The sun., 1891-12-11
It should be Abolished.

Mr.. HENRY T. BLAKE OF Now Haven dis
cusses In the December number Of tho very
sober and conservative Nep Highlander, the
practical workings Of the new official ballot
in the last elections. He shows that every
where and 10 multitude Of ways this lat
est hobby OF cranky reformers has proved
troublesome and even dangerous In actual
use: that 1t Is a mischievous innovation.
with no compensating advantages OF any
kind whatever.
1t is enormously costly. It complicates
the process Of voting uselessly and unnec-
essarily. 1t vexes the citizen and vastly
increases the liability to mistakes on the
part Of both voters and election officers. As
q result OF It's employment, contests over
the canvass Of the votes have occurred to
an extent unknown under the old and SIM
pie system Of balloting. and here In New
York. more than month after the election.
the question as to the Legislature elected Is
not yet decided.
Mr.. BLAKE finds also that worry striking
feature OF the November elections was the
unusual lightness Of the vote In several
States using the Australian ballot as II is
called. This was especially noticeable In New
York. Ohio. and Nebraska. In all Of those
States the canvass before tho election was
remarkable for its thoronghnees and excite-
ment. Yet the aggregate Of the vote cast
was small in each Of them. His explana-
ton Of the cause Of this extraordinary re-
suit Is 1.-THE unwlllingness OF thousands Of
voters to 60 through tho delays, perplex-
ities. and vexattons imposed by tho method
OF voting" That is a very reasonable in
ference. tho talk about bribery rs the
cause being Of course nonsense. Hun
tlreds OF" thousands OF citizens are
not thus purchasable. even II the
enormous amount Of money to buy them
TO remain away from the polls were avail
ablo. It is true. however. as Mr.. BLAKE
says. that "a very large proportion Of the
voteis are too indifferent about exercising
their electoral privileges in any case. and
the expectation Of special embarrass-
ment at the polls would be quito
sufficient to keep them at home"
They are sensitive about exposing
themselves to the liability Of making NOR
tliying blunders under the novel and
complicated requirements Of the system Of
tho cranky reformers. To get out the vote
and to obtain the will OF the people. the
simplest system Of voting Is essential. The
new device ought to be patented as the best
method Of keeping people away from the
polls. and defeating the purposes Of an
election by universal suffrage.
Mr.. BLAKE shows also. that the substitu-
tion Of the blanket ballot. pure and simple.
for the pastors allowed In this State. would
only further complicate the process and har-
ass the voter. Such ballot would be Of cum
bcrsome size; at an election for President it
might be from four to six feet long by more
than foot wide. The troubles OF the voter
In picking out his candidates and marking
them would be onerous In the extreme. and
his liability to mistakes vastly increased.
More people than ever would stay away
from the polls.
Mr.. BLAKE therefore looks forward to
the operation Of the new contrivance at the
election for President next year with much
reasonable alarm. He sees that the chances
Of disputed election. with all Its chain Of
perilOus consequences. will be multiplied.
and that at best the probability Of vexatious
and irritating delays In getting at the re-
suit will be greatly increased. lis there
not reason" he asks. to fear what compli-
cations and dangers the next Presidential
election may bring in its train?"
Undoubtedly there is such reason. The
whole complicated and dangerous contri-
vance ought to be smashed by prompt leg
islation in every State which was induced
by mischievous professional reformers to
make the hazardous experiment Of adopting
1t. It's defects are radical and irremediable
by any alterations. 1t should be abolished
altogether. and the old and simple method
OF voting restored.