The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-20
BALLOT REFORM.

Montana adopted the Australian ballot
system in its constitution, and the late
election was held under it. The system
worked admirably, considering that it was
new alike to officials and voters. After
two or three elections the plan will be
generally understood, and then nobody who
desires honest elections will think of sug-
gesting a return to the old system. In
deed, the tendency throughout the country
is tow ard the adoption of the Australian
plan Several of the states have already
adopted it in q modified form, and the cleo
tions this fall will be held under it in Mas
sachusetts and Indiana. Connecticut has
already voted under it.
Ballot reform is going to be one of the
issues in national and state politics. 1t is
an issue now in one sense, the politicians
talking about it; and it will soon be an
issue on which campaigns will be con-
Quoted. The last Presidential election was
so full of bribery and fraud at the polls that
the people were disguised, and ever since
there has been a growing demand that
some scheme shall be devised whereby the
returns shall represent the true verdict of
the citizens, and not the will Of those
guilty of buying votes in blocks of five,
or bulldozing them with threats of loss of
employment. The returns on their face
seldom tell the true sentiment OF the clti-
zens. A year ago manufacturers of PRO
tected" articles, and mine and mill
owners interested in continuing the
high tariff, marched their employees to the
polls by thousands, and compelled them to
vote the Republican ticket. We may say
that a man should be independent and defy
his employers; it is well enough to talk in
this way, but there are not many men who
have the courage to vote away their bread
and butter, and deprive themselves of the
privilege of providing for the wants of their
families. Some there are who viii be free
and independent in their voting IN spite Of
the consequences; but they are not numer-
GUS.
The Australian system seems to come
nearer than any other to providing the pro
lection to the individual essential to a free
and honest expression of will. a writer
in the current issue Of the Forum describes
that system. The voter is not only pro-
tected in the absolute secrecy of his ballot,
but the protection is compulsory so far as
the state is concerned The individual
must tell how he voted if he wants it
known. The tickets are all printed by the
state, and each contains the names of all
the regularly nominated candidates. These
tickets are not peddled out by strikers and
bosses, but are kept only at the polling
booths, aud but one is handed to the voter.
The voter, after receiving his ticket, steps
behind a screen where he runs pencil
across all the names save those of his can
didates. Then, folding his ticket in any
manner, he deposits it in the box in the
presence of the judges. 1t is provided in
the law that if the citizen cannot read one
of the Judges shall retire with him and
read the ticket over, crossing the
names as directed. 1t is
penal offense for the Judge to divulge for
whom the man voted. One feature would
not be tolerated in this country, though it
has never worked badly in Australia. The
name of the voter is written on the corner
Of the ticket, and the corner is then folded
over and pasted down. This is done to
prevent repeating, and the ticket is never
disturbed except in case of repeating, when
it is searched out and destroyed. JOHN
JONES votes at one booth, his name being
checked on the registration list; when it
comes to the canvass after the polls
have closed, it is discovered that JoHN
JONES has voted at another booth. Then
his ballots are taken from the two boxes
and both destroyed. For Judge to tell
I,l l,n to
invite admittance to prison, the law being
very severe on officials who divulge cleo
ton secrets. Nobody, except the judges,
is allowed in the room while man is
voting, and as soon as the citizen deposits
his ballot he must retire. The public
is not permitted to come within a
certain distance of the polls between the
opening and the closing hours. Thus, the
employee is absolutely free from the
threats and influence of his employer; and
il {. bribe-giver pays money for vote, he
has no guarantee that the purchased indi-
vidual will not vote for the other candi-
date, as he can do without running the
risk Of discovery or the exposure Of bad
faith. In this country the buyer of votes
can place tickets in the hands Of his pur
chasers, and going with them to the polls,
see that he is not swim died.
The American people everywhere are
demanding not only honest returns, but
honest voting, and that every voter have
the utmost freedom in voting. The Aus
tralian ballot system promising more than
any other to satisfy the demand, it is be-
lieved that it will soon be very generally
adopted in this country, when the showing
made by the counting of the votes may be
accepted as being a reasonably correct ex-
preston of the peoples will.