nosicS that lhc
leaking or possessing of n 0nlcIal ballot
| paper outsIdo Of tho rail W.s pun fshablc
! BY dne Of 81 .0O0 and imprisonment for
;ono year. Que police officer Was Sta
tioned Ia the outer divislon u the room,
and the swinging section Of the rail,
which served for entrance to the inner
division, was in charge OF another officer.
| On one eide Of this inner and larger d.
vision Ot the room stood one OF the
standard ballot boxes, adopted some
wears ago In Massachusetts,, in charge oil
two inspectors and Ballot Clerk, pro.
vided with copies OF the poll list. On
| the other side, and fronting II, was q
| table occupied BY two other inspectors
and q Ballot Clerk. Along the inside
wall ran wooden writing shelf, divided
into seven partitioned spaces The
Warden ofthc election precinct, and gen.
Ierally two Supervisors, nominated BY
tho parties, also stood or sat inside The
rail, but, besides these officers and The
citizens engaged in voting, no one else
was permitted to pass the rail- The
voter announced his. name and residence
at the rail-. II found properly Registered
he was admitted and received one copy
of the official ballot. This ballot was in
the shape OF long folder, bearing the
printed autograph Of the Secretary Of
State on the outside and the official list
Of candidates on the inside. Taking this
10 one Of tho compartments. and with
his back to every one In the room, he
marked Il with lead pencil which he
found there, and then closing II to gcther
brought Il to the balIot-box, where, as|
tho name was marked oiro the poll list,
il was received BY an Inspector and laid
in place on tho top Of the ballot-box.
The Inspector turned crank, bell
rang and tho ballot was carried IN to the
box. being printed on both sides in lines
Df red ink on it's passage, while register
On the front Of the box added one 70 thc
1umbcr Of votes recorded as cast. As
he clock struck the Warden announce
ID the closing Of the polls. The number
IN the register and the number Of names
marked OF on the two poll lists were
hen recorded, and the unused and spoil
ID ballot papers counted and done up in
package. The ballot-box was unlock
"a, the ballots taken out. the box ex.I
'mined to make sure that none remained,
he ballots counted and their number re-
orded, and the unused ballot pspers de.
'osited Ia the box. Then the counting !.
{ the votes proceeded, tho election Of
Gers dividing into two parties and |.
hecking each others work. y
In the voting that witnessed l saw
ut one man spoil ballot, which he re-
lrned, getting another. saw only one
al for tho services Of an Inspector be-
ausc be could not read. Tho Warden
skcd him whether he wished Rcpub-
can or Democratic Inspector. lie rc-lr
lied Democratic Inspector. Ono was
ssigned him, and they went TO the com
artmcnt together. In this case one Off
10 State Inspectors, evidently BY mad Il
crtcncc, was standing where he might
ossibly have overheard what names the 4
otcr directed 70 be marked. The atten. Y
on Of tho Warden was called 70 this, y
Id no at once directed tho Supervisor II
movc further away. Tho average timctl
quired for making the ballot papers 81