The record-union., 1891-03-09
THE FINAL WORD THE TESTI-
MONY OFs EIGHTY-SIX MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE.

THE FINAL WORD THE TESTI-
MONY OEs EIGHTY-SIX MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE.
These specious arguments were adj
yanced in the Assembly on Saturday
against the Senate ballot-reform bill ::
l. That nomination by petition will en-
gender piece-club formation. 2. That ex-
clusion from the polling-room during the
casting of votes, save only of the officers
of election, is dangerous feature, and
conserves fraud. 8. That the printing of
the ballots by the Government will pile
up an enormous bill of cost. 4. That the
distribution of the ballots to the polling
places will require a large force of men,
make heavy cost and give the County
Clerk too much patronage. 5. That the
bill is OF foreign origin. 6. That it puts
the illiterate voter at a great disadvantage
Really there were no other arguments
advanced by any Of the opponents that
rise to a plane worthy of notice. We
propose to answer each of these in order.
l. Nomination by petition enlarges no
more than the present law the power Of
bad men to group themselves and intimi-
date or threaten or tempt candidates.
But, in fact, if INSTRUMENTATION ever
do represent piece-clubs, the reform bill
will accomplish great good that the
present law utterly inhibits-that is, the
clubs UiU be knoiUn, and every man in
each of them will be of record officially
So that truly the reform bill, because it
deals in publicity, which is the corrective,
as is sunlight the chief of cleansers, will
tend to discourage piece-club formation.
But, where the law is in force, experience
flies directly in the face of the men in the
California Assembly who advance the
theory now treated. AS against their
doubts and fears we marshal the expe-
rience of nine States Of the American
Union. To that testimony there can be,
because there is, no reply.
2. Concerning the exclusion of others
than the election officers during the pro-
cess of voting-that is the present prac-
tice. The existing law does not provide
that any others shall be admitted, until
the process of canvassing the vote COM
mences. The reform law provides that
the ballot-boxes shall be kept in plain
view of the public, and in that respect is
an important advance upon the present
system, which permits them to be seen
only through narrow and barricaded
opening.
3. The cost of printing the ballots will
be no greater than at present, indeed, not
so great. But the cost, whatever it is,
will be properly placed, and not visited
upon few candidates able, or unable, as
the case may be, to bear it. In the long
run the cost is put upon all the people
under either system, for whatever can
didate expends under existing laws in Sc
curing his election he recoups among the
people. 1t is because, for one thing, the
present system invites to dishonesty that
the elected official may ''get even"
that the reform bill provides that all bal
lots shall be printed at public expense.
AS it is the candidate is not permitted to
print his own ballots, for it is done by
those who assess him, and it is notorious
that such practice results in the candi-
dates paying three prices or more, for the
bosses do not work for glory.
But the poor man who has honest as
piration but no money is debarred the
privilege of running Independent under
the present system. His poverty places
him at disadvantage that he cannot
overcome. If his candidacy is to devoted
upon in district, State or a county, he
must print tickets in such enormous
quantity, distribute them so widely and
employ such an army of ticket peddlers
that he is absolutely shut out. The re-
form law puts him on level with all
other candidates, and guarantees his
American right to have his name con-
sidered by all the voters. Instead of the
system being ''un-American," therefore
as Mr.. Matlock SO roared it, it is the very
essence of Americanism, equality and
equal rights. The system that shuts the
ballot-box verdict out of the possibility oi
the humblest and poorest citizen is un.
American, nay, it is outrageously SOC
If Assemblyman Matlock, in the exer.
else of his inalienable right. should pro.
pose himself as a candidate for Governor
he being man of modest means, ht
would be absolutely precluded under oul