Evening journal., 1890-02-13
A PURE BALLOT.
AN ADDRESS BY A CHAMPION OF TIE
AUSTRALIAN SYSTEM.

the Young Mems Democratic Club and
Invited Guests.
There was notable gathering of
thoughtful, intelligent and progressive
citizens At the rooms Of the Young Men
Democratic Club last night to hear the
cause of the Australian Ballot plead by
that system foremost champion In Dell
aware, Thomas r. Graham Esq, of Ken
ton, law student Of the class of '91 at
the University OF Pennsylvania.
Invitations had been sent to all the
state, city and county officials, and to many
well known citizens, irrespective of party
affiliations, and in consequence the small
assembly room of the club was well filed
with an audience of representative men.
To the left of the brilliant young orator,
ON the dais, sat Judge Houston, who
seemed highly entertained by some jokes
which Senator John p. Donahoe was
pouring into his ear. To the right sat
General Theodore F. Armstrong of New
ark, and Judge ]. Frank Ball
Among other prominent citizens who
listened with deep attention to the lee
turer as he explained -the modus oper
andi of this systeml which is expected TO
prove panacea for all electoral ills we're
w. s. Hilles. Esq, w. f. Smalley, ESQ,
L. G. Vandegrift, Esq, H. @. Conrad,
Esq. Deputy Attorney General Davis,
Patrick Neary John T. Diclxey, Peter j.
Ford, Editor Jersey Editor HUMPHREYS,
George P. 0rtlip.
There were also present, It. r. Graham
Of kenton, father OF the speaker, and
William Hardcastle of Smyrna.
President Campbell presided and in an
eloquent but brief speech introduced the
/ lecturer.
Mr.. Graham began his address in a
historical vein. He said there were three
methods Of voting now in use. the viva
| yoce, which is in operation in Kentucky
the silent, which is peculiar TO the United
States, and is a non secret style of cast
ing ones franchise, and the secret, or
Australian system.
Legislation embodying this system Of
secret voting was first proposed in the
Legislative Council of South Australia
in 1851, by Francis s. Dutton. MFR. Dut-
ton. like the sponsor Of every reform
movement met with much opposition for
several sessions until 1857, when his meas
ure was passed. Victoria and New South
Wales adopted the system about the
same time Tasmania incorporated it into
her laws in 1858. and New Zealand in
1870. In England, in 1889, a committee
was appointed, with the Marquis Of Hart
ington in the chair, TO inquire into the
existing methods of conducting elections
in order to further guarantee to the
country tranquility, purity and free
dom" in parliamentary and municipal
! elections The committee took evidence
for three months and examined witnesses
from the United States, France, Italy,
Greece and Australia, stead
lily endeavoring to make some
comprehensive solution of the prob
lem. In 1870. Marquis Of Harrington 4
committee reported in favor of the Aus
tralian System. Later in the same year
5 William E. Foster, Secretary Bruce and
I Lord Harrington introduced a ballot act
which was re committed and amended
: from session to session for more than tive
& years until May, 1872 it passed thl
4 House Of Commons and subsequently, tool
g its place among the statutes. IL wa
g based substantially on the South Aus
& tralian System 1t is interesting as
g matter Of legislative practice in England
2 as well as being q high tribute to th
4 Australian system to note that England
e in adopting that system in 1872, Unite,
}. it to expire on December 81. 1850, but i
has been re-enacted from year to year evei
since.
, The young reformer then dwelt Of
4 how the adoption Of his pet system ha,
(. done away with bribery in English cleo
J tions and how. land owners and 1aanufac
j. turers have ceased to tyranize their ten
+ ants and workmen.
e From England the system jumped owe
s into Belgium and then extended to til
o British possessions in North Americs
n Our country was very slow to adopt tn
innovation, but in1SS5 the first Legislation
toward this end was instituted in tn
Michigan Legislature, although the bi
4 failed to pass.
To Kentucky belongs the honor 9
being the first state to adopt the Aus
3 tralian manner of voting, and at til
municipal election in Louisville in De
cember, 1888. the first vote under thi
system was cast in the United States.
worked admirably and bribery was Ell
tirely done away with.
Massachusetts, was the first state I
extend the operation of the system
state elections She held her first cleo
! ton under the new method in November
: 1889. The other states which hav
I adopted the Australian system Of votin
are Wisconsin. Rhode Island Missouri
y Tennessee, Connecticut, Montana, Min
= nesota and Dakota. Most of the othe
y states have had measures embodying thi
system before their Legislatures.
New York it was killed by veto; In Ne'
Jersey and Colorado it passed the lowe
4 house and was given a quietus in til
= Senate Committee; and in the othe
states it was silently inferred befor
coming to a vote, or was voted upon ad
versely. From this summary Of til
IN attitude Of the various states on thi
question of ballot reform we see that
!, has been adopted by eleven states, an
- many of the Legislatures which conven
~ this winter are more than likely to enaC
1t. Pope says: BE not the first by whoI
Ill the new is tried, nor yet the last to Ia
N the old aside" Then fellow Delawarean;
If there is any wisdom in those lines {
i Pope, is it not time for Delaware to sho'
" that she is wiser
Is Letting this cursory review Of the his
tory of the system suffice, we will no
of give some consideration to the system
os two principal features-oficial ballots an
q enclosures wherein the ballot can
marked in absolute secrecy. The ballot
are printed at public expense-by til
OF state in some instances as in Massachl
"a sets and by the counties in other il
az stances The printing of the otticfi
IA ballot is necessarily preceded by nomini
u. tions Of the candidates. This may
i'll done in one of three ways; by politics
lg conventions or by voting directly {
4, primaries for nominees as is now done