Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-23

States have adopted the Australian
ballot system with the hope NJ secur.
ing homes, elections. In some cases j.
promises success, w others Il angurs
iisappolntmont H1wrver It IL gen
rally concclel that whore political
honesty Is not entirely wanting this
.ystem gives satisfaction
Illinois has au election Law which
overs Ia pages Of the statute book.
rherc "a aiso q special law for city
elections which covers some 200 pages,
but It Is fir from perfect. Penalties are
proviiei Tor all the political trans
freedoms sup osed 10 be attendant on
elections; yet, It " claimed that the
will Of the people ~ defeated 10th In
the state AMI In the towns Of Illinois.
Judge ruley, ono u the best known
lawyer In Illinois, advocates the adop.
ton n the Australian systcm.
Here l. what he says;
"rhc. cardinal features Of this system
nru compulsory secret voting aud'an Of.
hcial ballot. The feature Of secret voting
may not do away with bribery. but II
will Introduce doubt as 10 whether the
contract Is carried out, aud this Will tond
TO diminish, " IL docs not entirely craii.
cate, tho evil of bribo'. nv having tbs
ballots furnished by The State or other Of
ticinl power Il will entirely do away with
the cxpaneo incident TO printing ballots.
aud this will enable minority TO placo
men In the fold against au autocrst.c
majority aud an increased nnmDor u
candidates. But tho chief feature In the
Australian ballo, system Is that Il viii 10
away with unnecessary aud lavish ok
penditure OF money. when the oxpondi-
turo Of money Il lakon away from Tho
machine the machine il destroyed and
the practical politician stsrvos to death"
California l. also sorely troubled
about n ballot system that would give
purity Of elections. There are two
ballot bills now before the Legislature
Of that State. One Is called the Dlbblc
bill. The sunday Union saysofit
Ascending to this new measure the
ballots, having perforated line and a
stub, are to b, printed by the political
parties, societies or candidates, aud three
days prior to election, by them, are 10 be
turned ever To the Clerk or Registrar,
who, IN turn, delivers them TO tho clcc-
tlon boards. II a party or independent
candidate casts ten psr cent Of the reg.
l.tercd vote no can require the state OF
counly 10 pay the cost Of printing the
tickets To which he has boon pu!."
The other 10 called tho Mcguire bill.
In many OF IL features II resembles III,
Dlbblc bill, while both are but weak
limitations Of the Australian system
The Union further says:
The bill Of Mr.. DIbble provides, as doe,
the other. for two ballot clerks, and fol
two ballot-boXe- at each poll. aud TOT
booths into which the voter roilrcs 10 10.
croily prepare his ballot. but In Ia,
nibble bill tho vo,or must tako from IN,
clerks each OF tho several tickets Into Ia,
booth, or at least three. ON tho,o Tia,
clerks lndor~e- tho iniilal,-on tho back
Of tho stnb-and the vo.lng number oI
the olec,or. In tho booth he IL TO prcpar,
his Ticket, fold all ballots he has received
and cast tho ono he has prepared afol
the number has been identified aud III,
stub detached, which Is also cast into N,
box. Tho other tickets he delivers to tn
clerks"
Inasmuch NJ tho Australian system
demands but ons ballot for all partie
Il wouldhave simplicity Mt least In IL
favor. However It Is only by stud.
and experiment that perfect system
can be- arrived at. Ana In this par
tlcular there is IN our country n I'm
field for experiment. one thing 4
certain, that without tho existence o
some degree Of political honesty n
ballot system that eau DO devised by
! the ingenuity Of man win succeed.