The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-02-06
LEARNING HOW To VOTE.
The Australian Ballot Law In Tennessee Not
q Preventive of Fraud.

q Preventive of Fraud.
Philadelphia Press.
The recent election in Memphis. Tenn.
ought to be a significant pointer TO the adj
vocates of the Australian ballot system. liz
was held under the provisions of what ia
known as the Dortch law. which was
passed by the Tennessee Legislature at is
last session, and which, with a few modi-
fications, follows the general principles of
the Australian method. 1t was the first
trial Of the system, and the election was
earnestly contested and its results are ac-
cordingly instructive.
1t cannot be claimed that the test was a
successful one: The chief merits claimed
for the Australian system are that il will
aid in preventing fraud. insure a quiet
election and do away with bribery and cor
ruption. 1t is doubtful if any of these re-
suits were reached. The frauds were
gross. the counting was either careless or
Intentionally dishonest, and the disorder
about the polls was disgraceful. A num-
Der of the ballots were blotted and blurred
so much that the intention of the voters
rejected. 1t was found, also. that the cleo
ton officers had allowed the lids of the
boxes to be lifted to pnt ballots in, instead
OF having them passed through the slot.
But il was In the counting that the grossest
negligence and fraud were shown. There
were, besides, many technical violations of
the law.
The lesson of this is that q law. no matter
how good and wise it may be. will not ex-
ecute itself. There must be a thorough and
intelligent understandings of it's provisions,
and a well-dlrected effort toward enforcing
il. Only under such conditions can il he
carried into effect successfully. These
propositions are doubly true of the
son with the old method of voting
they appear at first as complicated and
cumbersome. and unless the voting public
is carefully instructed as to the new plan
N ,eto1 nn1 rnt.I - .r~ A. Gr
low. 1t does not appear that any such eff.
fort was made in Memphis to inform the
public, and the consequence was an elec-
ton vitiated by fraud and disgraced by
disturbances.
In the nine States in which ballot-reform
laws have been passed eight of them will
use it for the first time this fall in the
election of congressman. Montana is the
only State which has used this method at
both a State and a congressional election.
Massachusetts put its law into force
last November, and Connecticut con-
Quoted a prohibitory amendment cleo
tlon according TO the provisions of the law
of that State, and Rhode Island will test
the workings of its law in April. But the
other six States will come to the first trial
of the law in Congressional elections with
out any previous preparation. In nc one of
them is there any apparent effort being
made to enlighten the voters as to their
duty.
The friends of ballot reform should wake
up to their responsibilities in connection
with the movement. Even in Massachu-
sets, where the voting population is of
an unusually intelligent character and sys-
tematic efforts were made TO make every
voter acquainted with the provisions of the
law, many mistakes were made last
November. How much more serious the
errors will be in States where the voters
are less intelligent, and no efforts are mado
to inform them, it is easy to see. 1t is not
enough to pass a law to correct an evil.
1t must be intelligently enforced. and
unless the advocates of the reformed bal
lot laws are willing TO see that their pro-
visions are understood, they must not be
surprised If a large crop of plumbers is
scored and the whole system brought into
disrepute.