The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-03-28
THE.NEW BALLOT SYSTEM.

ly Lena danQ, mas gwen a clcdr
and interesting description of the
new ballot system adopted in Mas
sachusetts, and to be in legal force
after November 1, 1889. This sys-
tenn is founded on that originally
adopted in Australia, and subsequent
ly in England, reinforced in the lat
ter country by "the corrupt practices
law" which perfects and rounds the
system. 1t has been found to work
admirably wherever it has been
but the only place in the United
States where as yet it has been put
in operation is in the city of Louis
vile, Kentucky, where the testimo-
ny is highly favorable to its efficien-
cy. 1t has hitherto been the custom
throughout the United States for each
of the two greater parties and other
smaller parties to print their own
ballots in such numbers as to provide
an ample supply for all possible ex-
igencies. The example of Massa,
chusetts under the old law, as cred
tied by Mr.. Dana, may be taken as
descriptive of the method elsewhere
in n. c., for instance. In
Massachusetts, there are about seven
hundred polling places, and single
set of nominations required about
one and aquarter million of ballots.
Each of the two greater parties print
ed about this number for a State
election, and smaller parties a like
proportion. To pay for this print
ing and for other expenses of the
election candidates were taxed, and
in many cases taxed heavily. "'The
fact that the ballot bore different
candidates for local offices
and district-in the different parts of
the State, required as many as from
one hundred and sixty to two hun
dred ballots" -how familiar all this
is to us-"and still further compile
Gated the system" Through this
custom came the politicians opportu-
nifty, how and in what way Mr.. Dana
goes on to describe. "This printing
and distribution," he says, required
a great deal of labor, which was un-
dertaken by the different party or
CARNATIONS through their committees,
(the party workers. and these were
apt to be men who pursued politics
as a personal aim. These men thus
got control of the party machinery,
and the able leaders found then-
selves dependent on them" We
have heard a great deal about the
suppression of the negro vote 1.-THE
South, but even if it were true it
was not worse than the presence at
the polls of the foremen of the fac
tories in New England with a list
of the operatives, on which each
vote was checked off as it was de-
posted in the ballot-box, and woe
to him who did not vote as his en-
ployer desired. The Australian sys-
tenn does away, as far as possible,
with this open voting and unjust SUI
pervision over the voter, while it re-
duces to minimum the inducements
to bribery and corruption which, ac-
cording to Prof. Ely in a recent adj
dress, is the method adopted by cap.
italists and the &enefciaries of mo-
nopolies to debauch the political
conscience of the poor. The new
ballot system of Massachusetts has
two special features. In the first
place, the State prints all the ballots
at the public cost. In the next
place, it secures the absolute secrecy
Of the deposit of the ballot. The
nomination of the candidates may be.
made by caucus of any party or
by a number ofindividual citizens
equaling one-third of the voters ola
district. The number, however
must be at least fifty, and need not
in any case exceed one thousand.
Nominations for State elections
must be handed in to the Secretary
of State at least fourteen days before
State election, for a city election
ten days, and for other elections.
seven days. When the ballots are
printed and officially authenticated
they are folded lengthwise, (all the
names of all the candidates for the
different Offices being on the ballot.
They are then sent for distribution
through the city and township clerks
to the various polling places. Be-
sides being open to inspection in the
secretary's office, specimen -beu61s
are required to be posted at all pol
ling-places four days before the cleo
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