Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-12
BALLOT REFORM BILL.
senator shumway. n Democrat. In
PRODUCES n Measure 10 amend the
Election Law.

PRODUCES Measure TO Amend the
Election Law.
Last Thursday in the state senate, Mr..
Shumway introduced an Australian ballot
bill. which was surprise TO democrats
and republicans alike. The senator,
though he had been in Springfelds week,
did not mention his pet measure to any
body and the democrats in the house who
have been arranging to introduce similar
bills of their own are in q 9uandary.
Senator Shumwsy has been close stud
ent of the subject and has been in CORES
pondence with state authorities and mem
bers of the legislatures in Indiana. Wis.,
consion, New York, Massachusetts and
other states, where the system has been
adopted. He thinks be has secured the
very best bill that could be devised on
the subject. To correspondent of the
Chicago Herald Mr.. Shumway said
The provisions Of the bill are similar
10 those contained in the present New
York law The tickets are TO be printed
in the various counties at county expense
for all county and state elections.
What kind of tickets does your bill
contemplate
Each party entitled by the provisions
of the bill To name candidates is entitled
to have ticket containing the names of
fifteen legally nominated candidates. All
the tickets are TO be exactly alike in form
and in toe way of display type, same
quality Of paper. same size, black ink and
same variety of type.
Then the tickets do not contain the
names Of all the candidates to be voted
for At that elecuong'
mo; each party 5 ticket contains the
names of its own candidates. Voting
booths are provided for by the bill, into
which one voter at time is permitted TO
enter. After which he is handed tickets,
consisting of one of each party. The
voter after making his selection folds the
other tickets as prescribed by the act 10
certain manner and returns them to the
ballot clerks. who deposit them in box
prepared TO receive the unvoted ballots
The voter then folds the ticket retained
exactly AZ the others were folded, and
handing it TO the election judges, an
nounces his name, residence and desire
to vote. The voter is not compelled to
mark his ticket to designate his choice of
candidates. lie makes no crosses OF
other marks, but he may erase any name
on the ticket retained by him and subiti-
tute another or be may put on a psster
containing one yr more names, or cover
the entire ticket with paster. providing
he can do 1t so that the pasted ticket
ha iaI,r "A -. -
ing folded"
How are the voters instructed in re-
gard TO votng1
The bill amply provides for that by
requiring cards of instruction to be
placed about the polling places and
printed 10 the newspapers.
'Do you propose to regulate nomina-
tons by your bill?'
Yes, and in a manner that will be sat
isfsctory TO parties a nd persons. The bill
also provides for informing the voters who
the candidates are. The voting under its
provisions will be entirely secret Il will
be impossible To ascertain how a man
votes, as this bill does not require the
stub to be numbered as does the New
York law"
What advantages do you claim for
the system proposed by your bil'
Absolute secrecy of the ballot Free
dom from bribery and electiOneering an
noyances. Responsiveness to the can
didates, as they will have no election ex-
penses to bear, no workers to hire. The
general publication of the ballot"
did not you introduce bill Of this
be last general assembly,"
lince that time have | have
ballot reform laws in the
and there are quite mum
tnem. | have taken the good
things from all Of them and left out the
Objectionable features. and believe that
this bill will meet with the approval of
everybody who wants 10 see reform in
this direction, Good men Of all parties
want law that will forever stop the cor.
rupi practices that now prevail at the bal.
lot box. This is the peoples measure
and not political scheme. The farmers.
the democrats, republicans, prohibuonists
everybody; are demanding something in
this direction, and this universal demand
prompted me 10 take up this matter as
one Of the people aud not as politician.
| have no doubt that some measure of the
Kind will surely be passed at this session
and IL 1t Is not mine il will be that of
some other member Of the general as
semby.