Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1890-01-09
THURSDAY. JANUARY o, 1890.
H. ,rnrsnAy-s issue of The RErur

IN i UhhDhl io@hN -
IlcAN, in referring to the Australian
ballot bill killed by the Republicans in
khe late Legislature, we requested the
Every Evening if II had the Dill 10
publish 1t, the REPUBLICAN mol having
4 copy of it at hand. To our request
sur neighbor has very courteously ac-
ouiesced In publishing the very essen
Dial section OF it that WAS the subject /
oil consideration. Had we known the |
bill was so long We should not have
asked Tor the publication OF all oil IT. /
Sor we know how precious newspaper
0psce becomes at times, and yet, judg'
lng from the general interest mani.
beste6 In ballot reform at the present
Wme, we have no doubt the whole blll,
u given to the public, would receive
general consideration We tske plea
lure In reproducing from t1e Every
Evening section 81 of the defeated
hw, that its provisions may he
properly understood by our readers.
Any voter who declares to the pre-
eiaipR election officer that lie cannot
read. or that by blindness or other physi-
nal disability he is unab 6 to mark or
Frite his ballot shall, upon request, re.
eeiye the assistance OF TIE two election
Nff1cers, exclusive Of the inspector, III
he preparation thereof, and such oiiicefa
shall certify on the outside thereof that
She ballot Yves marked or written WIN
oheir assistance, and snail lhereGpoh
give no Information reg3rdng the tshlsi
Ind they, nor either OF item, shan not,
Rhilc assisting such voter II marking his
ballot, attemp. to influence HIM Ia aug
-. bat l,at entirely with tIfr
hotter 10 diiect how his tcket shall be
marked. Such officers or either oil them
WHO shall not IL con 'olln to this re-
nu!rement shall be suhiec' cd to the pun-
khment OF dis0bellrut officers IS Ia d
1own IN section ~ OF this act. The pre-
hiding election officer, for The time being,
may, If so requested or if he doubts the
disability alleged 10y the vo CT, require
IN oath OF Affirmation To the declafAt'oa
pi such disability, and such officer II
hereby qualified To administer the sane,
Heavy fines and penalties are pro
Eided in section ~, for violation O.
ghis section. We are free TO say thai
rs the matter is thus presented TO US
ne can see nothing but the utmost
fairness and impartiality in the section
Nuoted, and If there is nothing moro
Objectionable in the other sections Of
The bill we say with all eandor that i
Ahould have become a law, and as nj
advantage could he taken by eithe
side, OF illiterate voters so long as thu
two assistant election officers were i'm,
partial, we are al a loss to know VIII.
either Republicans or Democrat
should have voted against the passag
OF the bill.
One thing, however, must be sal
about elections held in Delaware, an
that is this. as rule they have bee
honest, fraud at the polls and in til
count being the exceptions. Ther
were however, some very notable ex
cepiions 10 which We will not ut III
time refer
We think we will hardly be contrt
6leted in saying that false counting {
Tie votes cast is very rare, This bein
borne in mind, there was hardly tn,
necessity Tor the Australian ballot th
there was in some other States, !
great redeeming quality would hay
been in the prevention oil violence al
intimidation around the polls.
We are rather inclined TO think tn
she objections OF the Republican mer
bers OF the Legislature were not
much to the bill Itself as 10 what tn,
supposed TO be the insincerity Of Ii
Democrats In sur porting il. They !
doubt argued thai il the Democra
were burning with a desire 10 reloT
tie ballot, they should have col
nenced by repeating The inirmous 4
sessment and tax collection laws of /
state. Had they doue tbs and til
protected the bsllot they would
doub, have had the unanimous su
port OF the Republicans N the Legs
lure,