Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-26
A LETTER FROM PATTIsoE.
he IDdorses the Australian Ballot System
as the Best known.

as the Best Known.
Next after Blaine, Cleveland, Harrison
and perhaps Hill, as far as political interest
is concerned, comes Governor Robert E.
Pattison. This State gave Blaine so, 600
majority. Governor Pattison turned the
scales and had 16, j51 votes to spare. What
wonder. then, that the foresters of the Presi-
dental wood should number him among the
Svajlabie trees IOr good White House tim
her? He replies to the request Tor his views
on ne adoption of the Australian system of
voting in no uncertain terms:
I'm reply to your letter 1 would saw that
! think the Australian ballot system the
best agency vet devised for purifying cleo
tions bv haffling the many phases of corrup-
tion to which Tierce political conflicts have
given birth. The lavish use Of money by
wealthy candidates, false counting, traudu-
lent registration, marked, altered and sup
pressed ballots, intimidation Cf voters by
corporations and other large employers of
labor, and other marked evils too often at
tendant upon our elections have Of late
years so forced themselves upon general at
teutiOu that 3 great popular movement for
reform mas followed as a natural sequence.
To this demand Tor purer ballot 10 States
have already responded.
are their own sovereign, we must make sure
that that sovereign shall be intelligent and
incorruptible. To secure the former end we
have established our public schools while
to secure the latter we have abolished the
viva voce vote and have substituted tor il
the ballot box, protected by peculiar laws.
But these measures have not been found
sufficient to insure the purity of elections
and to afford the voter al the ballot box that
sacred protection which is his inherent
right L8w-abiding electors are con ronted
a. The polls by the corrupt hirelings of lead
erS who scorn the law, who sneer ut the
decalogue IN politics, and who boldly at
tempt to thwsrt the popular intelligence and
10 defeat the popular viii. OF all the foes
to our Institutions the political boss is the
most insidious. for he aims at the overthrow
O. those principles which are the very ioun-
datiOn Of our political fabric-Virtue lib
cry and independence.
THE ) ustraliau system of voting would
be an immense power in clipping the wings
and repressing the evils OF political bossIsm.
Upward of 81, 100000 Of people conduct
their elections Ia accordance with its pro-
visions, so that it is neither an untested ex-
pertinent nor a questionable expedient.
Wherever free and accurate expression of
opinion is desired it finds home, SO that it
cannot be justly claimed as the method of
any one country or people.
The cardinal features OF the Australian
system are compulsory secrecy Of voting,
uniform official ballots containing the
names OF ali the candidates printed under
State or municipal authority, and official
equality of nominations, when made either
by party convention or by paper signed
bv gwen number of voters Under this
system all qualified voters have equal facil-
ities for voting, and all candidates have
equal facilities tor receiving votes.
The Australian system has produced
effects far wider than the mere achievement
oi a single reform. 1t offers not only free
and pure elections but free nominations. 1t
offers a method of nomination that is free to
al and it empancipates US from the rule of
the political bosses. There is abundant tes-
timony that tits the best the most rapid and
the most facile mode OF obtaining the unbi-
aSed wish and mind Of voters. 1t secures
tranquility, purity and freedom of choice.
For all these reasons, 1 heartily favor it.
VERY truly yours,
ROBERT L. PATTISoN."