Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-02-28
NO.22--SOl.
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voting places and the manner of cast
ing votes that no voter shall seem to be
unduly Influenced in his choice when
he steps up to deposit his ballot. Of
course, there are politicians who do not
like this reform and they are exercising
their ingenuity in framing bills that APP
pear to reform but in reality leave room
for all the cid abuses. 1t is to be hop
ed that a sharp eye will be kept on all
these schemes ano that they be etfectu-
ally headed off. Massachusetts prides
herself on being the leader in this re-
form. Six different bills have been
brought before the Connecticut legisla-
ture. Three are modelled on the gen.
eral lines of the Australian system, al
though one would simplify the ballot by
providing that certain officers now elect
ed shall be appointed by the selectmen.
There are three bills of Democratic or
igin which embody the envelope sys-
tenn. One of these more prominent
than the others bears the name of its
author, Cleveland. This provides that
the State shall furnish an envelope in
which 20 place the ballot. The voting
must be done in secret apartments but
the votes can be obtained of ticket ped
dlers of any party, as is now DONE
The reform is so slight here that it is
hardly worth while to make account of
it. Another bill provides that the en-
velopes be punctured after the ballots
have been put into them, and still an
other provides that there shall be YES
tibules into which the voter may retire
and prepare his ballot. These meas
ures all come short of the reform need
ed. The bill favored by the republic
ans Is modelled after the Massachusetts
and Saxton bills. This provides that
the ballot be furnished by the state, ,and
signed on the back by the Moderator
Of the polling place by initials or stamp
SO as to make it an official ballot. 1t
provides separate polling places for ev
cry four hundred vo;ers, for secret COM
partments and for the absence of crowds
at the polls. The measures introduced
into some of the other states are worthy
of notice. The Johns bill in Illinois
provisions for registration,
and at elections provides for tables di-
vided into compartments by partitions
of voting shelves. In Alaba-
ma they have what they call the Law
son bill. This provides that the ballots
shall be prepared by the Judges OF Pro-
bate. II any person wishes to vote for
any particular candidate he can notify
the Judge of Probate and have the
name inserted in the ballot. The names
Of candidates that one does not wish to
vote for can be erased with pen and
ink. The elector is to prepare his bal
lot "without any instruction, informa-
tion, interference, direction or sign
whatever from the inspectors or any
one else" But this bill contains one
unique feature. 1t inserts clause
that is designed to confuse the illiterate.
The bottom facts of the case are, it is
hoped by means of it to nullify the col
ored vote. The substance of the clause
is, that when two or more persons for
the same office are printed upon the
same ticket, the names of said persons
shall be alternated upon the tickets
during the printing of the same. 1t
required the ingenuity of Bourbon to
get up scheme like this. 1t is clear
that in Alabama the voters need re-
forming quite as much as the system of
voting. This method of doing away
with the colored vote has some advan-
tages over the Ku Klux plan, but the
same spirit may be found underneath.
In New York they are still pressing for
reform.
II you want garden seeds that are