Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-04
The Australian system.


The Australian system.
Governor BRAcxrrr. of Massachusetts,, in
his message of Thursday last to the fiegisla-
ture. says that the first elections in that
State under the Australian system of ballot
ing were recently held. and demonstrated
the great advantages Of that system.
We have said heretofore that but for
the negro element IN the population OF
Virginia we should feel that 1t was our
duty TO advocate the adoption here of the
Australian system. We did not intend the
remark to be understood rs having been
made with view to a resort to that system
as the best method of conducting primary
elections, as we had mono other than the
regular elections in view; hut os Governor
BRAcEErT suggests to the Legislature OF his
State the consideration of the advisability
of applying the new method to primary
elections it has occurred to us that If the
system is good one we can follow the ex-
ample of Massachusetts, and test it here
in Richmond in 0,v primary elections.
There are no negroes in this city who take
part in the Democratic primary elections.
The voting has always heretofore been con-
fined to white men, and the voting will
hereafter probably be confined to white
men until the negroes themselves divide
their votes between the two great parties.
In Massachusetts, primary elections have
for some years been ductedundcraState
law. and 1t will require but a few addi-
fiopal regulations to bring them under the
existing law. In Virginia. on the contrary,
each party conducts its own primary cleo
tons under rules of its own framing.
In this city. where nomination by the
Democrats has almost always been equiva-
lent to election, the primary elections are
really more important than the regular
elections. The number of electioneerers is
exceedingly large. They are also exceed
ingly importnnate. Numbers of voters de-
cline to take part in these elections because
they cannot do so without being annoyed
beyond measure by over-zealors advocates
of the claims of the various aspirants. If,
as Cover BRAcKETT suggests, the adoption
of the Australian system by a law OF the
State would increase public interest and
confidence in primary elections. and rem
der them more fully representative Of the
will Of the people. then, as he also says,
such law would be promotive Of good
government.
Such an exemplifcation of the workings
of the Australian system would enable the
Democrats of Richmond and of the whole
State to form an intelligent opinion as to
the practicability and desirability Of re-
sorting TO that system in conducting our
regular elections. The weak places in the
system might develop themselves. The
features which most highly commend the
system 10 popular appreciation would also
be brought out.
The advocates of the Australian system
seem to sec no defects in it. The oppo-
nents of it are more fortunate or more I'M
fortunate as the case may be. Mr.. HAIsTEAD
roars with indignation when he is APP
preached on the subject. One of his OBJ
jections to the new system is that the bal
lots would be as big as table-cloth.
Another objection is that under the
Australian system the election would have
20 be held in livery-stables. and the stalls
fixed up with horse-blanket tickets and
desks and pens and ink" Truly formida-
bic objections.
A correspondent of Cincinnati paper
says that the system Of voting Is too te-
dious for city having large number of
Offices TO be filed. as, for example, Rich
mond at our regular municipal elections
when there are to be chosen councilmen,
aldermen, constable, commissioner of the
revenue, mayor. &C., &c. He says that it
would take an intelligent man ten minutes
to mark properly the forty) candidates
he desired to vote for. This objection
would hold good only in the cases of voters
who were learning to spell, and Of men
who, having been accustomed to vote as
the ward-workers told them to vote, had
not made up their minds as to whom they
should vote for.
The same correspondent says that under
such system only thirty votes per hour
could be received, and the consequence
would be the practical denial of the right
Of suffrage to the voters who have been in
the habit of voting between "six end
sevenn o'clock in the morning and then
making days work at their shops. Mr..
HAIsTEAp also objects that "the ticket is
30 large and the labor of marking it so
great that there would be delays" and that
"the delays would amount to the exclu-
sion from the polls of great number Of
workingmen." He adds, in his usual out
spoken, wild-western style, that there is
an elaboration about this kangaroo bust
moss that is not in the interest of honest
voters, but of the manipulators of the
elections--the bosses, managers. artists, Of
those occasions"
All these objections could be tested in o
primary election.