The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-01-16

polls under foreman and vote them all for one
ticket It does away with everything that
makes politics disreputable." Thus IL will be
soen that the great political parties, or at least
such elements In them ~ look for purity and
reform. are fully satisfied with elections under
this plan. The cardinal features OF the sys.
tenn are: ~ All ballots must be printed md
distributed ut tho public expense; ~ the
names Of oil candidates for the same ONCE
must be printed on the same ballot; (3) the ballot
must be delivered 10 the voter within the poll.
ing place by sworn officers; (D only ballots so
delivered can be voted; G) the voter is guaran.
tced absolute privacy In preparing his ballot;
and 8) its secrecy Is made compulsory. The
foregoing requirements are modified and altered
in detail to suit the views OF the various
States and Nations which have adopted
them, but the principles here laid down consti-
tute the salient points Of advantage over other
forms OF election. You ore recommended to
investigate this system, and to introduce II by
proper legislation The details are left to your
judgment and experience. The reasons for
such action need not be enlarged upon here.
IT Is patent to any ono that when the voter
must retire to absolute privacy in order to pre-
pare his ballot there Is no object IN bribing him,
because the bribery fails EQUALLY fruitless
would be the attempted intimidation by en-
ployers, or political bullies, or any OF tho
crafticr forms OF coercion.
In answer to the principal objection made
against the system-that It might disfranchise
iilterate voters 1t may be said that provision
can be made for such voter to select one OF The
ballot clerks to retire with him under severe
penalties against divulging what may pass be-
tween them The ballot clerks have no more
temptation 10 act falsely than nave the regis
trars and judges. Another means Of accom-
plishing the same result is to permit the propar-
alton before hand by the voter through some
trusted friend OF n ballot Initiating the official
ballot cSccpt in color. The illiterate voter con
take the prepared ballot into the booth and
there copy its MARKINGS on the official ballot.
This shields him from tie discovery OF his ilit-
eracy. spares him humiliation, and prevents his
possible Acknowledgement, II has also been
urged that IL is too tedious forthc elector to mark
the name of ench candidate for whom he desires
TO vote To obyiate this difficulty ballots are
sometimes SO printed that cyery regularly nom.
limited ticket stands by itself on the ballot, and
car be voted as a whole py merely making one
cross mark opposite the canton of said ticket.
This does not encourage indie pcndcnce in vot.
ing, but disposes of the fallacous charge that
voting under this svstem ia TOO troubles ,me. II
NAV be added that there ia vet one evil that re-
mains uucorrected by this reform. 1t teimin.
ntes direct bribery-that is the purchase Of
persons who sell heir votes or influence It
does not checl, the practice Of having men for
voting the ticket OF that party to which they
nominally belong There are electors who
would not vote apainst their supposed princi.
pies, vet seldom vote for them unless paid.
They resort TO some subterfuqe. such as dc.
manding payment for q days work; or other
equally bald pretext for obtaining money.
Such voters can be trusted to retire in privacy
and mark the names of the candidates for whom
they are thus paid to vote, Consequently
this species OF indirect bribery Is not pre-
vented by secret voting. 1t is difficult to know
just how to reach It, Possibly when public sen.
timcnt becomes sufficiently educated, q compul-
sorry election law. with severe penalties, may be
enforced. 1t is believed. however, that the Mt.
tempt TO enact such n law would now prove fu.
tile, owing to the want OF preparation la the
public mind, without which no effective iegisla-
tion can be secured.
ELECTORAL MACHINERY.
The subject OF improvement in electoral ma.
chincry naturally follows what has Just becn
sad At present the Governor appoints
the boards OF election in all cities having over
nino thousand people by the last census. This
Is not only subversive OF local sef.govenment,
but in the hands Of an INSCRIPTIONS man would
lead to fragrant abuses. Popular will can easily
be thwarted when machinery controlling cleo
tions among onefourth the population is in tho
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