Telegram-herald., 1891-12-28
HISTORY OF VOTING.
os9ss Ballot Used BY the An
ciont orookA
Usunl RUv0 sss sha EisSe1sn - . PoUo-
Bao<etng . Oog~-IAe uuDr
gasian syssso - EAbey
Yssrs A90

Like Iop8y anu u1oot Oxuo1 nuUAou Ah-
stitutionA II ''growed- And In its
growth il has taken such varied fcrms
IL viii make an Interesting study. OF
eousse, In the good cid times, when all
civilizs6 countries were governed by
kinsA there was no use for = ballot A
primitive. ssli-governiag tribe. like
those Of the ancient Germans, was sat
isfied With vivsrvoce voting. The Jews
before they had king~ might be called
. self-geverning people Strictly. how
ever. their theory Of government put
everything in the hands CT God. and in
technical terms WAS . theocrscy. II .
public edicer must be chosen, he was
named by Gods representative. tho
priest or prophet. Or else lets were cast
and il was exnected taat God would
send the right lot TO tho right man 1t
- net unlikely that suoA casting Of lots
gave the srst hint of secret ballot
The ancient Greeks used the ballot
II snacting laws and In courts where
there wero . largo number Of judges.
The ballet there was originally . peb-
ble. whole for . yes vO<e or pierced
with . Aols for . No Sometienes there
wns enlv one stope. wh3eh was dropped
ints res or no box Later the peb-
hle was changed fer . little bronze
wheel A fow ol thees have been
found IN r,odera times staaapcd on ono
side with The words ''Ofncial ballot. :"
and on tho other witif The number Of
the judicial district
In electing officers the Greeks voted
by show Of hands Often officers were
appointed BY lot White and black
beans wefs used for lets, and those
who were understood to be hungry for
efice received the suggestive name OF
bean-caters The idea here was that
every citizen was good enough 70 hold
Office. and this was the most Impartial
way Of dividing the spoiis They
never used secret ballot to vote for
candidates In the modern fashion. but
only to veto against them
II party spirit was running high and
Che power of boss was growing dan
Rerous . vote Of exile was ordered
Each eitissn wrote . name On an oyster
sheil or piece of broken erockery and
pat this vote secretly into the box.
Any boss against whom there was .
sufficient majority raust leave the coun.
try for ten ycarA
This peculiar institution. called os.
trseisa. is really the nearest 2:sroach
the Greeks made TO a modern ballot
aysten 0Stracisu1 went out of use
because eo acertain important occasion
the thunaePtoft failed to hit either of
the promincas lesderz but struck COM
pafatvely obscure persons
The details are not quite clear. It
has bees suggested. however. that the
great bossss made deal by which
they were - let each ether alone and
give al sAs votes 10 troublesome
third party man The result was so
unsatisfactory to the people that o.
trHcism WAS gwen up
The ballot WAS introduced int Rome
n the second century = G This was
the real Aussrsl,sa ballot The voter
received . sort OF wooden slate covered
with wax. on which the names Of al
the candidates were scrsHched. He
made holes in the va opposite those
ef his chsscs ssa drsppea his tablet
In the hex
After sAe downfall ~ the Roman re-
public popular govern ment took long
sleep, and there was little uss for .
ballet till quite modern timea still.
Some 81 The NEST curiously elaborate
ballot systems known were developed
In the small governing eodiss Of the
nidsls ages
One sf sh~se is The form for eleeting
Q pope. which has continued 70 our own
time. AL the cardinals ere locked mp
together In . suite 81 rooms % the
vatican and for sidAsu 20 have any
eomnunr alton With the outside world
till they hs~- made choice. Food is
pass~d IN - them. bat II the pope is
not elected wissiu few days they are
Put on prison rssssss BY w OF quick
sning their work
A ballot Il tssea every ssorring. fol-
tnraty sos chasgias vcte~ Each ear
DIAL receives prinseA blank He
frss sixus u. then foiSs n over 80 ~ tn
e.nceal the signature ard seals r. On
th~ uncovered rart 81 she PAPER he
writes The nane of his candidate. II
th~r. il not two-shirds aaiorsty The
hailsfs So bvrn>S and the smcke
tells tAe wsi.sn< crowd sus~&sl- taas
sbsr- - 80 -iectice
The ssrar pr~rc>a h. r~eease3 e~erv
ev~stng Wh-r nv cssu,nsss v-ss sse
p~c~s~ary toe shsvsa VIZ scaled sig-
uaiar-~ ars -~rnss - make eur. thss
No s.aashsrises persea he's veeed
Tacs ths ei-essss 10 pvssieiy ss-
ssrnced
This c-r@fuise~. ko~ev-v. h soss
sn~ ~ tnaf whirh wa& us-d In riecsisas
ss.,rs Of vssfes The ves~sas i~eis
Iassrs A~sp2ivs.s - x~sssss 80 eis>s1es
~A.es ~eais s>s - s~strssi~i ~ pssf
ssrs.as sssxsRa~-. called In the tsa -