Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-02-20


two election officers Can know how every |
person voted who called upon them for
assistance. There is o simple way that
has been recently suggested in which this
apparent obstacle can be surmoupted, |
and that Ia by letting some sign or SYM
boil or given number of email stars be
placed after the name OF all the candi. |
dates of each party, In addition to the |
party name or political designation. As,
for instance, one star opposite Q oandi-
date may indicate that he is the regular
Democratic nominee; two stars that he Is
the regular Republican nominee; and
three stars, or crescent, or any other
symbol, that no Ia an Independent, or
Prohibitionist, or Of any party that may
be designated by said stars or symbols.
With ticket printed accor ing to that
suggestion, on llliterate oan mark his
ballot without assistance as intelligently
as other persons. This improvement will,
without doubt, be made in future legisla-
tion on this line.
1t may be interesting to you to know
something of the detailed working OF the
system OF Massachusetts,. The first cleo
tion by the new method was in November
of last year. There, as have said the
nnd distribution of the ballots. He
kindly gave me figures that show that the
system ia really inexpensive when we
consider the satisfaction it gives the
honest voter and the purity it insures to
the ballot. There were printed 6,646
different tickets. There were posted in
and around the polling rooms, for the in
struction of the voter 90, 702 specimen
ballots printed on tinted paper. The
number OF official ballots printed for the
state was /, ,644, 200. The cost of printing
end distributing the ballots was Sl4,-
627.48 and the estimated cost OF the paper
on which the ballots were printed is
$500, making total cost of about
$4,000. This OF course does not include
tine cost OF the compartments and the
guard rail which was county charge In
Boston an elaborate compartment was
made at cost OF about 90 80 each, while
in the country districts they were erected
ct cost Of less than one dollar each.
These compartments can be used over
and over again for years, and the average
annual cost is but small item. The
compartment provided for by the Massa-
chusetts law has no door to it.
Though as / was told, it served
the purpose very we'll, yet l
think Governor Hills criticism in his re-
cent message of q compartment without
door was o juBt one. Let the actor
step behind the scene for one instant,
and he reappears in different garb.
Even IL there should be no official bal
lots, and ba lots continue to be printed
and distributed by The parties as they are
to-day, the closed compartment into
which the voter could be compelled to
retire to arrange his ticket would be an
excellent thing. This alone would pre-
vent intimidation, and to great degree
bribery. 1t would give the voter chance
to put his hand into his vest pocket be-
fore voting, and vote that ticket from
choice and not another from necessity.
made it my business while in Boston re-
Gently to obtain from men of various
conditions in life their views as to the
success or failure of this system in Mas
sachusetts, and found that sill were en-.
thusiastio over the grand results it has
attained. was told that there was never
before as little pulling and hauling or
boisterousness around the polls, and
never more satisfaction In voting.
l have heard this objection made to the
Australian system that on account of the
time 1t took to mark ticket, some vot
ing places would be unable to poll all tht
legal votes. l was informed in BostoT
that in North Adams there were 1865
votes cast at one polling house, and {
prominent spectator said that $500 could
have been pollad.
A Ballot Reform bill has twice passed
the New York legislature, md has al Otter
been vetoed by the governor. But Gov
Hill haa recognized the inevitable and il
his recent message to the Legislature ht
, advocated in strong terms the compsrt
meut or booth feature of the Australian sys
tenn and objects to an exclusively ofhcia
, ballot. There was q time when appre
tensions as to the feasibility OF thi
, feature of the system in our oountr,
, naturally arose, but with us its working
. is no longer theory, for in MAssaehn
/ setts they have put what is reqa red o
the syBtom Ia one side Of the bsiancs ant
, what it can achieve in the other end i
has not been found wanting.
II is trua that to-day we have no prop
! efty qualification as prerequisite to thI
exercise of the electoral franchise, yet tel
, me whether ia hundredu of cases it is tn,
1 man who votes, or ths $40 bill. Under
4 tho Australian system, bribery is neces
a sasily lessened, IL not altogether eradi
' Gated, and tho tickets are printed at thu
. public's expense; SO the poor man o
Z ability will Etand an squal show for poll
: tical preferment with his wealthy neigh
4 Dor. There is no occasion for the candi
= date to expend anything for the printing
a and distribution of tickets; nor is Their
a any reason for his contributing to q cor
ruption fund. The expenses of oau
n paign will be trfiing. 1t will not be
l. fight OF bar'l against bari, but of tn
n solid qualities and sober sense Of on
n candidate sgainst those of another.
/. New York City olncial estimated that o
a the election of November, 1887, tn
' print ng, folding, addressing, and mail
n ing OF ballots oos. Tammany, the Count
!, Democracy, aud the Republicans S25, ,00
a apiece exclusive of pay to the ticket ped
q dler. This bat indicates that poverty |
/. political mitl-stone around the neck o
n the pooE man.
q Blackstone says in his commantarie
!. that IL is presumed Hphat he who buy
n an ofiica will by bribery, extortion, o
3 other unlawful means make his purehaa
"a good to the manifest detriment OF til
"a public." While the truth OF this IL pc
"a cu!iarly applicable to England, wher
a many OF the officers that are elected b
"a tue people receive no remuneration what
ever for their public services, yet it
u mono the less trus with us, for candidate
a often oxpend more for their election ths
ia tho oilioe Gf psrohsncs thoy are elected
Ia oompensates them. have here q clip
r. ping from Boston paper which chow
J. that politics 10 Massachusetts, has alrsld
,e been purified by the Australian system t
IA such remarkable extent that to ~
l. souuds Utopian.
II ,aadu llrha raoo,,k ,n1pioinal aIas