New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-08


than an election; and that in other places nmidAtDm
Vas 50 prevalent and undSgu!,cd particularly a. SIM
r Of our manufacturing centres. That cnpInNcS VIZ
virtually driven into The polls and were actually IN
>truccd by their employers aS 10 what tickets i,E
should vote. No public service can be more pato,Lr
than that which seeks 10 guard suffrage from snch
1 abuses. ..-,
that all legislation intended 10 improve our clccu"
laws should have for its main purpose the correction 81
other objects sought to bc attained OF subordinate
/ Importance and should not be permitted to delay or
The methods which are suggested the legislature VIII
do well to give careful consideration; adopng 'n n
jectOns, offers the simplest and most pra'ucaDie
I remedy Tor the existing evils.
THE AUSTRALIAN SYSTEM.
/ Many well mcaning citizens and political a'Socla-
/ lions. impressed by the necessity for some remedial
legislation are Just now urging the adoption Of what
is known as the Australian system o: voting and APP
parcntIy believe that it will furnish panacea for all
the perncious practices which now surround oar
elections If this belief is we'll founded there ought
10 be no prejudice against adopting the system merely
because il has been successfully tried IN foreign couh
tries 1t does not follow, however, That because the
Australian system seems 10 b. we'll adapted to the
governments Of Australia and England, II superior
the systems which previously existed thfIc' u can
be appropriately applied 10 our Institutions without
It's material modification. Those governments are
founded upon the theory that the state shoud under
take u perform every service that II can perform
while the theory OF Institutions Is that the
state should do nothing that can Letter OF q" "ti uc
done by the free and mtrammccd acton of the IN.
dvidual citizen. To vest the greatest contah ana
power Of interference IN the government Is ne one.
of their laws while the Intent Of ours Is 10 confer upon
the people the largest liberty ana IN" greatest personal
privileges consistent with the pubic welfare. II Snou
should forgotten. also, that universal suffrage
does not exist in Australia ana Great Br tain but inc
election systems there are based upon restricted
suffrage That this difference Of conditions /. recog-
nzed by the friends of the Australian 'y-tcm IN th'
country is shown by the fact tnat IA" >Fetem III It's
ss's The Cnio" friendly TGEe 70 state T,n
our own have enacted what i, called the Australian
system, hut only after material and VITAL moGlhc'.
lions This adaptation by various Slate, "I un,Iy",
features of the system appear to have produced
confused impression In the public mnd a., to N't tLe
Visibility of its adoption i'm whole or in part hy our
uuGuiShns features. Ny own opinion j. h'l mann V
these are admirable. while others are decidedly OBJ
ectonable constitutionaly and otherWiS". The prn-
opal provisions OF the Australian law are ~ follow
Ir,t-lt requires that each election district snail be
provided with polling booth, ana That cach l'lihI,
Tooth shall have separate compartments Wm'h ,l'.
be constructed a. 70 screen any voter therein from
observation. and shall De furnished win pencils Tor
the ne Of voters E'ch N"LF >I,l 'ilr' 'r Pl'.'-
place alone and before voting shall retire alone 10 one
attended by any one. directly Il" r. thc bAI"t hoN
shall Dc and deliver hi- ballot which Dee ha prepared
ID I'm the ballot box. and the voter shall then Gut Oh"
polling booth. This requirement apple 20 all 'Ic'
second 1t requires registration In each district Of
al the electors who claim right 70 vote therein;
whioh registration or li,i Of voter shall bee produced
at the polling eacc on The day Of election ana no
clcctor vote unless his Eam0 j. found upon su'h
Thiri-It provide, method Of nominating can.
ddat.~ and REQUIRES that before any person can
become a candidate at any election h. mus, Ici"Ir
nomination day hc nominated hf limited number 81
electors. who are 10 SIN q writing ~ mat 'hr.
which is called a nomination paper ana a' ~"
foot 81 which The consent Of th" cWeida'r nn.' Joe
,ulscr'ed and IN, paper j., q" nr d'iNGrcl 10 3n
officer called Returning Dmc"r' and II upon ih'
expiration of the tim" lim'rd for n"nh3l l"h-. .p
pear, that the" are no cr 1"r number 81 candidate
duly nomina ID than are rqnr.G To- hg c.r,',a' ID"
didate> To %" duly elected. without ha'Ilt any 'l'