The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1890-07-09
ADVANTAGES OF THE AUSTRALIAN
BALLOT.

DAuLUAa
In considering what are the prospects
for the success Of any movement in favor
Of municipal reform upon the basis of
non-partisan nominations for the city
council this year the effect of the new
election law, which win be in operation
in the city for the first time, must not
be overlooked. Some of its provisions
would seem to be peculiarly favorable
and encouraging. The substitution Of
single official ballot, printed at the pub
lie expense and placed in the hands Of
every voter at the time and place Of
voting, for tickets printed and distributed
at the expense of the candidates them
selves or of organizations which support
them, can not fail to have a most import
ant bearing as tending to remove some
of the most serious embarrassments un-
der which all Independent" or non
partisan movements have heretofore
labored. Besides, the considerable item
of expense to which we have alluded
and which always presents more serious
difficulties to the friends and promoters
of nOn-partisan movements than to reg
ular party organizations, there are other
stumbling-blOcks in the way Of the in
dependent voter which the new law will
entirely remove.
''The official ballot" viii secure to
every voter who may wish to vote for
any candidate other than those of the
regular party organizations the Oppor-
tunity of doing so without the slightest
difficulty. The ballot placed in his
hands by the ballot clerk at the place OF
voting-and the only ballot which can
be voted-must have printed upon it the
name Of every candidate properly nOmi.
mated under the law. If there should be
a candidate for the city council nominal
ed in his ward running Independent Of
both political parties, that candidates
name must appear side by side with
those Of the candidates of the regular or
carnations. Heretofore the complaint
has been frequently made that the tick
cts of any other than the regular parties
often fail to secure fair treatment at the
polls. Sometimes it has been charged
that they have been removed from the
window" or not allowed TO be placed
there by the jueges or the police; they
have been suffered to be torn up and de-
stroyed by "roughs," and that the hold
ers of such tickets have sometimes been
inundated and roughly handled and
even driven from the polls without any
interference or adequate protection from
the police. Doubtless such charges may
have BEEN made at times without suffi-
cient foundation, and they have been
often exaggerated; but one advantage OF
the new law undoubtedly is that there
can be no possible occasion or justifica.
ton for any such charges in future
There can be no destruction of the tick
cts Of one side or Of any candidate when
no ballot is suffered to be used but an
official ballot containing the names of all
candidates who have been properly
placed in nomination. There can be nc
interference with the distribution of tick.
cts when the only distribution allow
ed is by delivery at the time and place Of
voting only to the individual voter with.
in the guard-rail Of the polling-bOoth by
one of the ballot clerks of one official
ballot and one only. There can be nc
intimidation OF ticket-holders when nc
ticket-holders are allowed except the
ballot clerks charged with the custody
and safekeeping of the official ballots
All this is a wonderful improvement
upon the old system, with all its liability
to abuse, and all the abuses which actu.
ally lourished under It. No more money
to be spent for printing or distributing
tickets. The State has made that its
own exclusive business. No more money
to be spent nominally in paying ticket
holders, in reality often in buying then
votes at 3 or s. apiece. The law abol-
ishes ticket-holding. No hustlers and heel
ers around the polls. The law has taken
away the occupation Of these gentry by
dispensing with the necessity and deny
ing the opportunity for their peculiar
services. All this ought to make the
way of the reformer easy, and nOn-parti-
san nominations for the council in every
ward where the voters and tax
payers feel the need of a more faithful
and honest representation of their in.
terests and views than they now enjoy
or ever can enjoy while they remain un-
der the domination of ward bosses and
Baltimore Sim.