The Globe-republican., 1891-12-10
FROM WASHINGTON.
tFrom our special correspondent.

FROM WASHINGTON.
tFrom our special correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. C. Dec, 7th, 1891.
Some facts developed by the late cleo
lions show that the merit of secretive-
ness can not be claimed for the Austrian
ballot system to such a degree as has
been believed. Massachusetts has one
of the best laws of the kind in existence,
but any voter challenged at the polls in
that state must write his name on the
back of his ballot before depositing it.
1t is easy to see to what extent this could
be carried to identify the ballots of those
whose votes had been purchased, and to
see if they had carried out their part Of
the bargain. A still more fragrant abuse
was discovered in Elmirs, N. Y, the
home of the Republican candidate, Fas-
sett. Tammany Hall wished to punish
Mr.. Fasett, he having bad the courage
to attack it. and it used New YOrk's i'm
perfect law with great effect. 1t bought
votes by wholesale in Elmira, and in
order to make sure that the goods
had been delivered it compelled the pur-
chased voter to tear off piece of his
ballot and hand it into the democratic
headquarters before he could get his
money.
A similar method is known to have
been used in other localities in New
York state. The Australian ballot sys-
TEN is great improvement on the old
style of voting, but it is evidently not so
perfect as to place it beyond the manip-
ulatiOn of rogues.
Sir Julian Paunceforie and the repre-
sentatives of the British West Indian
Colonies had another conference at the
Department of State yesterday, relative
to the negotiation of reciprocity agree
ment under the terms of the tariff act.
Figures have been collected to show that
while the United States takes more than
half the products of the islands, the aver
age rate upon our imports is nearly twice
as large as that paid by other countries.
AS the cOlOnists appear to be willing to
make such reductions in duty paid by
/ the United States products as will not
discriminate against the mother country,
there is reason to believe that success
will crown their efforts to secure a recip-
rocity agreement with the United
States.
An importing firm of Philadelphia,
recently made inquiries of the Treasury
Department in regard to paragraph l43
of schedule C of the tariff act relating
to tin plate.
''What is understood by being pro-
duced in the United States? Will the
tin and terne plates be American if made
from imported black plate, or must
the black plate be of American make
, if the latter. will the black plate be
American if rolled from imported bars?'
The Department holds that imported
black plates dipped in this country fol
the purpose of making tin and ternt
plates are included in the paragraph
, referred to. There is no provision il
law restricting the manufacturers to thu
use of American tin.
, Should Secretary Tracy never built
another vessel, the monster armOret
cruiser launched at Cramps shipyard
at Philadelphia yesterday, will be ;
grand floating monument to his admin
istration. Being the largest war vesse
ever launched in America, it makes al
! era in ship building and .attests to tn
: ability of our engineers and workmen