The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-04-16
THE COMING REFORM.
he Legislatures of TWenty-SiX
States are Considering the
Australian System.
Review of a Plan of Voting
Which is Intended to Pre-
vent Fraud.

The BAzoo has received 80 many
inquiries concerning the Australian
system of voting, that it gives the fol-
lowing brief outline of the law which
has already been introduced in tn
legislatures of twenty-six states In the
Union, including Missouri.
There are many plain reasons why
the American system of voting should
be changed for better one. 1t
makes no difference from whence the
new system comes, so long as it RENE
dies the existing evils and does not
obstruct the freedom of the ballot.
The boosted "free ballot" of America
has for a NUMBER of years existed on
ly in the vision of the idealist, or in
the harangue of the cheap stump
speaker. Intimidation is prac-
tieed In various ways, bribery is COM
mon, and frauds of every practical
kind are INDUCED in to the corruption
of the American ballot. If the Aus
tralian system will put stop to these
practices, let us have it in Missouri.
The Australian system briefly
stated is as follows: All ballots are
printed by the state and sent to the
proper town or city officials a short
time before elections. Nominations
must be certified to by a responsible
per cent of persons and sent to the
state department a sufficient length OF
time before the ensuing election. No
ballots are to be printed or used. un-
der penalty, other than those issued
by the state. On the day of election
the duly registered voter at the polls
receives from the election judges a
properly Endorsed ballot upon which
is printed the names of the candidates
of all the parties. At the end OF each
name is blank space where the voter
is required 10 make cross after the
names Of the candidates for whom he
wishes 10 vote. This places the diff
ferent candidates upon an equality 50
far as the supply aud distribution Of
ballots are concerned. Al the polls
fence or railing Of some kind Is ar
ranged with a convenient entrance
aul exit, and also sufficient nam ser
OF nooths are par.ijiOned off AMI IIr-
nisned wiJl wiring boards
The voter passes in ~ the entrance,
receives his ballot from the judges
and passes into one of the booths to
prepare it. No one is permitted in
side the railing except limited num-
Der of voters, and only one man at a
time is allowed to occupy a booth.
There is nc chance for poll workers
and every voter is enabled to cast
secret ballot. Not soul except him.
self knows for whom he votes. Fold
ing his ballot with the names inside,
and the official Endorsement showing
on the outside, the voter hands it to
the judges and waits until it is
dropped into the box unopened and
unnumbered, thus making it impossi-
BILE for even the judges to distinguish
one mans ballot from another's. If
in making out his ballot, it is injured
in any way the voter may obtain an
other by returning it to the judges.
Every ballot sent out by the state de-
partment must be scrupulously &C.
counted for by the sworn officials
through whose hands they pass.
The essential points of the Austria
liam system are. that ballots contain
ing the names of all candidates be
printed at public expense, that one
official ballot or set of ballots be de-
livered by sworn officers to each vo-
ter as he appears to vote; that the
voter be Immediately secluded for the
purpose of preparing to voee; that he
liver his ballot to the inspectors so
folded as to conceal ITS face and ex-
pose the official endorsement; that im-
mediately after he withdraw from the
secluded part of the polling place,
that there be no intercourse with him |
except by election officers for official
purposes from the time he receives !
his ballot until he votes; and that no
voter be allowed to cast any ballot |
but the one he receives from the cleo
ton officers.
Different notifications are suggest |
ed by advocates, but the above essen
tials should not be tempered with.
Any man who is at all familiar with
the evils of our present voting system
will see at once the marked advant-
ages of the Australian system.
Is ConSunDtiOn lDcurable?