The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1890-01-25
THE AUSTRALIAN SYSTEM OF
VOTING.

Among the thousand suggestions made
to the last State Legislature was one to
the effect that the Australian ballot sys.
tenn be adopted. The system was not
adopted, and in reply to the croakers
who are always ready to complain and
never give credit even where it is due, it
may be we'll to state that, in election
laws, the State OF Nevada has for
many years been in advance of nearly all
the states in the Union, that if the law
is carried out as it stands the most i'm.
portant good Of the Australian system is
in fair way Of being accomplished. The
number of voters in the state is small,
and bribery and intimidation at the polls
are, as compared with the conditions in
the eastern states, almost unknown
among us. The fact that these evils are
not SO great in Nevada as elsewhere is
the real reason why no move has recent
ly been made to abate them.
We do not by any means condemn the
Australian system of voting. The main
features Of that system are, as we under
stand them, the printing and distribu.
ton OF the ballots by the state, and an
arrangement whereby absolute secrecy
in voting is made certain. Both these
features are highly commendable. When
the community employs servant it
should do so on the same ground as a
well conducted private corporation does,
because Of his special fitness for the
work, because he will probably do the
work better than any other available
person, and because he has what is called
business integrity-ke can be relied on
to do what he says he will do. What
corporation, or person in business would
employ one servant in preference to
another on the ground that one was will.
ing to spend more money to get the
place? Would not the very fact that one
was more willing than another to buy
the place, as it were, operate against
him? Yet at present the candidate fol-
Office, the would-be employee Of the
people, practically required to buy
his place. The most Legitimate" O.
election expenses is the assessment
levied by the campaign committees, o
which a large portion is expended il
printing and distributing ballots-mucf
more in distributing" than in printing
This is done, not once only, but as many
times as there are fets of candidates. Il
is paid for by the candidates or thei
friends. Does any one believe that tn
State does not in the end, pay for al
this? 1t certainly does pay for it man.
times over. 1t pays for it in the di s
honesty induced by the system, and il
the carelessness and inefficient off
Gals. It would be better for the Stat
to pay for it once only. This plan woul'
also do away with lot Of election bum
mers whose only use seems to be 10 al,
in bringing out the depravity of human
nature. For the existence of larg
number Of them there would no longer b
any excuse; and, though they would no
consent to be eliminated, they could b.
easily brushed aside. This of itsel
would be victory for square men.
As to the benefits of absolute secrec,
in voting there can be no question. I'm
til every man is prepared to hold hi
own against the world, which will be tn,
case when the millennium comes, it il
probably well to have secret ballot. Al
any rate the principle of secrecy in vot
ing is the generally adopted one in this
Nation. Then, if it is to be secret, let il