The record-union., 1891-12-07
THE ELECTION.
Some Things Made Clear-The Law Not
to be Laughed Down.

sSome Things Made CIear-The Law Not
to be Laughed Down.
1t has been suggested that the new cleo
ton law is "brain puzzling," terror and
8 mystery. It has been called 1.-The kan
garoo law" and the attempt is made to
laugh it down. twill be well to renem-
Der that it is the law; that it came from
the supreme authority under a repubH-
can form ofGovernment; that it is entitled
10 respectful treatment while open to the
gharpest criticism.
1t has succeeded wherever tried, and it
viii succeed here, but not if its enemies,
The bosses, and their servitors can pre-
vent 1t. 1t is simple, clear and unamb big
uous to all who want to understand it.
CalifOrnianS are not less intelligent than
Wolverines, Hoosiers, Buckeyes, Knick-
crbockers and others of the East, yet
these people, with far less perfect and
clear election laws, though made on the
model of ours, find no difficulty in con-
ducting exciting elections.
1t is said, for one thing, that if there
IS a rush. of voters this day, the
clerks will be delayed in finding the
numbers of those who return from COM
partments with ballots ready to deposit
\ lot at all. In the first place there ought
10 be, and can be, no rush." if compart-
nents in proper number are pro-
many are admitted behind the 'guard
raiP' as fill the compartments at one time
six, or seven, or q dozen men can
scarcely constitute rush" We do re-
call times, however, when, under the old
system, before 1.-The kangaroo law came
10 block the games of such as Steve Lang
and Big Neck Smith and all that order of
cattle, that there were rushes and block
ades, and genuine voters were rushed
away from the polls and thieves and
FOUNDERS were rushed up to the polls in
their places and to vote in their names.
Clerks are advised to keep a check list
of register numbers as ballots are given
out, so as to readily find and identify
numbers, as the voters apply to deposit
their ballots. This is not necessary Two
clerks make and keep the poll-lists When
"A' enters and takes his ballot giving his
register number, what is to prevent the
poll-list clerks putting down the register
and ballot numbers opposite the name? :?
When ''A'' returns with his ballot and
gives his name, if he has forgotten his
register number, SO that the ballot clerk
is delayed by looking it up in order to
identify him as the same man who re-
Ceived the ballot, he can easily turn TO a
poll-lst clerk and ask, "What is the re-
gister number opposite "A's" name?'
These poll-list clerks have nothing else
to do than to write the names of voters.
and the task of adding the register num-
Der will not PROSTATE them, while it will
tend to prevent the voting of dead men,
ana the attempt of FOUNDERS to repeat"
Another alleged puzzle is, that if one
next Monday votes a straight ticket he
can vote for but fourteen freeholders
True enough, but is it a superhuman task
10 stamp opposite the fifteen names of
freeholders? Moreover, it matters little
anyhow, because there is no opposition,
and a very few votes will elect as well as
very many. AS there are but three or
four names on the tickets for offices
besides freeholders in the coming cleo
ton, the voter who becomes puzzled
ought to lose his vote. No one can by a
vote prevent freeholders being elected.
The Trustees have said freeholders shall
be chosen, and voters have only the
choice among men. But if the elector
votes straight ticket, and thereby votes
only for fourteen freeholders, it viii be
no fault of the law, but of the laundering
of the organizations nominating. The
law has never yet been, nor will it be, de-
vised. to prevent political parties making
blunders.
One thing the voter must keep in mind
and allow no one to confuse him concern
ing ito either stamp but one X, and
that opposite the title of the party whose
straight ticket he wishes to vote, or else
stamp the X opposite every name he de-
sires to vote for. If an Y is put oppo-
site the title and word Straight" no
other marking must be made. If YOU
stamp for a straight ticket and then
stamp opposite candidates name also,
the ballot will be thrown out and the vote
Will be lost