The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-01-14
observation-disclosures. !.
0ttice 0 Nos. rs and ~ Fourteenth street;
BALlNT' KEt'VjRtMll,.,
Tho Australian 1iallot system rs sfodlile
VI In liz "a

Il y
BALLOT, REFORM. 5t;S i1 ~ \ y
The Australian ballot systen, rs 1fodlilet
In Observation-Disclosures What tho Vote
Does. n ~ s. \ 4 81 Z vi
That the system Is labeled withstht
maine Of a country SO far removed al
Australia has been frequently comment
cd upon, but the fact that Australia Il
entitled 70 tho credit Of being The fra
to see the merit Of the secret ballot Il
unouestioned, AS early US 1851 Fmnclt
s.Dutton advocated the system ID The
Legislature Of South Australia, and I'D
1857 succeeded in hnyipg Nh elections mel
passed for that province, that contained
provisions similar, most respects, Ia
those that have since como to ibo con.
sidered characteristic of tho Australian
system. In 1856 the System, was first
adopted In Victoria, In 1858 iu 'TaslnaniN
and In New. South Wales, In 1870 Ia New
Zealand, in 1874 in Queensland, and ii
S77inSWest Australia OF course, the
original laws, as passed III these various
provinces, have, in Z most cases, been
modified TO meet obvious objections, but
tho dates mentioned indicate the priority
Of the nntipodes in the matter. In 1877!
tho ballot net was passed by tho English
Parliament this act is framed after the
Australian acts, and with u number Of
notifications and extensions Is the net
under which the elections In England
and Wales arc held to-day. Similar acts
hnvo been passed in the English Cana.
dian provinces, and the system has been
In successful operation III the land OF our
neighbor for fifteen years. 4 o.
N Henry George ,nnd Allen Thornlike
Rice claim the honor sot bringing the
system to the attention OF our oW II coun.
try,@ Mr.. George having published ian
article In the North american Rerie1U In
1888 on tho subject, and huving advoca.
ted the system zealously since That time.
Laws embodying the principal features
OF the system. have been passed during
the past year in the states Of Wisconsin,
Rhode Island, Indiana, Missouri, Tennes.
see, Connecticut, Montana and Mime
sofa, and the system wifi receive its trial
In these states for the first time Except
In the case Of Montana) in the elections
OF 1900. IA q z q. 81 ~
&The system adopted in Massachusetts
seems TO combine In the highest degree
all the excellent features OF the Austrai.
ian system with an elimination of de-
lcctsI and has received q successful trial
in that State and has given universal
satisfaction TO oil parties and classes ex-
cept professional politicians. s
The first bill in that State was present.
cd In the house by Mr.. E!ihu L. Hayes,
oil Lynn, tbs present President. OF the
Ballot Act league. Tho measure recciy-
cd almost unanimous support from the
press aud the people, the labor element
in particular interesting itself in the
matter, and on May so. 1855, there was
passed by vote Of l2l to Al in the
tiouse aud in tho Senate without n di..
vision, the bill&under which, ny amend
VI, the elections were held in that State
last fall. II will be interesting to know
what tlie$roter actually does under the
operation OF the Massachusetts law, \ MS
that law. ia the model upon whicl, all
subsequent legislation is likely !, to be
framed. % n K a ..;55Es, ;;.sii
any person desiiing to vote gives bis
naIne to tho ballot clerk, who ann ounces
itSin3a loud voice, and il the name is
found on the check or registration list
by the ballot officer having charge there.
Of, he likewise repeats the name and the
voter enters the space enclosed by the
guard rail, which surrounds the entire
voting apparatus. The clerk gives him
one official. ticket, which shall contain
the names OF all candidates OF all parties
whose nominations for any office speci-
fed in the ballot have been duly made,
with the name OF the political party to
which each candidate belongs printed op-
posite his name There shall also be on
each ticket blank spaces fornamesniot on
the ticket, which may be filled in by the
voter, and opposite each name shall be
q space for marking cross as an indica-
tion of the choice OF the voter. Each
ballot shall have fac emile Of tile sig
nature OF the secretary Of the common.
wealth printed on the back for the pur-
pose Of authorization. 3, N ;.,;
Mr.SWigmorc, in his "Australian Bal.
lot System, gives a specment ballot,
which is here marked US the voter .nay
be supposed to haveindicated his prefer
ence / IA x