St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-20
UNDER THE new LAW.
Aid. Thompson's Successor
to Be Chosen a la Aus
tralian System.
The Exposition Being Rushed
Forward to Compile
ton.
Lawyer Brady Turns Right
Side Up With
Care.
The Police Commission In
vestigating a New Patrol
System.

There will be two special meetings of
the council to-day, one at ] 80 p. M, to
take action regarding the death of Aid.
Daniel G. Thompson, of the Fifth ward,
and one IN the evening to take what
legal action is necessary in the prem
Uses. At the latter meeting the office
will be declared vacant by the death CT
Mr.. Thompson and a special election
will be ordered to fill the vacancy. This
election will be held Tuesday.
Sept. 10, and will be held under the
new ballot law passed by the last leglS-
lature, and which is modelled upon the
so-called Australian system OF voting.
The election will be the first held in
Minnesota, and will, for that reason, be
of peculiar interest to the public. 1t
will be practical test in small scale
of the efficiency of the ballot act. City
Clerk Haney, who spent part of yes
terday studying the voluminous law.
will be ready to obey it to the letter, as
City Attorney Russell has decided
that to be the only course
since the new law and the charter con-
fiict in the subject of special elections.
The Australian ballot law is a cumber-
some device, intended to give added
secrecy to the act of of voting. 1t pro-
vides first for three kinds and colors of
tickets to be voted, state ticket
(white) to be provided by the state au-
ditor, county ticket (blue) to be pro-
vided by the county auditor, a city
ticket (red) to be provided by the city
clerk or recorder. The expense of tick
cts falls on the candidates, as they
are required to deposit with the
officers named above, along with their
credentials sum of money-state can
didates $50 each, county candidates $50,
city candidates, including would-be al
aermen. park commissioners, school di-
rectors, ETC., So each. The, proper Off
Ger takes their credentials from the con-
vention which nominated them and
prints the ballots with the names OF all
the candidates thereon. The registered
voter, when he comes to the polls, re-
ceives ticket from one of the Judges of
election, one for the state, one for the
county and one for the city. He goes
into stall where he is alone and makes
a cross against the name of the man for
whom he votes. If he spoils ticket
he must return to the judge of election,
give up the spoiled paper, and receive
new one. The election judge is required
to preserve and account for all the bal
lot papers he receives. One hundred
and fifty must be furnished for each
registered voter. When the ballot is
prepared the voter hands 1t to the judge
of election who gave it to him, and he
deposits it in the proper box in the
presence of the voter and the public, a
rail only separating him from the ballot
box.
Registration is accomplished much as
IT. is now. In case of the coming special
election the three judges to be ap-
pointed by the council tonight and the
two clerks to be appointed by them will
meet fourteen days before the election
at 9 a. m. and keep the registry Office
open until Z p. IN. On the next day
they must meet again from 9 to Z, and
on the Tuesday preceding the election
open the registration room from IL m.
to 8 D. m. On the two latter days the
voters are to have an opportunity in
person to get their names on the lists.
On election day the polls are to remain
open from a. m. to p. m.
The work of getting ready the ma
chinery for the special election in the
Seventh and Eighth wards will be some
thing immense. First there will have
to be two stalls built for each 100 voters.
The Eighth ward cast 2,400 votes in
eight precincts last fall: that will ne
cessitate forty-eight stalls. Then there
will have to be an immense amount of
stationery, such as blanks, oaths,. poll
books, registration books, etc.. printed:
Lastly the judges will have to be drilled
in their duties In addition to the work
there will be considerable expense at
tending the election. not less than 81 200,
of which the principal item will be four
days work for forty Judges and clerks.
at So per day, $3.50. The other expenses
will be rent, carpenter work, printing,
etc. City Clerk Haney estimates that
the expense will be % per cent greater
under the new law