The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-03-21
Ballet Reform and the Constitution.

Some very we'll meaning persons In
this State are inadvertently playing into
tbs hands OF The enemies of BAlios Re-
form by insisting that an amendment o'
the Constitution would be necessary fol
the introduction of the Australian
system into Pennsylvania. The machins
politicians have already taken the cue,
and upon this hint the snssking opposi-
tion TO Ballot Reform will doubtless be
carried on in .he next Legislature.
Whether the managers OF the next Re-
publican Stale Convention will boldly
take high constitutional ground ol
endeavor to escape the question OF Ballo!
Reform in an unmeaning generality
remains 20 be seen. Bot the Democrat
ic State Convention cannot afford TO
resort TO any double-dealing on this
important issue; and is not in the least
likely to do 30.
As has been frequently shown. there
js nothing in the Constitution OF Penn
sylvAuia which prevents the adoption
OF the essential features OF the Austria
lisn system-those which require all
ballots to be printed and issued by the
public authorities at public expense
and the erection OF booths or stalls in
which voters may secretly make up
theiI tickets without molestation. Ii
is contended, however, that the pro-
vision OF the Consultation Of PeInsyl-
vania requiring ali tickets to be num>
bered is destructive Of the secret ballot,
and therefore incoDgruous with the
Australian system. Whatever may be
the weight of this objection TO the polt-
cy OF the Constitution, il does not In
volve a constitutional question The
whole strength of the objection lies in
the plea that the Australian ballot sys-
tenn would be less effective while the
provision of the Constitution requiring
the numbering OF ballots should remain
in force.
But the trainers OF the Constitution
maintained that they were providing
amply for protecting the secrecy Of the
ballot when they made it q misdemean-
or for an election officer to disclose how
any citizen had voted. Experience has
justified this view /; for the instances
in which the secrets o. the ballot box
have been disclosed by prYing officials
are exceedingly rare. In fact, in the
counting Of hundreds OF votes the elec>
tion officers seldom stop To compare the
contents OF the ballot with its number
in order TO identify the voter. Even
dishonest election officers would not
imprisonment for noshing.
The Constitution, for the further Sc
curity of The suffrage, provides that any
voter may write his name On his ticket
IL he choose. In some notifications OF
the Australian system the voter is pro-
hibited from disclosing the names of
the candidates for whom he has voted.
But this would be carrying the princi-
pie of the secret ballot to an unnecessa-
ry and absurd length. Tts citizen has
as good right to declare for whom he
has voted as he has to express freely bis
opinions on any other subject.
But the provisions Of the Constitu-
tion as to numbering tickets and writ
ing names upon them, while affording
sufficient protection to tbs secret ballot
are salutary means of preventing as
well as OF exposing election frauds
They create the secret records which
when brought to light in any proper
judicial inquiry, inevitably cause the
detection and punishment of dishonest
election officers Instead OF being in
consistent with the Australian system
or any other genuine Ballot Reform
.hey would give IL increased strength
Ii would be more reasonable to call q
convention TO put these provisions into
the CONSTITUTION, il not already there.
than TO call a convention for the pnr-
pose OF taking them on. or it.-Pbild
Record.