The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-02-10
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1891.



State. and printed copies OF which have
been circulated, has for its title, IAN
act to provide for printing and dis
trlbuting ballots at the public expense,
and TO regulate nominations and elec-
tions.' As will be seen by the title, it
goes back and takes oognizance OF !
nominations, and watches over the |
ballot until 1t is safe in the ballot box. !
1t is nothing the worse for that. The |
act contains thirty sections, some of |
which are very long. In fact, it Is OBJ
jeetionable on that account. There is
no use In such Pathology of language
Ia describing "a plain, matter.of-faet
principle. II is so long that but few
people have the time to sit down and
read it through, and then it will have
to be read over probably two or three
times more to get at a proper under
standing of it. We do not say this in
any factiouse spirit of opposition to
the bill, for we believe, with here and
there little change, it is a good one,
and law embodying its principles
should be adopted.
But in the first place somebody who
understands condensing language and
saying much in few words should get
to work at it and reduce it down to
about one-half its present length and
then it will be sooner read, more easily
understood and be just as effective.
We Gull from the twenty-nine sec
tlons of tho bill, that any political
party placing ticket in the field poll
ing one per centum OF the entire vote
of the State, shall certify the nomina-
tons 1t has mads to the Secretary of
State at least twenty days before the
election, not counting Sabbaths. For
the municipal election of the city of
Wilmington, the nominations are to
be filed with the chairman of the
department of elections fifteen days
before the election.
A number OF sections then provide
for printing uniform ballots at the ex-
pense OF the State. Preliminary the
Clerk OF the Peace of each county Is to
publish the names of the candidates of
each party and the Offices for which
they are running in two papers In tho
eounty,.and the chairman Of the De-
partment of elections in Wilmington
- TO publish the names in two news
papers in that city.
Tie ballot provided will he nearly
half the size of an Opera House pro.
gram, or say eight by twelve inches.
1t is to contain, however, all the tick
cts in the field, Democratic, Republ-
can, Prohibition, Or more, If there be
more, also blank the size of the
other tickets, TO be used by anybody
who wants to use split tickets. This
part will be difficult to understand by
the ordinary voter and will not en-
courage promiscuous voting. Eacl
ticket is to be surmounted by pare,
emblem, by which the ticket vote
wants to vote can be known from
another, even il the voter cannot read
If a Democrat who cannot read secs
Plymouth Rock rooster ut the head oil
his ticket in the act Of growing, liz
knows that il is the ticket he wants L
vote, without looking at the names OF
1t, and has simply to pick up pencil
lying by and alllx his in place or
square provided for it.
If n Republican who cannot reat
sees ticket on his ballot headed wit
an eagle In full flight, about ready I,
swoop down and carry off the DemG
cratic rooster he knows right ava!
that is the ticket he wants, and with
out caring what names are on it, Ii
afflxes his sign u manual in the squar
provided. So with the Prohibitionist
Out they can all read, who secs
fountain Of water scattering its spra
In the sunlight at the head of ticket
he knows TINT is the ticket he wants
If there is a labor ticket in the fial
the sturdy mechanic knows what al
upllfted hammer welded by Drawn
arm means. The plan looks slmpl,
and yet there Will be thousands
voters WHO, Instead Of comprehension
the system, will get confused at III
FIRST sight of Ticket and will ~
know what to do.
In such state Of mind a Democr;
would be as likely to cross the Repu
lican eagle ticket as The rooster Dem
cratic ticket, and a Republican Won
be as likely TO give the rooster tick
boost as the eagle ticket. We niei
.iroosterP in no offensive sense. Pc
haps the election judges can help I
confused man out of his dilemma
called upon, but in many cases vote
would go it blind rather than call
assistance.
But here is n real solid ohieetio
The act requires voter to take b
lot from tho judges folded for h
with an official endorsement on I
back, take 1t into his secret compa
mont, unfold it, mark it US lie wan
to vote, and then before handing il
the inspector to be put in the ball
box he must refold 1t Just Us he got
.'without displaying the marks the
on" or In any way leaving any ma
upon it.
How many men coming along "
dinner kettles on their arms, going
or from tiigir work, hands grimy "
honest toll mud from ,.5l,,.a b,.s