Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-16

4
provide that the two clerks Of election in
each voting precinct must be Of opposite
| political Affiliations. Nothing that has
proved beneficial should be nndone. but ad-
ditional enactments are needed. Our cleo
tion laws are far from perfect. and those
who profess to believe that they are not
susceptible to amendment have failed TO
study the. great reforms made in other
States.
BALLOT REFORM.
The system Of ballot reform commonly
called the Australian System" has been
successfully adopted in varying forms by
S5.0O0000 people. II has been tried five
years in Norway. seven in England and
Italy. twelve in Belgium fourteen in Canada
and thirty In Australia. It has been
adopted with sundry notifications in Mas
saehusetts, Rhode Island. Indiana, Wiscon-
| sin. Mississippi. Tennessee, Missouri, Mon
| tana, Michigan, Connecticut, and part of
Kentucky. One Of the most thorough
trials OF the system was at the recent elec-
tion in Massachusetts. The late Governor
OF that State testiiles in print that mo one
would seriously consider the repeal of this
election law and consequent return to the
old election methods. Men of all shades
OF political opinion agree that the measure
has worked well, and that 1t is a permanent
part Of the statutes Of Massachusetts. In
its main principles it Is beyond criticism" :"
Iu6 OnlIeu bIdteS MdrSndl DelOngtnS TO q
political party in opposition to the Governor
has written the following: -Letme saythat
the system is most admirable in its work
ings. There is no more bulldozing by our
manufacturers. They can not march their
men to the polls under foreman and vote
them all for one ticket. 1t does away with
every thing that make politics disreptutable
Thus 1t will be seen that the great political
parties, or at least such elements in them
as look for purity and reform, are fully sat
iSfied with elections under this plan. The
cardinal features of the system are: Q) All
must be printed and distributed at public
expense: tN the names for all candidates
for the same Office must be printed on the
same ballot; (3) the ballot must be deliv-
cred to the voter within the polling place by
sworn officers; (N only ballots so delivered
can be voted; Is the voter is guaranteed
absolute privacy in preparing his ballot:
and 6) its secrecy Is made compulsory.
Theforegoing requirements are modified and
altered in detail to suit the views of the
various States and nations which have
adopted them, but the principles here laid
down constitute the salient points of ad-
vantage over other forms of election. You
are recommended to investigate this sys-
tenn. and to introduce it by proper legisla-
ton. The details are left to your Judgment.
The reasons for such action need not be en-
larged upon here. 1t is patent to any one
that when the voter must retire to absolute
privacy y in order to prepare his ballot, there
is no object in bringing him. because the
bribery fails. Equally fruitless would be
attempted intimidation by employers, or
political bullies, or any of the craftier forms
of coercion.
In answer to the principal objection made
against the system-that it might disfran-
chise illiterate voters--it may be said that
provision can be made for such voter to
select one of the ballot clerks to retire with
him under severe penalties against divulg-
ing what may pass between them. The
ballot clerks have no more temptation to act
falsely than have the registrars and Judges
Another means of accomplishing the same
result is to permit the preparation before
hand by the voter through some trusted
friend, OF ballot initiating the official bal
lot, except in color. The illiterate voter
can take the prepared ballot into the booth,
and there copy its markings on the official
ballot. This shields him from the discovery
of his illiteracy, spares him humiliation,
and prevents his possible disfranchise-
ment. 1t has also been urged that it is too
tedious for the elector to mark the name of
each candidate for whom he desires to vote.
To obviate this difficulty ballots are some
times so printed that every regularly nomi-
mated ticket stands by itself on the ballot
and can be voted as a whole by merely
making one cross mark, opposite the cap
tion of said ticket This does not encourage
independence in voting, but disposes of the
fallaciOus charge that voting under this
system is too troublesome. 1t may be added
that there is yet one evil that remains un-
corrected by this reform. 1t terminates di-
rect bribery-that is the purchase of Der-
sons who will sell their votes or influence
but it does not check the practice of paying
men for voting the ticket of that party to
which they nominally belong There are
electors who would not vote against their
supposed principles, yet seldom vote for
them unless paid. They resort to some
subterfuge, such as demanding payment for
a days work; or other equally bald pretext
for obtaining money. Such voters can be
trusted to retire in privacy and mark the
names Of the candidates for whom they are
thus paid to vote. Consequently this spe-
cies of indirect bribery is not prevented by
secret voting. 1t is difficult to know Just
how to reach it. Possibly. when public
sentiment becomes sufficiently educated, a
compulsory election law, with severe penal
ties, may be enforced. 1t is believed how
ever. that the attempt to enact such law
would now prove futile. owing to that want
of preparation in the public mind, without
which no effective legislation. can be se-
cured.
ELECTORAL MACHINERY.
The subject of improvement in electoral
machinery naturally follows what has Just
been said. At present the Governor ap-
points the Boards of Election in all cities
having over 1900 people by the last census.
This is not only subversive of local SELF
government, but in the hands of an un-
scrupulous man, would lead to fragrant
abuses. Popular will can easily be
thwarted when machinery controlling cleo
tions among one fourth of the population is
in the absolute control of one official. The
manner in which this violation Of Demo-
cratic government grew up is instructive,
as showing how rapidly power increases
when concentrated. 1t arose in the legisla-
tion designed for the prevention of frauds
similar to those committed in the elections
of 1884 and 1885 in the city of Cincinnati.
Empowering the Governor to appoint an
Election Board was temporary expedient
to tide over the emergency in that city. 1t
was not intended by the trainers of the law
that such extraordinary power should be
permanently invested in the Governor.
election code which should provide for
| State, County and City Boards, Of which
the State Board alone might be ap-
pointed by the Governor. Undoubt-
edly some such system ought to be adopted
whereby Boards, which are actually non
partisan, should be created for State, county
and city purposes; but the Governor should
appoint the State Board only; and the mem
bers of that Board might if fdeemed proper.
be selected by him in equal numbers
through lists furnished by leading political
parties. Such q Board would be non-par-
tisan in fact as well as in name. 1t is be-
lieved by some good lawyers that a'plan
may be devised for cities whereby the peo-
pie can elect one half the members of the
Boards and the Mayor be compelled to Sc
| lnof M nthnr hn1f in a hnt